Brand architect Mustafa Ömerli has a knack for clever design. He's able to add a few minimalist touches to visually highlight the meanings of common words. This personal project was inspired by the graphic designer's love for combining function and aesthetics with sharp ideas.
Ömerli regularly posts his work on Instagram, where nearly 14,000 people follow his feed and wait for the next interesting twist on an everyday term. Some words like “cup” or “quarter” rely on the subtle addition of shapes. Others, like “diet” and “vibrate” call for manipulation of the typefaces. In some instances, such as “hidden” or “omitting,” it's all about what's not present that makes the concept work.
This artful use of typography is a type of expressionism where the graphic quality of the letters enhances the written message. For the Turkish designer, the biggest challenge comes in the way one must think to make the project work. “You must connect two different dots in one word with creativity,” he tells My Modern Met.
In the end, if people are able to quickly understand the word, Ömerli has done his job. “People should say ‘Aha!' or ‘Wow!' and feel amazed or fascinated by the work.” He hopes that his typographic manipulations will be a source of inspiration to look at words and lettering in a new way. His intelligent graphic designs are an eye-opening look at how even the smallest design change can have a big impact in our perception of these words.
Designer Mustafa Ömerli makes subtle changes to common words in order to bring out their meanings visually.
