A company that has been building houses meant to last for generations now has a visual identity that holds itself to the same standard. hellofarm has redesigned the brand identity of FERMO Massivhaus. Restrained, considered, and built around a clear typographic core.

The choice of typeface fell on Protest Grotesk, designed by Mark Julien Hahn and distributed by Softdrive Foundry. The geometric grotesque is rooted in a strict constructive skeleton that draws on German typography of the late 1920s: Futura, Kabel, and the visual clarity of early modernism. Over the years the typeface has been carefully refined: less dogmatic in its geometry, but carrying the spirit of that era. Available as a variable font with eight weights, it works equally well at large display sizes and in body text.

What makes the typeface a fitting choice for this project is not just its formal quality. It is clear without being cold, and it has a point of view without being loud, qualities that align closely with what FERMO has stood for over six decades. The company works without subcontractors, without hidden costs, without the usual compromises of volume housebuilding. hellofarm has translated that attitude into a visual language that explains as little as necessary. The typeface does the work.

Protest Grotesk is the typeface used by Seasonal Fruit for HEISSER SOMMER (“Hot summer”), an installation in the public space by Neckarinsel Stuttgart.

Stuttgart is a city that is missing one crucial element: water. Although the Neckar river flows through the city, it remains largely inaccessible, and on hot summer days there are few places for people to cool off or take a refreshing dip. The initiative Neckarinsel e.V. aims to change this. For several years, they have been actively engaging in local politics, raising funds, and building support to make the Neckar more accessible. Their efforts have already borne fruit: a small island in the middle of the river is now open to the public during the summer. This art exhibition, presented in a temporarily empty public display space in Stuttgart, seeks to educate visitors about this issue and encourage them to get involved.

Protest Grotesk is the typeface used by Seasonal Fruit for Wir wollen baden! (“We want to go swimming!”), published by Neckarinsel Stuttgart in collaboration with Prima Publikationen. Additional display typefaces used in the book include Sometimes Times and Blocus.

From the publisher (translated):

This water guide is a handy companion for getting into cool waters on hot days. Even in the Stuttgart metropolitan area, temperatures are rising. At the same time, Stuttgart and the surrounding region aren’t exactly known for nearby lakes for swimming. That’s why we went searching for you—and we found them: from river swimming spots to hidden waterfalls and refreshing forest baths, here are the islands for cooling off.

On 14 tours through the region, we give you insights into the many ways to swim and cool down, sprinkled with information and facts about the waters, because water is much more than just fun in the pool: it’s our drinking water, wastewater, a habitat for flora and fauna, and even a means of transport. Easily accessible by public transport, the tours invite you to stroll, walk, hike, cycle, or paddle—alone or with friends and family.

And the best part: each tour comes with a postcard as a keepsake, to send, or to share, featuring scenes from your swimming adventure.

Shortlisted for the Most Beautiful German Books 2025.

Postcard with all-caps Blocus on the back

Spread featuring all-caps Sometimes Times, rotated and with overlapping glyphs

Protest Grotesk is the typeface used by Neues Amt Altona.

From Stan Hema:

Neues Amt Altona eG is ready for the groundbreaking ceremony. The cooperative construction project, which will start in 2025, combines sustainable timber architecture with a concept that focuses on community and creativity. Co-working spaces, art studios and local meeting places – locations that connect people and enable inspiring interaction – are being developed around the popular creative site of the old tax office in the Hamburg district of Altona.

To mark the start of construction of the ambitious project, the NAA has a new visual and verbal brand identity, developed by Stan Hema. The revised identity combines a clear brand language, cross-media recognisability and the diverse voices of the more than 250 committed members. With heart, soul and conviction, they are designing a neighbourhood that is entirely geared towards people and community.

This publication serves as a record of a creative and collaborative approach to urban development. It details the initiatives of the Stuttgart-based organization Stadtlücken e.V. in reimagining Österreichischer Platz, a square in the heart of the city. Over a two-year period, a diverse group of city residents explored various alternative uses for the square. One notable initiative was the Fairytale Dinner.

The Fairytale Dinner was designed to delve into urban mythologies, rumors, and misinformation, thereby stimulating the imaginations of those involved. Centering around authentic facts and gossip about a local figure and the significant Stuttgart location, Österreichischer Platz, this event invited prominent city personalities to a formal dinner. This interactive and engaging approach, which intertwined real information with hearsay, sparked curiosity and collective thought among the guests. They were encouraged to contribute as co-creators of an urban fairy tale. The dinner, performed on-site, vividly brought the essence of Österreichischer Platz to life, seamlessly blending fictional narratives with the real-world setting.

