The Fulani people of West Africa are the world’s largest nomadic group.

Pulaar, their native tongue, existed without an alphabet for generations. They relied on spoken word to pass down traditions, codify their history, and conduct business. Without an alphabet, illiteracy thrives and written records, poems, songs and stories must be cobbled together using various foreign alphabets. Determined to preserve their people’s language, two brothers, Ibrahima and Abdoulaye Barry, created a handwritten alphabet for Pulaar— ADLaM.

In 2023, the vast majority of the world communicates exclusively in the digital landscape. An alphabet is only as good as people’s ability to use it for texting, emailing and collaborating. A modern alphabet must be available on computers in order to be relevant and functional.

The objective was to turn ADLaM into a globally recognized and digitally used mode of communication for the 40 million Fulani across the planet.

After ADLaM was encoded, community feedback revealed major revisions were needed to make the alphabet easier to learn, read and write. Working with the Barry brothers, typeface experts and Fulani graphic culture specialists, we revised the letterforms of the alphabet creating a new, optimized version.

Taking inspiration from Fulani visual culture, we researched hundreds of traditional textile patterns and designs, uncovering their unique meanings to define the final form of the characters. By weaving their heritage into the solution, the Fulani saw themselves in their very own alphabet.

The revised alphabet is being made accessible on over 1 billion devices running Microsoft 365 Office, through a new typeface — ADLaM Display.

We then developed learning tools to promote literacy in Guinean schools, including a children’s book, instructional workbooks and classroom posters to teach the alphabet. We also created the “ADLaM Display Specimen book," which includes inspiration for the new alphabet.

The United Nations estimates that "90% of today's spoken languages will become extinct by the end of this century.” Until recently, Pulaar was at risk of becoming one of them.

The Fulani people are a nomadic group, spread across the global African diaspora. Their language is the glue that binds and preserves their culture.

But not having an alphabet meant that over time — forced to use foreign alphabets — they would have to give up on their own language and with it the songs, stories, recipes, rituals and memories that were passed down through generations. Their language, culture and identity were at risk of being lost.