Abo Shafyu

✺ Youth Award Winner ‘22 ✺ MMC Award Winner ‘22 • Art Director @EncreaStudio & Type Director @akurutype

[Abo Shafyu @aboshafyu]

2021 was a wonderful year for my growth & creative process. I was able to add some impressive names to my clientele, & create a lot of personal favourites for causes that were deeply close to my heart.

With that, here’s my 2021 picks.

[Akuru Type @akurutype]

Now available on Akuru Type: Idhara by @dhivehitype ✨

A contemporary Dhivehi grotesk that reimagines Thaana through clean construction, balanced proportions, and a distinct personality.

Here's a closer look at what makes Idhara special. 🧵

[Abo Shafyu @aboshafyu]

Always love seeing local creatives pushing the boundaries! 👏

If you've ever wondered what goes into designing a Thaana font, his insights are spot on.

[Akuru Type @akurutype]

#AkuruSpotlight: Ibrahim Shareef (Ibbe) ✨

Meet Ibbe, a multidisciplinary creative whose journey spans photography, videography, animation, and his ultimate passion: Thaana Typography!

Thread 👉

[Abo Shafyu @aboshafyu]

Looking back at these, every mark brings back a different memory — different challenges, different chapters, same love for the craft.

Just a small snapshot of a much bigger journey. ✨

[encrea @encreastudio]

Looking back through the Encrea #LogoArchive, it’s incredible to see how many stories we’ve had the privilege to shape through identity design.

Different industries, different ambitions, but one shared goal: creating stories worth following. ✨

@LogoArchive
@LogoArchiveNow

[encrea @encreastudio]

@dash8x @phalooo @ImmigrationMV The @ImmigrationMV was the best team we’ve worked with on the UI/UX of this project. Loved tackling complex challenges together & always open to solutions — looping in their legal& other team to streamline flows breaking conventions. Private sector collabs solves complex probs ;)

[Hussain Jinan @profEuLOGist]

Hello aspiring minds (students from Maldives) in Malaysia 🇲🇾 — get a rapid dive into validation using Lean methodology.

Test your assumptions, fast.

Register now: https://t.co/sreMV1ok2l

[Technewsmv @technewsmv]

"Font Gannan Jehenya Varah Hevvaa", Ekamaku miee Hevvaa Kameh Noon! https://t.co/cramPHgBdh

[Abo Shafyu @aboshafyu]

A growing collection of Dhivehi type, crafted by Maldivian designers who care about the culture, the script, and the details.

Explore exclusive Thaana fonts — and if you’re creating your own, this is your space to showcase and monetize it.

[Akuru Type @akurutype]

5 Type Designers. 28 Fonts. ✨

Discover exclusive Dhivehi fonts by Maldivian designers & foundries. Showcase and monetize your Thaana script creations on our marketplace.

https://t.co/BXR2WupH4s

[Abo Shafyu @aboshafyu]

Some lettering explorations from the past couple of years.

Guess it should all be “free fonts”. 🫣

[Abo Shafyu @aboshafyu]

From concept to creation, my lettering journey through the last Majilis election.

Pause the reel to catch the detail. 🫶

#ThaanaLettering

[Dhanda Hell @Bidakaanulaa]

@nuhafuri Hundreds of hours go into making type usable, readable, and consistent.

But sure, let’s make fonts free because writing is cultural.
Food grows too.. guess restaurants should be free as well.

[Anoof Junaid @anoojfunaid]

If someone put their time and energy into something and decided to put it up for sale, either buy it or don’t use it if you can’t pay up. How is that so difficult to understand?

The lack of respect the people of this country have for creatives is genuinely saddening.

[Akuru Type @akurutype]

@nuhafuri This is a marketplace — not a single distributor’s platform. Anyone is welcome to create & showcase beautiful fonts that celebrate our script Thaana, and choose to share them freely or sell them at premium value.

Thank you for your attention to the matter.

[Shaffan Mohamed @ahmedshaffan_m]

Deliberate or reckless copyright infringement is one of the few situations in which Maldivian law allows a claimant to recover statutory punitive damages.

[Akuru Type @akurutype]

Jokes aside — practice proper font licensing.

Be aware of terms, and make sure your usage is authorized.

👉 https://t.co/BXR2WupH4s

[Abo Shafyu @aboshafyu]

Sorry for getting caught!

[Akuru Type @akurutype]

We spent hours on calls…
they explained exactly how they used the font…
confirmed everything…

and then decided not to purchase.
Ended the call a little… angry too. 🙂

"Nugannaanan! Dhey court ah!"

#AkuruWrapped #LCE2026

6/6

[Abo Shafyu @aboshafyu]

Ded.

[Akuru Type @akurutype]

What started as enforcement quickly turned into conversations, questions, and action.

Following our audit, 240+ candidates reached out to verify font usage and licensing requirements—showing a clear shift from uncertainty to awareness.

#AkuruWrapped #LCE2026

5/6

[Akuru Type @akurutype]

Enme ginain gainn fontu thah! 🔥

This shows that while usage was widespread, conversion into licensed use is gradually catching up—with certain fonts leading the way.

#AkuruWrapped #LCE2026

4/6

[Akuru Type @akurutype]

Beynunkuri font thah! 👀

Some fonts clearly dominated campaign usage—
with Maumoon Type leading by a wide margin (84 cases), followed by Roanu, Malas, and Faslu.

…yet usage didn’t quite translate into licensing.

#AkuruWrapped #LCE2026

3/6

[Akuru Type @akurutype]

Across all parties, only 1 in 3 candidates are licensed, while the majority continue to use fonts without proper authorization.

#AkuruWrapped #LCE2026

2/6

[Akuru Type @akurutype]

173 (fenunu) candidates used our fonts during #LCE2026.

5 paid upfront. 42 paid after we chased them down. 126 just… didn’t.

Democracy in kuriah. 🫡
#AkuruWrapped #LCE2026

1/6