Gimpo Hyundai Outlets turns its nickname 'Kimhyun-ah' into a custom typeface

Gimpo Hyundai Premium Outlets wanted to develop the friendly nickname 'Kimhyun-ah' — a shortened name for Gimpo Hyundai Outlets that had taken root among users — beyond a mere pet name into a unique voice representing the space.

Created with designer Chae Hee-jun, known for his delicate handling of letter structure and impression: the font keeps the neat, sophisticated impression of the Hyundai Department Store exclusive typeface, but adds a comfortable handwritten rhythm — natural stroke movement, soft and light spacing between letters — so the everyday, spoken-language feel of 'Kimhyun-ah' shows visually.

The nickname now works as a brand asset in the outlet's spatial branding — a case for treating the names users invent as official design material rather than informal shorthand.

Gimpo Hyundai Premium Outlets has a friendly nickname, 'Kimhyun-ah' — a shortened name for Gimpo Hyundai Outlets that took root naturally among users. The project set out to develop that nickname beyond a mere pet name into a unique voice representing the space, on the observation that the names people actually use carry more affection than the official ones a brand unilaterally determines.

The brand commissioned designer Chae Hee-jun, known for his delicate handling of letter structure and impression. The Kim Hyun-ah exclusive font is based on the neat and sophisticated Hyundai Department Store exclusive font, but refuses to stay cold and orderly like existing corporate typefaces: a comfortable, handwritten rhythm is added, with neat-but-not-rigid letterforms, natural stroke flow and soft, light spacing that expresses the relaxed, friendly atmosphere of the outlet.

The result demonstrates how aliases can become brand assets in spatial branding: the visual language is built from a word shoppers themselves created, so the space speaks in its customers' own voice.

The asset already had distribution: every shopper who ever said 'Kimhyun-ah' was rehearsing the brand, so the font codifies affection instead of manufacturing it.

Deriving a corporate typeface from a nickname inverts the usual direction of brand voice — from the street up, not from the guidelines down.

Keeping the Hyundai corporate skeleton preserves brand recognition while the handwritten rhythm carries the outlet's everyday friendliness.

Listen for the name customers already use: officialising an organic nickname converts accumulated public affection into a design system no rebrand could invent.

As of the June 2026 write-up, the exclusive font was in use as part of the outlet's spatial branding, with Design Compass citing it as an example of user-created names becoming official brand assets.