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Today’s conversation is a fun one! We have the one, the only James Martin, who is a British designer, author, and educator best known as Made By James. For more than 20 years, he has helped thousands of creatives, founders, and brands build recognizable reputations that create extraordinary opportunities. His books, Made by James and No Bullsh*t Branding, challenge the traditional view of branding as simply logos or visual identity, presenting it instead as the ongoing process of becoming the obvious choice through trust, behavior, and meaningful human connection. James serves on Canva’s Design Advisory Board and is a creative partner to Lincoln Design Co. and Affinity. At the heart of his work is a simple belief: opportunity is not something you wait for, but something you can design. Through speaking, mentoring, writing, and partnerships with global brands, James helps people think differently about reputation, relationships, and the everyday behaviors that produce remarkable outcomes, championing craft, generosity, continuous learning, and the power of human creativity to shape the world. In this conversation you’ll hear why James believes that not every business is a brand, as well as the difference between “reputation” and “brand”. You’ll hear why complexity (particularly as it relates to communicating in complex ways, and sometimes overly complex ways) happens in the design space and how to think differently. You’ll also hear James share his ideas about MVBs (Minimum Viable Brands), as well as what “panic brands” are and why not to create them, including why James believes you may not even need a logo when you’re just starting out. James shares what’s most important to him, including the core idea that helps him say “yes” or say “no” to projects with beautiful, thoughtful insights along the way… as well as turds. We talk turds. But first: the weather and pigeons. — Quick Pigeon Fact Check: According to worldanimalprotection.us, wild pigeons typically live for 3-5 years, however pigeons in sanctuaries can live up to 15 years or more when provided with care, a safe space, and access to veterinary care. James, when you get a chance, please send me the number of your pigeon vet. About Our Guest: James Martin is a British designer, author, and educator best known as Made By James. For more than 20 years, he has helped thousands of creatives, founders, and brands build recognizable reputations that create extraordinary opportunities. His books, Made by James and No Bullsh*t Branding, challenge the traditional view of branding as simply logos or visual identity, presenting it instead as the ongoing process of becoming the obvious choice through trust, behavior, and meaningful human connection. James serves on Canva’s Design Advisory Board and is a creative partner to Lincoln Design Co. and Affinity. At the heart of his work is a simple belief: opportunity is not something you wait for, but something you can design. Through speaking, mentoring, writing, and partnerships with global brands, James helps people think differently about reputation, relationships, and the everyday behaviors that produce remarkable outcomes, championing craft, generosity, continuous learning, and the power of human creativity to shape the world. --- Music: Bubbles ( Lofi , Bright , Relaxed ) by HoliznaCC0 is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