Website for the Berlin-based architectural firm Assaf Kimmel Studio, established by Assaf Kimmel. This practice operates in diverse realms including architecture, installation art, fashion, performance, and speculative design.

The site features a unique single-page web design approach. It's structured as a single page application where content dynamically loads via a widget overlaying the page content. This widget adapts to the project being viewed, streamlining navigation and informational aspects for a seamless user experience.

In terms of design, the website utilizes Protest Grotesk Mono in a light variant, paired with Protest Grotesk in medium for textual emphasis. The typographic presentation is understated yet sophisticated, with subtle nuances in the font adding a distinctive character.

The website of the Stuttgart-based initiative Stadtlücken e.V., a non-profit association, initiated by designers from various disciplines. It was founded out of the need to raise awareness of the importance of public space as a foundation for our democratic coexistence. The goal is to promote a digital-analog network for collaboratively developing a livable city. Stadtlücken are potential points of attack and spaces of possibility, to take initiative in an over-speculated urban system.

For the visual identity the Berlin-based type foundry Stereo Typefaces designed a custom font that is a unicase homage to geometric typefaces.

See also the post about the Stadtlücken identity with posters and merchandise.

Posters and merchandise for the Stuttgart-based initiative Stadtlücken – a non-profit association, initiated by designers from various disciplines. It was founded out of the need to raise awareness of the importance of public space as a foundation for our democratic coexistence. The goal is to promote a digital-analog network for collaboratively developing a livable city. Stadtlücken are potential points of attack and spaces of possibility, to take initiative in an over-speculated urban system.

For the visual identity the Berlin-based type foundry Stereo Typefaces designed a custom font that is a unicase homage to geometric typefaces.

The project Neckarinsel in Stuttgart, Germany, aims to revolutionize perceptions and engagement with the Neckar river. Integral to its branding is Protest Grotesk, a unique typographic choice that intricately mirrors the fluid movement of water. This font isn’t just a static design element; it embodies a kinetic typographic system, symbolically bridging the divide between the essence of water and a resolute commitment to instigate meaningful change through architectural planning.

Protest Grotesk stands as a visual representation of the project’s core ethos, seamlessly merging artistic expression with a profound determination to reshape how society perceives and interacts with water resources. Its incorporation into the design of Neckarinsel serves as a testament to the initiative’s innovative approach, leveraging design elements not just for aesthetic appeal but as a tool to convey a deep-seated intent for transformation and sustainable development along the Neckar.

What do the broken stones make us contemplate? What memories are inscribed in the material? Can vulnerability be found within the stones? And what kind of care work might be assigned to us by them? What does it mean to think – to work with the fragments, the fallen, and the remnants of the city?

Das Gebrochene der Stadt (“The Brokenness of the City”) by Fanti Baum and Sebastian Klawiter embarks on a performative exploration of the poetic potential of the stony over the course of ten days and constructs a radically diverse sculpture – composed of spolia, stones, used materials, and whatever else the city may provide. In this way, a provisional constellation is created, one that doesn't coalesce into a whole, but perhaps that is precisely why it reveals itself as a formation of Stuttgart; undiscovered.

The typography mirrors the fractured essence of brokenness by dismantling the format into distinct individual components, which iterate and, in doing so, construct a fresh and innovative composition.

The Ingolstadt Museum of Concrete Art and Design (MMK) curated the exhibition titled Mind the Gap. Zwischen bekannten und neuen Räumen (“Between known and unknown places”), which sought to delve into the unexplored territories that lie between familiar and unfamiliar locations. To enhance the visual experience and effectively convey the exhibition’s theme, a customized version of Protest Grotesk, a typeface designed by Mark Julien Hahn, was exclusively chosen.

Römerkastell Skate Sessions was a charitable event held in Stuttgart and organized by Stadtlücken e.V. It provided an opportunity for children from various social and regional backgrounds to receive complimentary skateboard and graffiti lessons from skilled instructors. The event utilized a unique blend of fonts, combining Måns Grebäck’s graffiti font Throwupz with Protest Grotesk, a font designed by Mark Julien Hahn.