Fons Mans
@fonsmans.com
Visual Artist & Designer — fonsmans.com
Streams — Made for Recall AI
December 12, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Streams — Made for Recall AI
I love working with designers who are like chameleons. They can look at any style, adapt on the spot, absorb its nuances, and then elevate it in their own way.
December 3, 2025 at 4:44 PM
I love working with designers who are like chameleons. They can look at any style, adapt on the spot, absorb its nuances, and then elevate it in their own way.
Studying expressive, hand-drawn forms as a base for a new visual language.
December 2, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Studying expressive, hand-drawn forms as a base for a new visual language.
Stop designing on autopilot
open.substack.com/pub/fonsmans...
open.substack.com/pub/fonsmans...
Stop designing on autopilot
Most designers don’t plateau because their skills stop improving. They plateau because their habits slowly start making decisions for them.
open.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Stop designing on autopilot
open.substack.com/pub/fonsmans...
open.substack.com/pub/fonsmans...
Reposted by Fons Mans
The Wall Street Journal asked me why Instrument Serif is everywhere right now.
Read the article:
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/s...
Read the article:
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/s...
November 13, 2025 at 4:53 PM
The Wall Street Journal asked me why Instrument Serif is everywhere right now.
Read the article:
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/s...
Read the article:
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/s...
The Wall Street Journal asked me why Instrument Serif is everywhere right now.
Read the article:
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/s...
Read the article:
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/s...
November 13, 2025 at 4:53 PM
The Wall Street Journal asked me why Instrument Serif is everywhere right now.
Read the article:
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/s...
Read the article:
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/s...
Too many visual identities look amazing in the brand book but fall apart in the real world.
Often because they’re too complex for in-house teams, assets take forever to recreate, or leave too much open to interpretation.
Often because they’re too complex for in-house teams, assets take forever to recreate, or leave too much open to interpretation.
November 10, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Too many visual identities look amazing in the brand book but fall apart in the real world.
Often because they’re too complex for in-house teams, assets take forever to recreate, or leave too much open to interpretation.
Often because they’re too complex for in-house teams, assets take forever to recreate, or leave too much open to interpretation.
Building a following as a designer opens doors, but it also adds distractions.
I wrote a bit about my experience so far: open.substack.com/pub/fonsman...
I wrote a bit about my experience so far: open.substack.com/pub/fonsman...
You built a following as a designer — now what?
You post your work. You share your process. People start following. At first, it feels like validation, proof that what you’re doing matters. And before you notice, it starts shaping what you make.
www.readartifact.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Building a following as a designer opens doors, but it also adds distractions.
I wrote a bit about my experience so far: open.substack.com/pub/fonsman...
I wrote a bit about my experience so far: open.substack.com/pub/fonsman...
There’s no shortcut to taste. You can only earn it through volume and reflection.
November 4, 2025 at 7:42 AM
There’s no shortcut to taste. You can only earn it through volume and reflection.
Visual design in tech is in the middle of an identity crisis. It’s polished and soulless at the same time.
Every company claims to care about aesthetics, yet most look alike. Read more:
substack.com/home/post/p...
Every company claims to care about aesthetics, yet most look alike. Read more:
substack.com/home/post/p...
We made design efficient and killed the magic
Visual design in tech has entered an identity crisis. It’s polished and soulless at the same time; every company claims to care about aesthetics, yet most products look alike.
www.readartifact.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Visual design in tech is in the middle of an identity crisis. It’s polished and soulless at the same time.
Every company claims to care about aesthetics, yet most look alike. Read more:
substack.com/home/post/p...
Every company claims to care about aesthetics, yet most look alike. Read more:
substack.com/home/post/p...
I wrote something about visual confidence
substack.com/home/post/p...
substack.com/home/post/p...
How to build visual confidence as a designer
Most designers don’t suffer from a lack of talent. They suffer from a lack of conviction.They tweak endlessly, chasing something “better” instead of deciding what’s right. That isn’t a skill problem.
www.readartifact.com
November 2, 2025 at 9:59 AM
I wrote something about visual confidence
substack.com/home/post/p...
substack.com/home/post/p...
Loving the thumbnail for this week's newsletter on the creation of Offgrid Sans.
November 1, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Loving the thumbnail for this week's newsletter on the creation of Offgrid Sans.
Got a few incredible companies hiring full-time designers right now.
I’m curating a private list of vetted designers to connect with them, fully confidential.
If you’d like to be included, DM me your portfolio + location.
I’m curating a private list of vetted designers to connect with them, fully confidential.
If you’d like to be included, DM me your portfolio + location.
October 28, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Got a few incredible companies hiring full-time designers right now.
I’m curating a private list of vetted designers to connect with them, fully confidential.
If you’d like to be included, DM me your portfolio + location.
I’m curating a private list of vetted designers to connect with them, fully confidential.
If you’d like to be included, DM me your portfolio + location.
I hope every designer reaches a point in their career where they can decline projects that don't align with their life or design philosophy.
Creating meaningful work with people you enjoy collaborating with is truly all you need.
Creating meaningful work with people you enjoy collaborating with is truly all you need.
October 22, 2025 at 1:19 PM
I hope every designer reaches a point in their career where they can decline projects that don't align with their life or design philosophy.
Creating meaningful work with people you enjoy collaborating with is truly all you need.
Creating meaningful work with people you enjoy collaborating with is truly all you need.
Dutch Designers — Logo Treatment Exploration
October 22, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Dutch Designers — Logo Treatment Exploration
Reposted by Fons Mans
Logo for Artifact — readartifact.com
October 19, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Logo for Artifact — readartifact.com
Reposted by Fons Mans
Signal & Noise — Poster set
October 20, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Signal & Noise — Poster set
Signal & Noise — Poster set
October 20, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Signal & Noise — Poster set
Logo for Artifact — readartifact.com
October 19, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Logo for Artifact — readartifact.com
Introducing Artifact — A weekly publication exploring the craft, process, and beauty behind exceptional visual design.
readartifact.com
readartifact.com
October 17, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Introducing Artifact — A weekly publication exploring the craft, process, and beauty behind exceptional visual design.
readartifact.com
readartifact.com
Product Design for Mashup
October 17, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Product Design for Mashup
Gradient exploration for @typefully
October 14, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Gradient exploration for @typefully
