Dede Kurniawan
Dede Kurniawan is an Indonesian type designer and the founder of Bykineks Type Foundry.
His interest in typography began in 2016 after discovering a piece of chalk lettering on a classroom blackboard during high school. What started as curiosity soon became years of exploring hand lettering through self-directed learning and commissioned projects, shaping his understanding of letterforms, rhythm, and visual expression.
Driven by a desire to push lettering beyond the page, Dede later explored calligraffiti and street art. While studying Visual Communication Design, a lecturer challenged him to see typography not simply as artistic expression, but as a design system capable of solving communication problems. That perspective became the turning point that led him to pursue type design.
Since establishing Bykineks Type Foundry, Dede has focused on creating multilingual typefaces, extensive font families, and superfamilies that combine clarity, personality, and versatility. From 2023 to 2026, he worked as a Type Designer at Indotype, further strengthening his professional practice before completing a Master's degree in Management, where he expanded his knowledge of branding, marketing, and business strategy.
Today, Dede's work centers on building typographic systems rather than standalone typefaces. Through Bykineks, he believes that typography should provide designers and brands with cohesive visual tools that remain adaptable across languages, media, and evolving design needs.
