This year, Adobe MAX migrated to Miami Beach, attracting thousands of creatives for three days of inspiring talks, playful brand activations, and a “total creative nerd fest,” as one guest told us. Throughout the week, we brought people inside a universe of type, had heartfelt conversations about the power of creative intuition, and nurtured our creative inner children. Adobe MAX always leaves us feeling refreshed, inspired, and amazed at the creative community.   In this episode, you’ll...

Field Notes notebooks are a staple in many creative lives. Aaron Draplin started the brand back in 2000-somethin', inspired by the old, frayed agricultural company memo books he'd find while out junking around Midwestern farm country. These promotional notebooks were giveaways — a throwback to the days of handshake deals and business relationships forged in a corn field or around a dinner table. Aaron quickly partnered with today's guest, Jim Coudal, and together they turned Field Notes into...

Host Graham Sturt sits down with graphic design icon, David Carson. Known for his revolutionary work with Ray Gun magazine and his unconventional, expressive style, David has continually pushed the boundaries of visual communication. Join us as we explore David’s unique approach, creative journey, and the philosophies that have shaped his illustrious career. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

In this week’s episode, Monotype’s Executive Creative Director, Tom Foley, sits down with renowned graphic designer Astrid Stavro to explore her captivating journey. Astrid grew up amidst the hum of printing presses in her father’s print shop in Trieste, Italy. She recounts the profound influence of her family’s publishing heritage, her deep-seated love for books, and pivotal moments such as her studies at St. Martins and her discovery of Interview magazine. Astrid opens up about her recent...

It's August. Many of us on the podcast team are trying to wring out the last drops of summer. Others are hard at work getting ready for Monotype's visit to Adobe Max. So this week, we're replaying an oldie episode from our first season. Monotype Creative Type Director Charles Nix talks with Scott Starrett, Co-Founder and Principal of NYC design firm Tandem. Scott shares his story of a serendipitous introduction to a young bartender named Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which led to Tandem...

This week on Creative Characters, host Charles Nix sits down with Thomas Jockin, the founder of Type Thursday, a global type meetup. The two discuss Thomas’s journey from an art-obsessed youth on Long Island to becoming a key figure in the global type design community. Thomas shares pivotal moments such as his apprenticeship with Joshua Darden, the development and international expansion of Type Thursday, and his passion for the open-source type movement. Tune in for an interesting look at...

In this episode, host Doug Wilson sits down with his long-time friend, Kyle Read, a distinguished type designer and graphic designer based in Denver, Colorado. Kyle shares his journey from studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design, working for various design studios and advertising agencies, to founding Badson Type Foundry. The two discuss the balance Kyle maintains between branding and type design, offering insights into the economic realities of the industry and the importance of...

In the final edition of our new podcast miniseries series, Behind the Font, we answer your questions about font licensing [cue Jeopardy theme]! Once again, Monotype's Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Phil Carey-Bergren wades into the intricacies of font licensing with our host, Carl Unger. Topics include the implications of breaching font licenses, the significance of copyright, and what to do if you accidentally breach a contract or misuse a font license. Behind the Font is...

In the second edition of our new podcast miniseries series, Behind the Font, we dig into the technical side of font licensing [cue psycho theme]. Our Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Phil Carey-Bergren, and host, Carl Unger, dissect the main parts of a font license and walk us through some common font licensing use cases you might see at work.  Behind the Font is exactly what it sounds like - a podcast miniseries that looks behind the creative work we love to better understand...

In the first-ever edition of our new podcast miniseries, Behind the Font, we dive into the often murky and mysterious waters of font licensing [cue Jaws theme]. Our guest for this journey into the depths is Monotype Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Phil Carey-Bergren, and we couldn't ask for a better person to walk us through the ins and outs of these contracts. In Part 1, we get a crash course in recent font history to understand how licenses have evolved and why this matters...

This episode of Creative Characters is hosted by Livia, our Social Media Manager at Monotype. Livia interviews designer Kat Romulo about her unconventional journey into design, beginning with a serendipitous flyer at UC Berkeley. Kat shares her rise from posting personal projects on Instagram to acquiring client work, her experiences with public speaking, and her thoughts on the pros and cons of social media for creatives. The conversation emphasizes the importance of designing for oneself...

Host Doug Wilson geeks out about watch design with Lee Yuen-Rapati of Fears Watch Company. They discuss the intricacies of designing numerals for watches and the parallels between watch design and typeface design. And if you’re looking for inspiration on a personal project — or just want to drool over some gorgeous sketches — check out Yuen-Rapati’s @onehourwatch project, where he draws bespoke watches in one hour or less and posts them on Instagram. You can find blog posts for this and all...

Host Graham Sturt journeys into the life and work of famed graphic designer Lance Wyman. Renowned for his iconic Mexico 1968 Olympics identity, Wyman shares the story of how a one-way flight to Mexico City ultimately landed him a role on this influential design team. Wyman talks about other key moments in his career as well, like working on the Chrysler Pavilion at the '64-'65 New York World's Fair and creating a comprehensive wayfinding system for the Mexico City Metro. The conversation...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...