Each year, for over a week, the city of Austin, Texas erupts into a cacophony of life, music, film premieres, comedy showcases, interactive tech demonstrations, and world-class exhibitions for the annual South by Southwest (SXSW). This year, amongst the chaos, community, and creativity of the festival, we recorded our first-ever episode of the podcast on stage in front of a live audience. Monotype’s Bill Connolly gathered guests from different corners of the branding world and settled on stage i...
Apr 04, 2024•55 min•Season 4Ep. 5
For many of us, the sea holds a special place in our hearts — the sights, smells, sounds of long summer nights are etched into our minds. Join Monotype Creative Director Graham Sturt as he and guest Justin Burns, Head of the School of Arts at the University of Derby, explore the signage and typography of the English seaside and examine the linkage between letters, memories, and emotion.
Mar 19, 2024•33 min•Season 4Ep. 4
How do cultural influences, historical contexts, and geopolitics influence design and typography? As part of the 2024 Type Trends report , we wanted to take a deeper look at how design is manifesting across the globe. This episode will take you on a journey from the bustling streets of New York City to the colorful neighborhoods of Santiago, the romantic avenues of Paris, and the vibrant restaurants of Kuala Lumpur. Tune in for insights, stories, and anecdotes from creative thought leaders shapi...
Mar 06, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 3
This week, host Charles Nix sits down with Steffi Marty, the Global Director of Brand Identity and Design for Mars Snacking. If that sounds abstract, you probably know the brands she oversees: the Mars Bar, Snickers, Skittles, and M&M's. Charles and Steffi collaborated on a new typeface for M&M's, released last year, and the two discuss the joys and challenges of managing such beloved and personal brands, why typography is crucial to that, and what she calls a "ruthless discipline to wee...
Feb 21, 2024•40 min•Season 4Ep. 2
You’ve probably heard something about it, but just in case you missed it: our 2024 Type Trends report is finally here! And good news: this week on Creative Characters, you can tune in to hear even more about it. Join Type Designer Jordan Bell and Creative Type Director Damien Collot as they discuss their experiences curating this year’s report, guide you through the trends that moved them, and discuss the projects they admired. Take a plunge into the styles that shaped the typographic landscape ...
Feb 07, 2024•38 min•Season 4Ep. 1
We're closing out 2023 by spotlighting three amazing type studios from different corners of the world — and three of our favorite hosts. This week, Charles Nix, Phil Garnham, and Tom Foley each selected a type designer they admire to bring on the show: Stephen Nixon of ArrowType ; Alja Herlah, Directress & Lead type designer at Type Salon ; and Matthieu Salvaggio, Founder and Type Designer at Blaze Type . Three perspectives, three journeys, and three lively conversations about our favorite s...
Dec 06, 2023•54 min•Season 3Ep. 20
Roger Black draws from origins and evolution of type, type trend drivers, and his own career in this week’s episode with our own Charles Nix. Combining various lenses that allow creatives to see between and behind the lines of type, the two designers inspect the nitty gritty of typographic design — from machinery to wider influences of cultural shifts — and how to look backwards in order to see forward and achieve timeless and iconic type design. Roger Black is a renowned American designer known...
Nov 21, 2023•37 min•Season 3Ep. 19
Now that the Adobe MAX dust has settled, we bring you our second annual recap of the inspiring event that brought 10,000 from around the world to Los Angeles in October. Between emotional, soul-baring presentations that went much deeper than design, to the “font connection” game at the Monotype booth, there was a palpable sense of community and connection at MAX this year. In this episode, you’ll hear from twenty or so voices, including type designers, animators, comic book designers, students, ...
Nov 08, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 18
For decades, the bright colors and bold type of Globe Poster Printing Corportation formed the cultural heartbeat of Baltimore. From R&B shows and rock concerts to boxing matches and, now, something called a Deviled Egg Pageant (?!), Globe's unmistakable style has shouted out a range of events — and brought color and electricity to the urban landscape. Globe and its archive are now part of the Maryland College Institute of Art (MICA), and we sat down with Allison Tipton from MICA to discuss t...
Oct 18, 2023•36 min•Season 3Ep. 17
Can you remember a time you had an emotional reaction to type? Have fonts ever made you feel some type of way? This week, we dive into Monotype’s scientific research on the emotional power of typography. Marie Boulanger, Senior Brand Designer at Monotype, joins as a guest and shares some of the thinking, methodology, and insights behind the global studies. You’ll also hear stories about fonts and feelings from designers, creative directors, and producers we spoke with at Brand Talks Chicago and ...
