Didot: An Incomplete History of Type

From the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 4!)

This episode is guest hosted by Audrey Grandinetti.

Name: Baskerville

Release Date: 1757

Designer: John Baskerville

Classification: Transitional Serif

Owned By: Well...it’s a bit complicated. The original Baskerville punches are now owned by Cambridge University Press, but the design itself is in the public domain. Many digital adaptations of Baskerville have been introduced over the years, and are owned by the specific type foundries (or individuals) who designed them.

Claim to Fame: Baskerville was praised by U.S. founding father Benjamin Franklin. 

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This is the sixth (bonus!) episode in a 5-part guest lecture series in GCM 806 Advanced Typography, speaking with type professionals all over the world. 

Final stop New York, USA! 

In this episode you’ll hear David Soto discuss his creative process, as well as the way that building time into his practice and cushioning deadlines is critical to produce his best work. You’ll learn about David’s creative rituals, the Dope Type Society, as well as his future art and design aspirations.

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

This is the fifth episode in a 5-part guest lecture series in  GCM 806  Advanced Typography, speaking with type professionals all over the world. 

Next stop Margate, UK!

In this episode you’ll hear illustrator, Melanie Johnsson, discuss her family history of graphic design, as well as her favourite tools including how and why she loves Adobe Photoshop. Mel describes how personal branding plays a huge role in today’s world of graphic design and the ways that making your core values known to the world can be critically important to working with your dream clients.

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

This is the third episode in a 5-part guest lecture series in GCM 806 Advanced Typography, speaking with type professionals all over the world. 

Next stop: Lagos, Nigeria!

In this episode (No.176: Nigerian Type Perspectives with Jordan Belonwu) you’ll hear designer and creative director, Jordan Belonwu, discuss what differentiates Nigerian typography from Eurocentric typographic standards, including its tendency to focus on expressiveness. Jordan highlights a project that takes type from the archives and makes it functional, which can introduce new opportunities and meaning in art and design. You’ll also hear the process for creating a typeface for Sporting Lagos, as well as Jordan’s great advice for taking on projects that help you learn and grow as a creative.

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

This is the second episode in a 5-part guest lecture series in GCM 806 Advanced Typography, speaking with type professionals all over the world. 

Next stop: Toronto, Canada!

In this episode you’ll hear graphic designer, letterer and instructor, Chris Rouleau, discuss his professional lettering journey, hear about his large-scale type mural projects, the magic behind Chris’ Alphabet 100 practice and tips for drawing cohesive alphabets. You’ll also hear about the contents of Chris’ pencil case (and how he uses each tool), as well as his ideas for delightful new alphabets! 

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

This episode is the first in a 5-part guest lecture series in GCM 806 - Advanced Typography, speaking with type professionals all over the world. First stop: Athens, Greece!

In this episode, you’ll hear Chris Ellinas (designer for huge brands like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon) discuss what it’s like recreating design assets for the entertainment industry, including the tools he relies on across multiple languages (4000 assets and counting!).

You’ll also learn about Chris’ digitally nomadic lifestyle, the favourite places he’s lived and worked, as well as a rapid fire Q&A from students. The episode ends with a beautiful story and important lesson that all creatives should hear about passion projects turning into something bigger than themselves. 

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Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Ryan Kough is an assistant professor of Integrated Media Arts at Juniata College who believes in design as a community-building tool creating partnerships between community members and student designers to create sustainable, long-term design solutions. 

In this conversation, you’ll hear about Ryan’s gallery exhibition called Under Pressure (opening reception happens this week!) and how she uses experimentation in the classroom, specifically revealing the transformative power of the ‘Problems Exercise’.

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This episode features Montréal-based illustrator, artist, and best-selling author, Raymond Biesinger!

In this conversation, you’ll hear about the ways that storytelling is baked into Raymond editorial, commercial and personal projects. We do a deep dive into one of Raymond’s poster projects that took him 20 working days to complete through ‘chasing the density dragon’.

You’ll also hear Raymond’s creative process and the tools he uses, the way imperfections play a vital role in the spirit of his work, and ultimately how layers of narrative make Raymond’s work clever, complex and consistently exciting. 

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
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In this final episode of 2024 you’ll hear from type designer, Anna Korash and her newest experimental typeface, Invert; why it started, how it got going and where it is now. You’ll learn how variable fonts work and Anna’s unique technical and creative constraints in this project. Anna shares why platforms like Future Fonts are ideal for experimental projects like this, Invert’s future expansion plans into other writing systems, as well as which typeface she’d use for the rest of her life if she had to choose. 

Head over to futurefonts.xyz and download a free trial version of Invert to play along with as you listen. Also, check out the show notes for this episode to see Anna’s generous sharing of her process in designing this typeface at talkpaperscissors.info.

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)