June 9th, 2026
Actually, Nova Type Foundry is my second foundry. I co-founded and started another one before Nova. As the name hints, I called it Nova, because it was a new foundry, a rebirth. Even though back then, I migrated some of my existing designs from the old to the new one.
I graduated in 2011 with an MA in Typeface Design from the University of Reading. Back then, there were few jobs for type designers in London at that time, so I went back to Portugal.
The only way I could work in type design was to build my own business and work remotely from Porto.
I started as a freelance type designer, working for others and learning how to become a better designer. But in the back of my mind was always the idea to create my own foundry. I thought it made sense to have your own space to sell the fonts.
I still tried to get my designs published by other renowned foundries, but that didn’t work out, and I am so happy it didn’t. This further reinforced the idea of self-publishing and owning my own fonts. So after starting my first foundry in 2015 with a partner, we went our separate ways in 2018. I had already learned a lot, so I kept going under a new name. Hence Nova. Nova Type Foundry felt serious enough for the more formal type design scene at the time.
I added more fonts to the library and slowly grew the brand.
The biggest success for my small expressive library was adding the fonts to Adobe Fonts in 2019. That brought a new audience to the typefaces, and it helped me continue to grow them step by step. Working and living in Portugal, with no jobs as type designers available, this was the best way to build something, to keep going in the business. Yes, I did freelance work for others in the meantime and also took on new roles, but the library at Nova Type is my creative outlet, where I love to create designs I enjoy and that I imagine can serve a purpose, a voice, a product out there in the wild.
I still believe having your own small space to create in your own voice is more important than ever in the world of AI slop. Owning and creating a brand that is valued by designers, clients, and creatives is a wonderful asset.
I look forward to continuing to build Nova Type and designing more typefaces.