A man of letters: step into the world of Min Kim – packed with tasteful, evocative typography

Razor-sharp edges, flamboyant details, swashes that curl like tendrils – there’s something poetic about the way Min Kim approaches typography. Even a cursory glance at his body of work reveals his grasp over the subject. Take, for example, the title card he designed for Lil Nas X’s ‘Tales of Dominica’ video, with its ornate typography, that perfectly echoes the otherworldly setting of the video, with its floating beds. That title card – and another, for ‘Life After Salem’ – led to an opportunity to design a system for the musician’s first tour. This is just one of the many projects from the portfolio of the New York-based designer and art director, which also includes the campaigns he’s designed for YouTube Music, as a Senior Designer at Google. The common strands that run through his work – for both his full-time job and his freelance practice – are music and typography; neither are hard to spot. Here, he talks to us about landing the gig at Google, his childhood spent sifting through music album covers, and how, for him, typography always serves as “a starting point and a driving force.” RB: Hello, Min! How is the new year treating you? MK: Hello! The new year has been treating me well so far. I did get the flu during the holiday season, but I’m feeling much better now. I’m super happy to start the new year with the interview.