Creative Characters

Latest Episodes:

Ellen Lupton - On mentorship, relationships of equality, and representation in design. Oct 22, 2021

Show notes

This week's guest, Ellen Lupton, has built a prolific career as a writer, educator, and designer. She serves as a senior curator at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City, and the Betty Cooke and William O. Steinmetz Design Chair at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She has also authored several books, including most recently Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-Racist, Non-Binary Field Guide for Graphic Designers. In the episode, hosted by Monotype's Brand Designer Marie Boulanger, Ellen shares her perspectives on building a career in design, the power of bringing typography together with the written word, and the importance of representation within the design community.

To see Ellen's work, visit ellenlupton.com or read our blog post at monotype.com/podcast

Tyler Haughey - Neon and nostalgia down on the unseen Jersey Shore. Oct 06, 2021

Show notes

This week's guest, photographer Tyler Haughey, has made a career for himself photographing the unseen angles of beach towns in the off-season—neon signs glowing in the snow, darkened motel rooms blinking out of deep hibernation, a promise to "see you next spring" painted by some unknown hand. We talk about how signage and other visual signifiers anchor memories in our minds, how those memories slowly transform into nostalgia, and how we reconcile the distance between places as they are and places as we want them to be. And we trade a few Jersey shore stories along the way, for good measure.

To see Tyler's work, visit tylerhaughey.com or read our blog post at monotype.com/podcast.

James Horwitz - Bold type and big ideas from a cutting edge design mind. Sep 24, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to Creative Characters, a podcast by Monotype exploring the people and personalities behind the brands, campaigns, and designs we love.

This week, Creative Type Director Charles Nix talks to James Horwitz, founder of the London-based design agency Two Times Elliott. The agency's work was featured heavily in Monotype's 2020 Type Trends report, thanks to its inventive use of bold type. Even a quick glance at their portfolio reveals an agency working at the cutting edge of modern design.

James spoke with us during a London heat wave and shared the lessons he learned from founding a design agency, his approach to guiding clients through the creative process, and the impact of Instagram and social media on branding and design.

Make sure you check out the work at Two Times Elliott. It's excellent: https://www.2xelliott.co.uk/

To learn more about Monotype, and how we are empowering brands through type, visit: https://www.monotype.com/.

Dan Black & Jes Seamans - DIY printmaking from the edges of America (and several Midwestern basements). Sep 10, 2021

Show notes

This week's guests are Jessica Seamans and Dan Black, who together comprise Landland. Landland is a small but mighty studio that designs and screenprints posters, primarily for bands and musicians. A lot of Landland's aesthetic centers around the strange and forgotten and corners of society—the abandoned gas stations, rest stops, and other relics of lived lives—and the combination of linework, watercolor, imaginative imagery and lettering is truly unique. We discuss their early days of going to (and playing in) DIY punk shows, how screenprinting keeps you humble, and the evolving relationship between music and the art of the poster.

Check out their work at landland.bigcartel.net or on Instagram @landlandcolportage. Also be sure to read our blog post at monotype.com/podcast.

Michael Johnson - Design with a purpose. Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

In this week's episode, Senior Creative Type Director Phil Garnham sits down with the esteemed Michael Johnson, founder of the UK-based design firm Johnson Banks.

Michael has seen and done it all in the nearly thirty years since founding his studio, and he shares his perspective on design, branding, and the importance of purpose-driven work. This episode includes some bonus guitar playing and lots of sardonic humor, plus an amusing story about an old Monotype logo that never got a fair shake.

To learn more about Monotype, and how we are empowering brands through type, visit: https://www.monotype.com/

James Edmondson - Let the design be what it wants to become. Aug 09, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to Creative Characters, a podcast by Monotype exploring the people and personalities behind the brands, campaigns, and designs we love.

In our twelfth episode, we speak with James Edmondson, a renowned type designer and founder of OH no Type Company in California. James speaks with our own Charles Nix, and shares how he got his start in typography, as well as his perspective on designing a fulfilling creative career.

To learn more about James and his work, visit his website (https://ohnotype.co/), or check out our blog post.

To learn more about Monotype, and how we are empowering brands through type, visit: https://www.monotype.com/.

Lauren Hom - There is no recipe for reinvention. Jul 30, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to Creative Characters, a podcast by Monotype exploring the people and personalities behind the brands, campaigns, and designs we love.

In our eleventh episode, we speak with Lauren Hom, a celebrated designer and hand-letterer based in Detroit. Lauren shares her perspectives on design and how her personal vision has given her the courage to take on a new journey in her impressive career. This one is for everyone who is pursuing their passion, and is hosted by one of Monotype's most passionate voices, Jay Loo (making his Creative Characters debut!).

To learn more about Lauren and her work, check out our blog post.

To learn more about Monotype, and how we are empowering brands through type, visit: https://www.monotype.com/.

Hannelore Ocampo - How type keeps your car (and eyes) on the road. Jul 15, 2021

Show notes

Monotype Creative Director and admitted car nut Terrance Weinzierl sits down with Hannelore Ocampo, Fonts Lead and Type Specialist at Ford Motor Company.

Terrance and Hanne discuss the countless ways type shapes the in-car experience, how type helps keep your eyes (and your car) on the road, and the role type will play in our self-driving future.

To check out more great Monotype content, head over to https://www.monotype.com/

Angelina Lippert - Charting the human experience through poster design. Jun 17, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to Creative Characters, a podcast by Monotype exploring the people and personalities behind the brands, campaigns, and designs we love.

In this episode, 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.

To learn more about Angelina and Posterhouse, check out our blog post at monotype.com/podcast.

To learn more about Monotype, and how we are empowering brands through type, visit https://www.monotype.com.

John Norman - Visual storytelling for the masses. Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to Creative Characters, a podcast by Monotype exploring the people and personalities behind the brands, campaigns, and designs we love.

In our eighth episode, we speak with John Norman, a celebrated visual storyteller and former Chief Creative Officer of world-renowned creative agencies. John shares insights from his career, which started with an appreciation of typography and has spanned several decades, including work for iconic brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, HP, and many more.

To learn more about John and his work, check out our blog post. To learn more about Monotype, and how we are empowering brands through type, visit https://www.monotype.com/.

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