Maryam Fanni

Design & Research

Stockholm, Sweden

hej @ maryamfanni ● se

+46—(0)73 55 66 214

This incomplete online ”library” collects publications that I have worked on in different roles, here defined by three filter categories that sometimes overlap. Inspired by book designer Ernst Reichl (1900–1980), who reflected on books he designed by written comments on 3x5 inch index cards, I will here share my written comments for each project. Like Reichl, I am a whole book designer with a particular interest in typography, which means I am typically engaged in publication projects at an early stage and function as a consultant in the publishing and production strategy including responsibility for the design of both inlay and cover.


Gläntan – ett hbtqi+monument tar form

Role: Designer assisted by Sera van de Water
Publisher: Arvinius+Orfeus, 2026
Editors: Karolina Modig, Claudia Schaper

Work in progress – to be published in June 2026.

Mer muralkonst – en handbok

Role: Designer assisted by Sera van de Water
Publisher: Arwidssonstiftelsen, 2026
Editors: Anna Charlotta Johansson, Mikael Rickman, Katharina Huttner, Alexander Ståhle

Fabriksflickorna

Role: Designer
Publisher: Konstfrämjandet 2026
Editors: Frida Hållander & Åsa Dybwad Norman
Typography: Custom made sewing machine embroidered typography by Amélie Dumont

This is the second book I have designed for textile researcher Frida Hållander, in this case co-edited with textile artist Åsa Dybwad Norman. At our first meeting for the project, Frida was wearing a shirt that was gifted to her from Åsa—a beige garment with overlock stitches exposed on the outside in a contrasting color. As Frida was presenting the conclusions of their long-term research on the textile industry, I thought it is a sign that she was wearing a re-used piece exposing the seams. At the time, I had recently completed the design of textile banners for KIN Museum, where I worked with a typeface by Amélie Dumont. As I began sketching for this book, I discovered that Amélie had started experimenting with programmed, machine-embroidered typography in a range of styles and weights. The central concept of the design grew from this discovery. I commissioned Amélie to create a custom typeface for the cover and title pages, translating textile techniques into typographic form. The cover is finished with a gritty laminate and blind embossing, giving it a tactile, textile-like quality.

Reading the Signs – Distinction-Making Nostalgia in Swedish Postwar Suburbs

Role: Author (PhD Diss)
Designer: Evelina Mohei
Publisher: University of Gothenburg, 2025

This book is particularly dear to me as it concludes my 7+ year long PhD project. As a book designer myself, I enjoy commissioning book design once in a while as a change. For this project I really wanted to engage Evelina Mohei. Not only because she is an attentive designer (I know because we have worked on projects together in the past), but also because we essentially share an ethical and aesthetic-political stance in our approach (which I highly value) as well as an interest in signage, everyday life design (I’m not a fan of the term ”vernacular”) and our neighborhood Hökarängen – all being central topics in my thesis. I asked for a cover that would somehow play with the idea of time and memory as something fragmented and in motion, possibly by slicing or pixelation of the nostalgic illuminated shop signage. I also wished to have a photo of the area on the back, to emphasize the situatedness of the study and share my view of the place and primary case. Evelina arrived at this beautiful solution, glossy as a shop window, and additionally presented a series of typefaces for the inlay, responding to the themes of my work. They are presented in the colophon as: ”Vendetta (John Downer), a modern interpretation of one of the earliest typefaces, developed through a design process characterized by innumerable compromises and makings of exceptions from the original plan. DejaVu (the DejaVu developer team), named after the feeling of false recognition. Garamon(d/t) (Paul Tubert), a revival of Garamond, corrupted by data loss during software migration.” The last one was offered to me by my former intern Marie Godefroy, who designed posters and banners for a seminar I organized on Nostalgia the year before. The inlay also includes five colored sections representing the practice-led works I call ”reparative interstices”. I feel deep gratitude to Evelina’s work, and was humbled to be reminded about the role of a book designer, being the one who reads, takes care of, responds to, and does the magic of creating a book out of someones precious documents.

