Is it time to rethink how creative work gets done?

In Episode 17, Monotype’s Brand Designer, Marie Boulanger talks with Ellen Lupton, writer, curator, educator, and designer. They discuss her recent book, Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers, and Lupton’s mission to democratize type through teaching, collaborating, and writing. 

In episode 11, Monotype’s Jay Loo interviews Lauren Hom, celebrated designer and hand-lettering artist. The two discuss how to build a creative career, and Lauren shares a new passion she is preparing to pursue.

In our first episode, we talked with James Sommerville, co-founder of KNOWN_UNKOWN, about his ideas for the future of creative work, community, and work/life balance in a post-pandemic world.

In our second episode, Monotype Creative Type Director Charles Nix talked with Scott Starret, co-founder of the design studio Tandem NYC, about serendipity and the experience of designing for a transformational political candidate.

In episode three we talked with Chicago-based lettering artist Jenna Blazevich, about chain stitching, punk rock, intersectional feminism, and whatever the heck Malört is.

In episode four we talked with Tré Seals, founder of Vocal Type, about his efforts to break down stereotypes in design and how a middle-school side gig, born out of a brush with serious childhood medical issues, helped him become the artist he is today.

In episode five we talked with Terrence Williams, Senior Design Lead at Salesforce, who discusses the emergence of relationship design, and shares why it is important for people to bring their full identities into their work.

In episode six we talked with Chris Do, award-winning designer, CEO and Chief Strategist of Blind and the founder of The Futur—an online education platform that teaches creatives how to make a living doing what they love.

In episode seven we talked with Sarah Hyndman, founder of Type Tasting and the author of several books, including Why Fonts Matter and How to Draw Fonts and Influence People.

Our guest in episode eight was John Norman, a celebrated visual storyteller and former Chief Creative Officer of world-renowned creative agencies like Translation, The Martin Agency, and most recently, Havas Chicago.

Creative Type Director Charles Nix talks with Angelina Lippert, Chief Curator at the Posterhouse museum in New York City, about the history of poster design, the unseen hands behind some of the more iconic posters from history, and the finicky wonder of Rubylith.

In episode 10, Creative Type Director Terrance Weinzierl interviews Hannelore Ocampo, Fonts Lead and Type Specialist at Ford Motor Company. The two discuss how to develop a cohesive in-car experience that reflects the needs of modern transportation.

Modern brands are not static, stationary objects. Today’s brands need to be agile and adaptable, permanently poised to respond to shifts in consumer expectations, emerging technology, and opportunities in other regions and languages.

Creatives are the primary users of the fonts, but licensing approval typically runs through other departments. Here are a few key concepts all designers should understand.

As technology raises the stakes for brands, fonts can either level you up or hold you back. A simple, well-organized font system is essential to making sure you can keep pace.