After a summer sabbatical and spending some time outside of this space… we’re back! There’s lots on the horizon for the coming weeks and months, as well as some room for serendipitous conversations. I’m going to be moving from an (approximately) weekly episode release to 2x/month to make space for some of this forthcoming happenstance. First up, we have an incredible guest to kick off the fall season. Discussions of AI are everywhere today; it’s the culture in which we’re all currently swimming (sometimes drowning!). But today’s guest is the best of the best as it relates to the intersection of AI, the law, and digital publishing. He offers fresh perspectives, clarity, and precision that is like throwing us life preservers and allowing us to catch our breaths. If you listen to no other Talk Paper Scissors episode this year, please have a listen to this one. Jake Okechukwu Effoduh is an Assistant Professor at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law. His research focuses on the intersections of AI, human rights, and international law. He has contributed to a broad range of AI policy development in several countries, including Canada, the United States, Brazil, Kenya, South Africa, China and Nigeria. He has also carried out legal advocacy within sub-regional and regional systems like the Inter-American Commission, the ECOWAS Court, the East African Court, the African Commission, and the UN Human Rights Council. He is the convener of “Black Futures by Design”, an expert consultation advancing racial justice in AI governance and regulation. Jake has held fellowships at Harvard Law School, Harvard Kennedy School, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Cape Town. He is a UNESCO Expert on AI and the Rule of Law, providing training to judges, law teachers and legal officers on the use of AI in legal and judicial contexts. In this conversation you’ll hear about Jake’s work surrounding technology, algorithmic bias, discrimination, and how we can rethink about the future of technology. Jake shares how things have changed for publishers as it relates to copyright and the ease at which copying can happen today. We talk friction, we talk trust as the new currency, accountability, why we might need a new Internet, and how creativity can help us imagine new futures. Jake helps us unravel and reimagine the definition of creativity in a time of AI and why AI systems (as they exist today), really can’t be creative. (Phew!) Jake shares the legal and ethical considerations around inputs and outputs of AI specific to an artists’ work and the questions to ask. He also shares what a fair relationship between creatives and AI companies could look like. Jake helps us better understand what AI is doing to us as human beings, and he shares what he’s optimistic about and less optimistic about. Come with us on a journey as Jake helps us disentangle some of the complexities surrounding AI, the law, and digital publishing This is a recording in Digital Publishing at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University in summer 2026. About Our Guest: Jake Okechukwu Effoduh is an Assistant Professor at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law. His research focuses on the intersections of AI, human rights, and international law. He has contributed to a broad range of AI policy development in several countries, including Canada, the United States, Brazil, Kenya, South Africa, China and Nigeria. He has also carried out legal advocacy within sub-regional and regional systems like the Inter-American Commission, the ECOWAS Court, the East African Court, the African Commission, and the UN Human Rights Council. He is the convener of “Black Futures by Design”, an expert consultation advancing racial justice in AI governance and regulation. Jake has held fellowships at Harvard Law School, Harvard Kennedy School, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Cape Town. He is a UNESCO Expert on AI and the Rule of Law, providing training to judges, law teachers and legal officers on the use of AI in legal and judicial contexts. --- Music: Bubbles ( Lofi , Bright , Relaxed ) by HoliznaCC0 is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

Happy summer everyone! This marks the final episode of Talk Paper Scissors before I head on my summer/social media sabbatical until September. Today’s episode contains a compilation of voices from DesignThinkers Vancouver from May 2026. The theme of this year’s DesignThinkers conferences is ‘Out of Office’ and I asked conference attendees their favourite out off office reset, as well as their favourite places to disappear when they’re out of office. Voices featured in today’s episode include: Elana Rudick, James Nguyen, Joanne Chang, Rain Senra-Francois, Tessa Laity, Chelsea Bell Eady, Raph Maturine, Helena de Aguiar, Elyssa Schmid, Patrick Brown, and Hilary Ashworth. As I head Out of Office myself this summer season, I’ll be doing my best to reset with friends, family, and food, as well as intentionally focus on slowing down, doing one thing at a time, and sinking into contentment. Until we meet again in the fall… --- Music: Softly, Boldly, And With a Piano (Album) by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

Welcome back Magazine Makers! We’re having conversations with magazine-makers— big and small, new and seasoned, independent and commercial—from all over the world, who are sharing what they do and how they do it. This year’s line up includes folks making magazines for kids, art and culture, as well as luxury lifestyle magazines, and a massive global publisher who covers all of this and more. There’s something for everyone in these 4 episodes. This fourth and final episode features Nicola Ryan, Vice President of Product Design at Condé Nast. She is a design leader working at the intersection of brand, storytelling and technology. She is currently Vice President of Product Design at Condé Nast, having previously worked at Pentagram, Karmarama and The Telegraph. Throughout her career, Nicola has led teams in designing digital experiences for iconic brands such as Vogue, the New Yorker and the Times of London. She's focused on how great design can scale yet remain distinct, and how iconic brands can transform towards the future. In this conversation, you’ll hear about Nicola’s career path that has led to her current role. Nicola shares how she thinks about designing for scale across so many publishing brands, including a toolkit that has drastically reduced the time it takes to reimagine visual design changes for brands like Wired and Architectural Digest, including how she helps brands balance consistent processes and experimentation. You’ll hear the specific ways Nicola and her team are thinking about and thoughtfully integrating AI in their creative workflow. We talk about boredom, critique, and the importance of trust-building as a creative leader. This episode was recorded as part of a guest lecture series in DG 8111 Digital Publishing in Spring 2026 at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University. Let’s listen in… About Our Guest: Nicola Ryan is a design leader working at the intersection of brand, storytelling and technology. She is currently Vice President of Product Design at Condé Nast, having previously worked at Pentagram, Karmarama and The Telegraph. Throughout her career, Nicola has led teams in designing digital experiences for iconic brands such as Vogue, the New Yorker and the Times of London. She's focused on how great design can scale yet remain distinct, and how iconic brands can transform towards the future. She lives in the UK, with her husband, three children and two cats. --- Music: Bubbles ( Lofi , Bright , Relaxed ) by HoliznaCC0 is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