Solidarity Report - Two Witness seminars on Danish and Swedish Welfare Housing in Crisis

Role: Editor, designer of visual identity
Designer: Vendela Wetterström, based on visual identity designed by me
Publisher: Aktion Arkiv, 2024

Extrapris i arkivet – ett donationsbrev

Role: Editor
Designer: Vendela Wetterström
Publisher: Konsthall C, 2024

313

Role: Designer
Author: Eric Magassa
Publisher: BlackBook Publications, 2023
Awarded Most Beautiful Books Sweden

Så som det skulle kunna vara

Role: Designer
Author: Paula Urbano
Publisher: Kristianstads konsthall, 2016

jag vet hur folkhemmet luktar

Role: Designer
Editor: tina carlsson
Publisher: Konstfack Collections 2021
Contributors: Petra Hultman, Kalle Brolin, Rikard Heberling, Ingela Johansson, Maryam Fanni, Anneli Jordahl, Simon Matiwos

Aquae profundum Vattnets djup

Role: Designer
Author: Erik Jeor
Publisher: Erik Jeor, 2021

Feminist Futures of Spatial Practice

Role: Designer, assisted my Evelina Mohei
Editors: Meike Schalk, Ramia Mazé, Therese Kristiansson
Publisher: AADR, 2017
Contributions by Mariana Alves Silva, Jenny Andreasson, Nishat Awan, Katarina Bonnevier, Karin Bradley, Sara Brolund de Carvalho, Brady Burroughs, Ragnhild Claesson, Yvonne P. Doderer, Macarena Dusant, Annika Enqvist, Maryam Fanni, Liza Fior, Hélène Frichot, Katja Grillner, Ulrika Gunnarsson-Östling, Sophie Handler, Nel Janssens, Elke Krasny, Thérèse Kristiansson, Anja Linna, Nina Lykke, Helena Mattsson, Ramia Mazé, Irene Molina, Ruth Morrow, Jane da Mosto, MYCKET, Doina Petrescu, Julieanna Preston, Rehearsals (Petra Bauer, Sofia Wiberg, Marius Dybwad Brandrud, Rebecka Thor), Helen Runting, Nora Räthzel, Meike Schalk, Despina Stratigakos, Kristoffer Svenberg, The New Beauty Council, Kim Trogal, and Josefin Wangel.

384 pages, Format: 21 x 25 cm, Softcover, ISBN 978-3-88778-489-8, English

Atlante Energetico

Role: Designer
Author: Elena Mazzi
Publisher: Fondazione Spinola Banna/GAM Torino, 2016

Om detta sjunger vi inte ensamma

Role: Designer
Editors: Anna Jörgensdotter & Charlotte Qvandt
Publisher: ETC Bokförlag, 2016
Contributions by Sara Abdollahi, Seluah Alsaati, Johannes Anyuru, Arazo Arif, Helena Boberg, Karin Brygger, Ce(n)sur, Kjell Espmark, Athena Farrokhzad, Hanna Hallgren, Bob Hansson, Åsa Maria Kraft, Maria Küchen, Anna Liv Lidström, Jörgen Lind, Kristian Lundberg, Jasim Mohamed, Iman Mohammed, Jila Mossaed, Felicia Mulinari, & Erland Edberg, Petra Mölstad, Malte Persson, Charlotte Qvandt, Helene Rådberg, Freke Räihä, Sofia Stenström, Carolina Thorell, Jenny Wrangborg

Art Lab Gnesta Karl Schultz Köln

Role: Co-designer together with Rikard Heberling
Publisher: ArtLab Gnesta 2014
Editors: Signe Johannesen and Caroline Malmström

FAGS:METOD

Role: Designer
Editor: Zafire Vrba & Johanna Gustavsson (FAGS)
Publisher: FAGS, 2015

Konsthall C Editions

Role: Designer
Editor: Corina Oprea
Publisher: Konsthall C, 2016

Konsthall C Editions

Role: Designer
Editor: Corina Oprea
Publisher: Konsthall C, 2016

Home Works

Role: Co-designer of visual identity together with Rikard Heberling
Editors: Jens Strandberg and Jenny Richards
Publisher: Konsthall C, 2015-2016

Natural Enemies of Books – A Messy History of Women in Print and Typography

Role: Co-editor together with Sara Kaaman & Matilda Flodmark
Publisher: Occasional Papers 2020
Designer: Ellermeda
ISBN 978-0-9954730-3-4
Contributors: Kathleen Walkup, Ida Börjel, Jess Baines, Ulla Wikander, Inger Humlesjö, Ingegärd Waaranperä, Gail Cartmail, Megan Dobney
Purchase (SOLD OUT)

