Hosting and Moderating: TDC’s Day 2 Event

On January 18th, I had the absolute pleasure and honor of hosting and moderating Type Directors Club TDC’s Day 2 event—such a treat.

I love hosting and find even more enjoyment when guests actively participate, leading to insightful and fun conversations—a great way to learn and engage not just with us but with everyone.

The incredible judges for the event were Carolina Laudon, Jo De Baerdemaeker, Ben Johnston, and Emily Oberman. Each judge brought insightful knowledge of type excellence with different perspectives, making the experience even more intriguing.

We all perceive type differences, and what makes us unique is how we approach and interpret them—from the nuances to their presence in our surroundings and their functionality within our existing environment.

I want to share a few key points from our expansive conversation during the event—quick highlights in short snippets, but not limited to the brief summary below.

Jo De Baerdemaeker , an award-winning independent Belgian typeface designer, font developer, and scholar, shared insights on typography within functional systems, reinterpretations of innovative typefaces across a range of widths, including blackletter, and inspirational ligatures.

Carolina Laudon , former president of ATypl and an independent type designer specializing in corporate typefaces through Laudon Design AB, discussed timeless masterpieces that seamlessly integrate with designs and are culturally adaptable. She also touched on the evolution of stencil typefaces, transitioning into more calligraphic formats for a high-end design.

Ben Johnston , a multi-disciplinary creative known for bold text-based murals and fine art pieces, explored tangible type in sculptural works. He discussed how type exists in the world around us and the impact of integrating a typeface into existing environments.

Emily Oberman , a partner at Pentagram, delved into how type brings life to a brand. She emphasized the importance of a typeface having its own DNA within a brand, its evolution, and maintaining its relevance while still capturing a moment in time.

Once more, big thank you to the TDC who made this happen, helped all of us come together and talk about some of our passions in design, Type Excellence. Thank you to the judges from all over the world, for giving us time to chat. Thank you all who joined and hope you can make future TDC Events! For all of those who are interested: there is still time to enter TDC’s competition!

Final final deadline is February 2nd, 2024. https://enter.tdc.org

*Loved hosting and moderating this event, thank you. Looking forward to any future speaking engagements, being your host or moderating conversations.