Door Handle
2018
Akwaaba means "welcome" in Akan — one of the most widely spoken languages in Ghana. This door handle design draws directly from that meaning, translating a cultural greeting into a physical object that marks the threshold between outside and inside.
The handle combines a laser-cut steel face plate with the Akwaaba wordmark set in a geometric typeface, mounted on a warm timber backing that references West African craft traditions. The technical challenge was integrating the typography into a functional grip that works mechanically while reading clearly as a cultural object.
Designed in 2018 during my time living in Ghana, the piece moves from typographic research and font selection through scale drawings, material specification, and final fabrication.
