Chapter 02 · Visual Identity 03 / 12

How We Build Identity

Heritage is a starting point, not a finish line

We study Ge'ez manuscript traditions before opening any design tool — then push every form forward.

Color that commands the room

Every palette tested against deep coffee-brown — gold, green, and red stay vivid, never muted into pastels.

Typography with two equal voices

Fidäl glyphs and Latin letterforms share equal weight — Noto Ethiopic beside Poppins, never forced into one system.

Geometry over decoration, always

Bold panels, clean shapes, confident spacing — every element earns its place on the canvas, nothing ornamental.

This is the Addis Ababa Modern design system, applied by Curio Design — a design-style library for AI agents. Full Addis Ababa Modern guide → designbycurio.com/learn/ethiopian-modern-addis-2020