Welcome back Magazine Makers! We’re having conversations with magazine-makers— big and small, new and seasoned, independent and commercial—from all over the world, who are sharing what they do and how they do it. This year’s line up includes folks making magazines for kids, art and culture, as well as luxury lifestyle magazines, and a massive global publisher who covers all of this and more. There’s something for everyone in these 4 episodes. This episode features Ojus Jain, Founder of Esses, a new publication celebrating global culture and motorsports. Esses—meaning the S-shaped turns on the racetrack— launched in October 2024, and just recently released their sixth quarterly print magazine with rookie Formula 1 driver Arvid Lindblad as the cover star. Since launching, Esses has quickly cemented itself as one of the only premium media brands at the intersection of global culture, lifestyle, and motorsports with a readership in over 81 countries, thousands of subscribers, and global partners such as Visa, Cash App, TAG Heuer, Puma, and more. Before starting Esses, Ojus was one of the early founding team members at global news startup Semafor. In this conversation, you’ll hear how Esses fits into the media landscape for current and future F1 fans. In an expansive and fractured media landscape, you’ll hear how Ojus and his team decide the right balance of content, tools, and platforms that help support the brand, including why print is central to their strategy of building trust, including how they extend that trust into digital publishing. You’ll hear why building a strong team is critical, even in an age where tools allow us to do more of the process ourselves, and why job titles matter less than you might think in a start up. Ojus shares his insider take on what’s possible in independent publishing, how he’s thinking about AI, and how the Esses team is creating a financially-sustainable media brand through partnerships, events, and subscriptions. This episode was recorded as part of a guest lecture series in DG 8111 Digital Publishing in Spring 2026 at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University. Let’s listen in… About Our Guest: Ojus Jain is the Founder of Esses, a new publication celebrating global culture and motorsports. Esses, meaning the S-shaped turns on the racetrack, launched in October 2024, and just recently released their sixth quarterly print magazine with rookie Formula 1 driver Arvid Lindblad as the cover star. Since launching, Esses has quickly cemented itself as one of the only premium media brands at the intersection of global culture, lifestyle, and motorsports with a readership in over 81 countries, thousands of subscribers, and global partners such as Visa, Cash App, TAG Heuer, Puma, and more. Before starting Esses, Ojus was one of the early founding team members at global news startup Semafor. --- Music: Bubbles ( Lofi , Bright , Relaxed ) by HoliznaCC0 is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

