Creative Characters

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

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

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 circling back to Canva, where he now oversees the design leadership team in Melbourne.

Read more about this episode and our past guests at monotype.com/podcast

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 about this episode and our past guests, head over to monotype.com/podcast.

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?

Download the report, watch our webinar, and get more Trends goodness at https://www.monotype.com/type-trends-2023.

To read more about this episode and our past guests, head over to monotype.com/podcast.

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 little spot" he's in as he approaches 50.

Warning: some explicit language, but all in jest!

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 more about this episode and our past guests, head over to monotype.com/podcast.

To learn more about In-House and see their work, visit weareinhouse.com

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 to monotype.com/podcast.

To learn more about Type Electives, visit typeelectives.com

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.