Talk Paper Scissors

Today’s guest is the best designer in the world! [Source: his website, TheBestDesignerInTheWorld.com] 

Harbor Bickmore is a graphic designer and type designer, selling his work under That That Type.

In this conversation you’ll hear why Harbor got into typeface design and his process for creating typefaces. You’ll hear about Harbor’s favourite typeface he’s released to date, as well as what hasn’t worked in his type design experimentation (the juicy failures!).

You’ll also hear about Harbor’s new offering: That That Font Box, a font-of-the-month club for type enthusiasts. It’s a creative solution to the problem of selling type in a time that’s proving difficult for type designers.

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

In this episode you’ll hear artist Sarah Nguyen’s multi-hyphenated career and her role as a life-long learner. Sarah shares the deepest and most delicious answer to ‘why paper?’ ever articulated in 188 episodes of this podcast. 

You’ll hear about the stories woven within Sarah’s paper cut artworks, which can be up to 20 feet long, as well as the details of working with Tyvek as a medium and the ways in which ‘drawing with a knife’ means that there’s no eraser. We dig into the concept of failure and the way Sarah views ‘failed’ cuts into her artwork.

Sarah and I embark on a little inspired improv, revealing the magic of storytelling, following your intuition and what can happen when art is treated a community act. 

Equally as delightful as her partner, Phong, I hope you enjoy listening to this conversation between Sarah and I as much as I enjoyed having it. 

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

In this episode you’ll hear author Phong Nguyen’s playful approach to his work that harnesses ‘beginner mind’. You’ll learn more about Phong’s 4th book, ROUNDABOUT: An Improvisational Fiction that has a clever narrative, fascinating process and incredible constraints… there are no letter e’s found within the 60,000 word book! (More accurately, there’s a single e, which you’ll hear about in the episode.) This book project is all about constraints, as well as yes-anding; applying the foundations of improvisational theatre to writing. 

We talk subconscious, we talk speed and we talk space in the act of creative making. You’ll also learn about his next book project that’s almost complete. Phong is delightful and I trust you’ll enjoy listening to this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

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

There are few things more typographically satisfying than recognizing type in the wild. Gotham over here, Futura over there, Helvetica everywhere! 

Perhaps the only thing more satisfying is sitting down for a hearty conversation about letterforms with a fellow type geek. Pan to my conversation with Jeremy Gladstone, owner and founder of Gladstone Media in Toronto.

In this conversation, Jeremy shares more about Gladstone Media and how they do what they do, digging into the step-by-step process behind their creative work. He shares a helpful strategy for starting simple, constructing and then deconstructing creative work until it works. 

We then dive into Gladstone Media’s Typefaces of Toronto project (currently in episode 9), including where it started and where it’s going. 

And we meet Oscar the dog! 

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

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

This episode features printmaker, Heather J.A. Thomson, who has created an incredible 96-layer screen printed work that took 1 year with a grand total of 8 (!) copies existing in the world.

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

This episode is all about my favourite practice for living a connected creative life: informational interviewing. This episode will help you better understand what informational interviews are and how they can help creative people find one another to build authentic connections. 

This episode pairs well with the actionable next steps found within my 'Warm Email Template' available at https://www.talkpaperscissors.info/education.

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

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 Kennedy Thornton. 

 Name: Arial 

Release Date: 1982 

Designers: Robin Nicholas 

Classification: Neo Grotesque Sans Serif 

Owned by: Monotype Corporation

Claim to Fame: The Helvetica copycat 

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

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 Mandy Lu.

Name: Myriad

Release Date: 1992

Designers: Robert Slimbach and Carol Twombly

Classification: Humanist, Sans Serif

Owned by: Adobe Systems

Claim to Fame: This was Apple’s primary marketing typeface for over a decade, from 2002 to 2017 for its modern and simple appearance.

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

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. 

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