Creative Characters

Hear Monotype Creative Director Graham Sturt in conversation with Vic Lee, an artist, illustrator, and self-described “ragamuffin.” After years of doing graphic design work for agencies, Vic was ready for a change. So, he began sketching a streetscape from a little cafe in his London neighborhood — a practice that evolved into a popular local prints project and launched his career as a working artist. Murals may be what Vic is best known for, as he’s inked them for clients across the UK and internationally. Currently, he's painting a portrait a day, each inspired by a real person he’s seen out and about. If you need a bit of creative inspiration or are looking to reinvent your creative practice, this episode’s for you!

In this week's episode, first-time host Doug Wilson chats with Petra Dočekalová, a designer, educator, calligrapher, and sign painter from Prague, Czech Republic. They explore Petra's involvement in a book about Yaroslav Benda, a notable Czech designer known for his typography and calligraphy. Their conversation covers networking at events like TypeCon, the influence of Benda's style on Czech design, and the impact of his work. Petra also shares insights on her lettering, calligraphy, and type design work, along with her passion for teaching and knowledge sharing, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and blending historical and modern design practices.

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 in the balmy, Austin air to talk branding, design, and customer experience through each of their unique lenses. Tune in for a masterclass in branding that explores the visual elements and innovative technology driving how brands, advertising, and experiences influence our responses. Read more about the event here: monotype.com/resources/expertise/brandtalks-sxsw

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.

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 shaping their local design scenes: Jolene Delisle, Founder & Creative Director of The Working Assembly; Belén La Rivera, Senior Brand Designer, and Alan Eaglehurst, Creative Director, at FutureBrand; Violaine Orsoni and Jérémy Schneider, Creative Partners at VJ Type and Violaine & Jeremy; and Joanne Chew, Founder of Fictionist Studio. Want to learn more about type trends? Join our Type Trends 2024 webinar on March 21; register here. Heading to SXSW? Don't miss a live recording of this very podcast! Join us March 13 at 3pm; register here: mntype.co/sxsw

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 weed out the things that are unnecessary.” Heading to SXSW? Don't miss a live recording of this very podcast! Join us March 13 at 3pm; register here: mntype.co/sxsw

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 this past year and find out more about what sets them apart. Who knows, you might fancy something a little bit deformed? Or perhaps you’ll welcome a return to serifs? Maybe you’ll crave a little bit of Everythingallofthetime! Listen up — this is what type is telling us as 2024 begins. Enjoy! If you haven’t done so already, download the report at monotype.com/type-trends-2024 — and if you’re keen to hear more about it, be sure to sign up for our webinar on March 21, 2024!

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 subject. Enjoy!

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 for his extensive and influential portfolio, from editorial designs for Rolling Stone, New York Times Magazine, and Newsweek to his digital work for Barnes & Noble, the Senate, and more.

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, and even a specialty letterpress printer, all of whom were kind enough to share their time and their stories with us on the mic. Read more about Adobe MAX here: monotype.com/adobe-max-2023-follow-up Follow our guests: Zipeng Zhu - instagram.com/zzdesign John Roshell - swelltype.com, comicbookfonts.com Chris Hoffman - velleitystudios.com Cam Sherrill - camsherrill.com Nubia Navarro - nubikinistudio.com Eph Gerard Cruz - instagram.com/quantumeph, xfinitycreative.com Joshua Ariza - instagram.com/joshua_ariza, joshuaariza.com Ben Levitz - instagram.com/STUDIOONFIRE, studioonfire.com Kelsey Slay - instagram.com/kelseyslaydesign

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 the living legacy of this landmark print shop. Check out Globe's collection online here.

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 Brand New Conference. Learn more about the research at monotype.com/typography-matters

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 some of the world’s most celebrated and recognizable fonts, including custom designs for iconic publishers such as The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, Esquire Magazine and The Wall Street Journal and brands including Apple Computer Inc., Google Inc. and Microsoft Corporation. In this week’s episode Tom Rickner, the Senior Director of the Studio at Monotype, sits down with Berlow. Fun fact: Berlow hired Rickner at the Font Bureau, kicking off his career as a type designer. You’ll hear the two reminisce, talk shop, and explore Berlow’s influences, predictions, and perspectives on mentorship and team building. Read more about this episode and our past guests at monotype.com/podcast.

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 Color's mixed-use studio in San Diego, California. The brand's mission is to create space for intentional conversations about collective liberation. For more on Erwin's work and Future is Color, visit future-is-color.com. Read more about this episode and our past guests at monotype.com/podcast.

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 is this: through all the hard work, trial and error, and eventual success, Kent's pursuit is in the joy of creating something with a community and for a community. We're excited for you to hear his story. Read more about this episode and our past guests at monotype.com/podcast

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 one of adaptability, and with the design landscape rapidly changing, it feels fitting for the moment.

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 days of “adult daycare” and “butts in seats” should be relegated to the history books for good.

“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 in a print shop and has led him to work with some of the world’s most popular brands. They also discuss artificial intelligence, the future of creativity, and why it’s important for designers to always “follow the feels.” Read more about this episode and our past guests at monotype.com/podcast.

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.

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, and more. A former Hollywood producer, DeJulio shares his insight into the ever-changing world of content creation and outlines the recipe that has grown Tongal's community to more than 160,000 members. Read more about this episode and our past guests at monotype.com/podcast