Creative Characters

Latest Episodes:

Roger Black and Charles Nix trace the history of type. Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

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 known for his extensive and influential portfolio, from editorial designs for Rolling Stone, New York Times Magazine, and Newsweek to his digital work for Barnes & Noble, the Senate, and more.

Celebrating community, embracing vulnerability, and fostering self-discovery at Adobe MAX 2023. Nov 08, 2023

Show notes

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, students, and even a specialty letterpress printer, all of whom were kind enough to share their time and their stories with us on the mic.

Read more about Adobe MAX here: monotype.com/adobe-max-2023-follow-up

Follow our guests:

Zipeng Zhu - instagram.com/zzdesign

John Roshell - swelltype.com, comicbookfonts.com

Chris Hoffman - velleitystudios.com

Cam Sherrill - camsherrill.com

Nubia Navarro - nubikinistudio.com

Eph Gerard Cruz - instagram.com/quantumeph, xfinitycreative.com

Joshua Ariza - instagram.com/joshua_ariza, joshuaariza.com

Ben Levitz - instagram.com/STUDIOONFIRE, studioonfire.com

Kelsey Slay - instagram.com/kelseyslaydesign

Exploring the fluorescent legacy of Baltimore's Globe Collection and Press with Allison Tipton. Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

For decades, the bright colors and bold type of Globe Poster Printing Corportation formed the cultural heartbeat of Baltimore. From R&B shows and rock concerts to boxing matches and, now, something called a Deviled Egg Pageant (?!), Globe's unmistakable style has shouted out a range of events — and brought color and electricity to the urban landscape.

Globe and its archive are now part of the Maryland College Institute of Art (MICA), and we sat down with Allison Tipton from MICA to discuss the living legacy of this landmark print shop.

Check out Globe's collection online here.

What our emotions can teach us about design and branding. Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

Can you remember a time you had an emotional reaction to type? Have fonts ever made you feel some type of way? This week, we dive into Monotype's scientific research on the emotional power of typography.

Marie Boulanger, Senior Brand Designer at Monotype, joins as a guest and shares some of the thinking, methodology, and insights behind the global studies. You'll also hear stories about fonts and feelings from designers, creative directors, and producers we spoke with at Brand Talks Chicago and Brand New Conference.

Learn more about the research at monotype.com/typography-matters

Talking shop with David Berlow, type hero and font technology pioneer. Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

David Berlow has been at the forefront of type design, publishing, and technology for 45 years. His impressive career began in 1978 drawing letterforms for the Haas, Mergenthaler, Linotype, and Stempel type foundries, before he went on to work at Apple, Bitstream, and later founded the Font Bureau with Roger Black.

A self-described "loose cannon" and "boat rocker," Berlow has been at the center of type innovation for decades, consulting for companies like Apple and Google, all whilst designing some of the world's most celebrated and recognizable fonts, including custom designs for iconic publishers such as The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, Esquire Magazine and The Wall Street Journal and brands including Apple Computer Inc., Google Inc. and Microsoft Corporation.

In this week's episode Tom Rickner, the Senior Director of the Studio at Monotype, sits down with Berlow. Fun fact: Berlow hired Rickner at the Font Bureau, kicking off his career as a type designer. You'll hear the two reminisce, talk shop, and explore Berlow's influences, predictions, and perspectives on mentorship and team building.

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

From Basquiat to branding: how Erwin Hines creates space for community, dialogue, and collective liberation. Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

Erwin Hines' creative life began with an interest in architecture and urban planning but shifted to art, design, and brand building after several serendipitous events.

In a time when concepts like empathy and inclusivity have become trendy catchphrases, Erwin decided to step away from agency life, where he had been actively involved with DE&I initiatives, to build his own brand, Future is Color.

Erwin designs and produces intentionally crafted garments and hosts in-person events at Future is Color's mixed-use studio in San Diego, California. The brand's mission is to create space for intentional conversations about collective liberation.

For more on Erwin's work and Future is Color, visit future-is-color.com.

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

Chasing Dreams and Making Them Real with Muralist Kent Yoshimura. Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

Kent Yoshimura does a lot. And that's kinda his thing. At a young age, Kent learned that pouring himself into something artistic meant he could glimpse at mastery and then find ways to play with whatever that skill might be.

Throughout his life, Kent has illustrated for children's books, recorded music for film and television, made a couple documentaries, designed immersive experiences, built a thriving business, painted numerous beautiful murals, and so much more.

But what's maybe most striking is this: through all the hard work, trial and error, and eventual success, Kent's pursuit is in the joy of creating something with a community and for a community.

We're excited for you to hear his story.

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

From magazine to brand design with Warby Parker's Sarah Olin. Jun 21, 2023

Show notes

Sarah Olin started her career as a magazine designer at a challenging time — during the 2010s, when the industry was trying to figure out its transition to digital. She stuck with magazines for over a decade, designing for major fashion and beauty publications like Allure, Glamour, and Cosmo. But she recently shifted to brand art direction and, spoiler, she likes it.

As Art Director at Warby Parker, Sarah works on everything from retail design to TV commercials to fashion campaigns. Her story is one of adaptability, and with the design landscape rapidly changing, it feels fitting for the moment.

Goodbye, zombie bosses: Making WFH work for creatives with Upwork's Patrick Holly. Jun 06, 2023

Show notes

In the Before Times, working from home was often treated as a perk, or maybe a dubious accommodation for someone with a doctor's appointment. But we know how that story unfolded following the COVID outbreak in 2020, and now remote work is the norm for creative teams all over the world.

Upwork Executive Creative Director Patrick Holly joins us this week to talk about the benefits and challenges remote work presents for creatives, how he keeps his global team connected and fulfilled, and why the days of "adult daycare" and "butts in seats" should be relegated to the history books for good.

Finding the "feels" with Picsart's Scott Walker. May 23, 2023

Show notes

"Modern creators know that pace rivals perfection." Picsart, which provides photo and video editing tools and templates to the creator community, has lived this motto since it began more than a decade ago. Today, with more than 150 million monthly users, the company is helping to streamline the design process like never before.

In this week's episode, Monotype's Bill Connolly sits down with Scott Walker, Executive Creative Director at Picsart, to learn about Scott's design process, which began in a print shop and has led him to work with some of the world's most popular brands. They also discuss artificial intelligence, the future of creativity, and why it's important for designers to always "follow the feels."

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

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