Oct 05, 2023•23 min•Season 3Ep. 16
David Berlow has been at the forefront of type design, publishing, and technology for 45 years. His impressive career began in 1978 drawing letterforms for the Haas, Mergenthaler, Linotype, and Stempel type foundries, before he went on to work at Apple, Bitstream, and later founded the Font Bureau with Roger Black. A self-described “loose cannon” and “boat rocker,” Berlow has been at the center of type innovation for decades, consulting for companies like Apple and Google, all whilst designing s...
Aug 30, 2023•42 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Erwin Hines’ creative life began with an interest in architecture and urban planning but shifted to art, design, and brand building after several serendipitous events. In a time when concepts like empathy and inclusivity have become trendy catchphrases, Erwin decided to step away from agency life, where he had been actively involved with DE&I initiatives, to build his own brand, Future is Color. Erwin designs and produces intentionally crafted garments and hosts in-person events at Future is...
Aug 01, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 14
Kent Yoshimura does a lot. And that's kinda his thing. At a young age, Kent learned that pouring himself into something artistic meant he could glimpse at mastery and then find ways to play with whatever that skill might be. Throughout his life, Kent has illustrated for children's books, recorded music for film and television, made a couple documentaries, designed immersive experiences, built a thriving business, painted numerous beautiful murals, and so much more. But what's maybe most striking...
Jul 18, 2023•46 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Sarah Olin started her career as a magazine designer at a challenging time — during the 2010s, when the industry was trying to figure out its transition to digital. She stuck with magazines for over a decade, designing for major fashion and beauty publications like Allure, Glamour, and Cosmo. But she recently shifted to brand art direction and, spoiler, she likes it. As Art Director at Warby Parker, Sarah works on everything from retail design to TV commercials to fashion campaigns. Her story is...
Jun 21, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 12
In the Before Times, working from home was often treated as a perk, or maybe a dubious accommodation for someone with a doctor’s appointment. But we know how that story unfolded following the COVID outbreak in 2020, and now remote work is the norm for creative teams all over the world. Upwork Executive Creative Director Patrick Holly joins us this week to talk about the benefits and challenges remote work presents for creatives, how he keeps his global team connected and fulfilled, and why the d...
Jun 06, 2023•44 min•Season 3Ep. 11
“Modern creators know that pace rivals perfection.” Picsart, which provides photo and video editing tools and templates to the creator community, has lived this motto since it began more than a decade ago. Today, with more than 150 million monthly users, the company is helping to streamline the design process like never before. In this week's episode, Monotype's Bill Connolly sits down with Scott Walker, Executive Creative Director at Picsart, to learn about Scott's design process, which began i...
May 23, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 10
This week’s episode is a triple threat. Monotype Executive Creative Directors Phil, Tom, and Charles each selected a type designer they admire to bring on the show. What resulted is inspiring discussions with Mark Bloom of CoType, Naïma Ben Ayed Bureau, and Jesse Ragan and Ben Kiel of XYZ Type, three unique studios making great work in their own distinct ways.
May 09, 2023•55 min•Season 3Ep. 9
For decades, creative work has consolidated in traditional locations such as Los Angeles, New York, and London. Today, technology has opened the aperture on creativity, enabling brilliant producers, writers, and artists to work directly with brands and entertainment studios from anywhere. In this week's episode, Monotype's Bill Connolly sits down with James DeJulio, co-founder and CEO of Tongal , a "studio on demand" that boasts an impressive roster of clients like LEGO, PayPal, NBC Universal, a...
Apr 25, 2023•41 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Mark Simonson has designed some of the most widely used typefaces in the world. Host Charles Nix sits down to talk influences, process, and why truly memorable work – such as Simonson’s versatile, legible, and wildly ubiquitous Proxima Nova – has to be “both novel and familiar.” And speaking of legibility, don’t forget to check out the article about font legibility mentioned in our intro: https://www.monotype.com/resources/expertise/find-legible-fonts...
