Our # WCW is a Zimbabwe-born award winning visual communicator Taurai Valerie Mtake who recently hall-marked the technology walls of fame after she created a Google front she named Madimi One.
The Swedish-based Mtake was short-listed in type design for Google Fonts after being recommended by a friend. Google Fonts is a library of free and open-source fonts that can be used for personal and commercial projects. Mtake, who holds a master’s degree in Visual Communication from Konstfack, Stockholm, said she was approached to work on the project.
“Google Fonts approached me and I had approximately three months to digitise the font making it available for Google,” she said. She created one called Madimi One. “Madimi One is a rounded sans with a mixed geometric and organic design covering all of Google Latin Core.
“Madimi takes inspiration from the gentle curved geometry of Nguni symbols. Circles are a main feature representingh the womb of a woman in KiNtu symbologies. “The idea behind Madimi is to enact subtle visual sub-text of African Visual traditions. It is simple, clean and round edged, but still remains clear and easy to read. l look forward to expanding it.”
Having pursued art as a practical subject in high school, Mtake furthered her education, completing a two-year diploma at the Zimbabwe Institute of Digital Arts. She earned an honours degree from Greenside Design Centre. Mtake said her dedication to art and design has driven her to create projects which authentic African visual culture. “I was particularly fascinated by the art at Great Zimbabwe, the madhoiri, cave paintings and the beauty of nature overall. My passion lies in story-telling through designs. This has motivated me to be a designer.
“As fate would have it my name was suggested to Thomas Phinney and Dave Crossland, who were leading Google’s Open-Source Font Project. Their guidance has been invaluable, helping me to redevelop my skills and reigniting my passion for type design.
“It offers a variety of fonts in various styles from serif and sans-serif displaying handwriting fonts. I began working on this award-winning project in 2016 for my bachelor’s thesis degree, aiming to write a book using font that resonated with my project.” In celebration of Women’s International Day, Mtake encourages women to not fall prey to stereotypes. “People often project their own fears onto you, expecting you to choose a more traditional route at first,” she said.
“Being in a male-dominated field I have seen the need to exert more effort to ensure I reach my goals. “As a woman in the field I have experienced the rewards of shattering barriers and defying stereotypes. My accomplishments inspire and motivate females to engage in creative professions.”
Mtake encouraged women to nurture their creativity and refuse to be hindered by gender biases and societal pressures. “Your distinctive viewpoint and skills hold the potential to redefine the landscape of art and design. Allow your creativity to illuminate your journey,” she said. “Remember, saying no is not selfish, it is an act of self-care and self respect.”
