For me, one of the most touching moments of Typo Berlin 2010 was the lecture of Julian Zimmermann and Togbui Ngoryifia Kosi Olatidoye Céphas Bansah, king of Ghana. Julian did a new corporate design for the majesty, who – absurdly – lives in Friedrichshafen am Rhein, Germany.

They told the story about the king’s life, his work in Germany, his royal duties in Ghana and they showed the design process of the new visual identity. Read in detail at Typo Berlin Blog. 

Really charming and important to mention is the signature of King Bansah. He does not write his name as the most of us (more or less), no, he draws a symbol – expressing him as a person, a character, an african king. He starts with vertical lines, displaying his legs/him, ten loops for the ten tribes, big circles portraying him and his family. Then loops for activity on the right, diminishing in size, ending in his lifeline.

I was so impressed by that, so I accepted the pain I had to go through, while being sandwiched between fifty others, to get one of that emotionally laden signatures. He tried to draw the Typejockeys logo, but I think he abandoned after the p. : )

See and read more about the king and support his social engagement: www.koenig-bansah.de