Apr 11, 2023•39 min
Ever wanted a peek inside the creative minds behind one of the biggest design platforms in the world? If so, this episode is for you. Canva, the go-to graphic design software for 125 million global users, recently celebrated its 10th birthday at its annual Create event in Sydney. Before the big event, our Executive Creative Director, Charles Nix, sat down with Canva’s Head of Design, Andrew Green, to talk about his own international career beginning at agencies in New York and Hong Kong and circ...
Mar 28, 2023•44 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Maureen Raisch has spent the past 18 years designing for some of the biggest names in professional sports — from MLB team rebrands to marquee events for the NHL and NFL, including the Super Bowl. Now, as she embarks on a new journey as the first ever Creative Director for the National Women's Soccer League, Maureen reflects on the importance of visibility and inclusivity in sports branding, the power of design to elevate women's sports, and what she calls her own "personal rebrand." To read more...
Mar 14, 2023•39 min
This week, we take you behind the scenes of one of Monotype’s biggest, and most anticipated campaigns of the year: the annual Type Trends report. Tune in to hear from the report’s curators, Creative Type Directors Terrance Weinzierl and Emilios Theofanous on their experiences producing the report. Why do people make trends reports? What does the curation process entail? How do cultural and societal shifts influence patterns in typography and design? What should creatives do with this information...
Feb 28, 2023•21 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Aaron Draplin likely needs little introduction – he's one of the most beloved and well-known designers working today. People fill auditoriums for his talks and workshops, wait in long lines for selfies (and Draplin Design Company merch), and fill his DMs with requests for advice, help, and perspective. In this episode, Draplin shares his perspective on design education, staying inspired and motivated, the “surreal” experience of becoming a mentor figure to so many designers, and the “weird littl...
Feb 14, 2023•49 min•Season 3Ep. 3
This week, Monotype Executive Creative Director, Charles Nix, is joined by Michu Benaim Steiner and Lope Gutierrez-Ruiz of In-House International . Michu and Lope share the studio’s origin story, which also includes Art Director, Alex Wright. In-House is connected by Venezuelan roots, and they discuss how the country’s “tropicalized geometries,” and former lives as researchers and magazine publishers, help to infuse curiosity into their work and their cutting-edge typographic designs. To read mo...
Jan 31, 2023•51 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In our first episode of Season 3, we welcome the new Senior Director of the Monotype Studio, Tom Rickner, as a first-time host. Tom speaks with Jim Moran, Master Printer and Collections Officer for the internationally-known Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum. The two discuss Jim’s history as a printmaker working at his family business for 35 years, the road that led him to Hamilton, and why letterpress is still important today. To read more about this episode and our past guests, head over...
Jan 20, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 1
This week, Creative Type Director Phil Garnham sits down with Elliot Jay Stocks, designer, musician, and lover of all things typographic. From his time with Adobe Typekit to his current project building out Google Fonts' Knowledge center, Elliot has explored the vast universe of typography and helped people understand what they need, how to use it, and why there's so much to love about type.
Dec 16, 2022•58 min•Season 2Ep. 18
What has everyone been up to for the past two years? Is AI coming to take all our jobs? What’s your least-favorite typeface? We packed up our recording gear and traveled to Adobe MAX, one of the largest creative conferences in the world, to pose these very questions to people just like you. What we found was an audience craving connection and inspiration, and that was more than happy to wait at our booth so we could… scan their brains? Yes, really. To learn why we were scanning people's brains, ...
Nov 17, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 17
From big brands to lego bricks, Craig Ward has left his mark all over the world of typography. This week, host Charles Nix sits down with Craig to talk about his career, his myriad side projects and quirky pastimes, and how technology could revolutionize the way we use type and ensure the rights of ownership for designers.
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Today we're welcoming Annie Atkins, a creative in the film industry. She's known for her graphic props and set pieces for Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel and Isle of Dogs . She's also done design work for The Tudors , The Boxtrolls , and Spielberg's thriller, Bridge of Spies . Tune-in to learn about the magic of film.
Oct 11, 2022•49 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Today we're welcoming Holly Fraser, editor-in-chief at WePresent, WeTransfer's digital arts platform that works with 1,000+ creatives from over 100 countries. Holly was part of the team that commissioned the 2022 Oscar-winning best live action short film, "The Long Goodbye" , created by Riz Ahmed and Aneil Karia. Tune-in to learn what makes a hit film, how to stay inspired, and why the creative industries need more diversity.
Sep 27, 2022•37 min•Season 2Ep. 14
