Riot Girl
A handwritten exploration of gender, power, and resistance — a custom typeface born from punk feminism and raw paint energy.
Punk Rock Feminism
I was inspired by the punk rock era, rough bristle paint, paint splatters, and the raw energy of feminism. The design draws from magazines like MS from the second-wave feminist movement, channeling a spirit of rebellion and going against gender norms and what society expects of us in those roles.
The typeface embodies aggression, authenticity, and resistance — each letterform feels hand-painted and deliberately imperfect, rejecting the polish of traditional typography in favor of something more visceral and defiant.
Creating the Typeface
I used Adobe Illustrator to create the typeface, building each letter with deliberate roughness and painterly texture. The brush strokes were designed to feel urgent and uncontrolled, capturing the spontaneous energy of punk culture and activist movements.
After creating the full character set, I moved into InDesign to design magazine covers that would showcase the typeface in context — placing it alongside feminist messaging and bold imagery to demonstrate how typography can be a tool for social commentary.
Design as Visual Protest
Riot Girl is more than a typeface — it's a visual protest. By rejecting traditional typographic conventions and embracing imperfection, it channels the radical spirit of feminist punk movements and challenges viewers to reconsider how design can be a tool for social change.