Inimigas Naturais dos Livros – Uma História Conturbada das Mulheres na Impressão e na Tipografia

Role: Co-editor together with Sara Kaaman & Matilda Flodmark
Publisher: Clube do Libro do Design 2022
Preface by Nina Paim
Translated by Stephanie Borges
Designer: Tereza Bettinardi based on the design of Ellermeda
Contributors: Kathleen Walkup, Ida Börjel, Jess Baines, Ulla Wikander, Inger Humlesjö, Ingegärd Waaranperä, Gail Cartmail, Megan Dobney
ISBN 978-65-997850-0-9
Purchase (SOLD OUT)

Kirjojen luontaiset viholliset. Naisten sotkuista historiaa typografia- ja kirjapainoalalla

Co-editor (together with Sara Kaaman & Matilda Flodmark)
Publisher: Multipöly 2024
Preface by Arja Karhumaa
Designer: Ellermeda
Contributors: Kathleen Walkup, Ida Börjel, Jess Baines, Ulla Wikander, Inger Humlesjö, Ingegärd Waaranperä, Gail Cartmail, Megan Dobney

Ett texthäfte om konst- och kultursatsningar i relation till ägande och styrning

Role: Writer, Editor, Designer
Publisher: MDGH Förlag
Editors: Maryam Fanni, Elof Hellström, Sarah Kim

175 år av kamp, glädje och misslyckanden – Grattis Konstfack!

Role: Image editor
Designer: Jiri Adamik-Novak and Jennifer Bergkvist
Editors: Susanne Helgeson and Jenny Morelli
Publisher: Konstfack, 2019

Det omöjliga vittnandet – Om vittnesmålets pedagogiska möjligheter

Role: Designer
Author: Marie Hållander
Publisher: Eskaton 2017
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Vi kommer totalt dominera – Om utomhusreklam som demokratifråga

Role: Projekt initiator and Co-editor together with Monica Sand
Publisher: Dokument Press 2021
Funded by Västerås Konstmuseum and Region Västmanland

Tusen spår i en och samma karta

Role: Designer
Author: Katarina Nitsch
Publisher: Katarina Nitsch, 2014
Editor: Vendela Fredricson

Vi är den här platsen eller tillståndet

Role: Co-designer together with Rikard Heberling
Author: Johanna Gustavsson
Editor: Malin Holgersson
Publisher: Johanna Gustavsson, 2017

jag gör vi varje dag

Role: Co-designer together with Rikard Heberling
Author: Johanna Gustavsson
Editor: Jennifer Hayashida
Publisher: Johanna Gustavsson, 2014

Bilder av världen

Role: Project leader, Editor and Designer
Authors: Maryam Fanni and Paula Urbano
Publisher: Konsthall C, 2018
Commissioned by Corina Oprea in her role as artistic director of Konsthall C

Vems hand är det som gör

Role: Designer
Author: Frida Hållander
Publisher: University of Gothenburg 2018

Speech karaoke

Role: Designer
Author: Elena Mazzi
Publisher: Elena Mazzi, 2018

Skrif om vad du målar – Breven från Anna Nordlander till Kerstin Cardon 1869-1879

Role: Designer
Editor: Anna Jörgensdotter
Publisher: Museum Anna Nordlander 2019

A-Z Sites and Situations

Role: Designer, assisted by Mika Kastner
Publisher: Konstfack, 2019
Editor: Magnus Ericson

Kungsbacka Blodbok

Role: Text Editor and Designer
Author/Editor: Ingela Johansson
Publisher: Ingela Johansson, 2016
Contributions by Catharina Gabrielsson, Catharina Thörn, Linnea Eriksson, Camilla Schultz, Frida Sandström, members from”Save Tölö Kronopark” and the ecological store ”Tuvan”.

Prekär: om det nya arbetslivets estetik och etik

Role: Designer
Editor: Hans Carlsson
Publisher: Sveriges konstföreningar/Arbetets museum, 2015

Stadsomvandlingsparlören

Role: Editor, Designer
Publisher: SIFAV, 2014

Allt privatiseras och säljs ut, vad blir kvar av våra känslor, hem och kroppar

Role: Editor, Designer
Publisher: SIFAV, 2013

8 – (Vi är en parentes på jorden)

Role: Designer
Editor: Caroline Malmström, Joanna Sandell
Publisher: Botkyrka konsthall, 2011