Welcome back Magazine Makers! We’re having conversations with magazine-makers— big and small, new and seasoned, independent and commercial—from all over the world, who are sharing what they do and how they do it. This year’s line up includes folks making magazines for kids, art and culture, as well as luxury lifestyle magazines, and a massive global publisher who covers all of this and more. There’s something for everyone in these 4 episodes. This episode features Krupa Patel, a Toronto and Ahmedabad-based independent magazine maker, founder and editor-in-chief of TURMERIC Magazine—an independent print publication documenting emerging artists, spatial practices, and contemporary culture through a lens of storytelling from the Indian subcontinent and it’s diaspora. Krupa has an academic background in Architecture from OCAD University, has worked in producing over 30 public art and placemaking projects across Canada with municipalities, and worked as an independent curator developing exhibitions that platform emerging voices and explore the intersections of art, design, and everyday life. In this conversation, you’ll hear how Krupa became inspired to create TURMERIC Magazine and how she uses language and linguistics to strengthen the publication’s message and the meaning. With no formal graphic design or publishing education, you’ll hear how Krupa navigated editorial, design, printing, and global distribution steered by 3 words: fun, quirky, and contemporary. Krupa looks backward, sharing what she would do differently if she started again, as well as looks forward, sharing how she plans to evolve the magazine for issue 02 and beyond. Finally, you’ll hear why knowing your niche may be the key that unlocks your magazine making journey. This episode is action-packed with fantastic advice for all new magazine makers. TURMERIC Issue 01 launch party TONIGHT at Issues in Toronto! 📍 ISSUES Magazine Shop, 1489 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6K 1T6 🗓 Thursday, June 25 ⏰ 6–9 PM Let’s listen in… Instagram Website Substack About Our Guest: Krupa Patel is the founder and editor-in-chief of TURMERIC Magazine—an independent print publication documenting emerging artists, spatial practices, and contemporary culture through a lens of storytelling from the Indian subcontinent and it’s diaspora. She has an academic background in Architecture from OCAD University, has worked in producing over 30 public art and placemaking projects across Canada with municipalities and worked alongside as an independent curator developing exhibitions that platform emerging voices and explore the intersections of art, design, and everyday life. She is currently based in between Toronto and Ahmedabad, India. --- Music: Bubbles ( Lofi , Bright , Relaxed ) by HoliznaCC0 is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

It’s magazine time! I’m currently teaching a magazine production and publishing course, as well as a digital publishing course, and it’s always a delight to connect students with magazine makers of all kinds at this time of year. Welcome to conversations with magazine-makers— big and small, new and seasoned, independent and commercial—from all over the world sharing what they do and how they do it. This year’s line up includes folks making magazines for kids, art and culture, as well as luxury lifestyle magazines, and a massive global publisher who covers all of this and more. There’s something for everyone in the next 4 episodes. This first episode features Caroline Versteeg, a Toronto based Art Director, Designer and Artist who brings content to life at Chickadee Magazine at Owl Kids. Chickadee is 1 of 3 magazines for kids that are 100% Canadian. Chirp is “The See and Do, Laugh and Learn Magazine for Children Ages 3 to 6.” Chickadee is “The Full-of-Fun, Hands-On Magazine for Children Ages 6 to 9.” Owl is “The Entertaining, Informative, Challenging, and Inspiring Magazine for Preteens.” In this conversation you’ll hear the typical process from start to finish for Chickadee magazine, as well as specific design decisions Caroline considers for their audience of children and how the approach is different from designing magazines for adults. Caroline explains the very specific and very intentional typographic choices that are necessary for early readers (this is a no ligatures or ampersand zone!), and why print is still so relevant and important for kids who are immersed in a digital world. Caroline also shares how the publication’s print design has been influenced by the digital world. You’ll hear how the team at Owl Kids finds new contributors for their publications and Caroline shares great advice for students wanting to work in the world of children’s publishing. Let's listen in... About Our Guest: Caroline Versteeg is a Toronto based Art Director, Designer and Artist who brings content to life. When not busy at her design desk at Owl Kids, Caroline is likely painting or designing for clients on a contract basis. --- Music: Bubbles ( Lofi , Bright , Relaxed ) by HoliznaCC0 is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

Welcome, dear friends, to the library. Each episode finds me loitering in a library with a special guest in a location of their choosing. We comb the stacks and have a chat about passions, practices, and possibilities, letting the story unfold as it will. You’re encouraged to read between the lines because it’s going to be a real page turner… Welcome to The Library Loiterers. --- Nestled on the 2nd floor of the Tranzac Club at 292 Brunswick Avenue, I find myself in a cozy space on a cold winter evening at the Toronto Zine Library with local creative, Izy Iannetta. Izy is an advertising strategist, performer, and a published poet, with a Master of Digital Media from Toronto Metropolitan University. They are a queer, mad, neurodivergent, AFAB person with a passion for community building and self-expression. Izy is also a member of the team at Sick Stories, a radical bookstore and micropublisher focused on amplifying the voices of disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent, and mentally ill writers and artists. Learn more at sickstories.org The Toronto Zine Library & Archive (TZL) is a physical library space run by a collective of zine readers, zine makers, and librarians who strive to make zines accessible for the Toronto community. They believe that zines are an important medium of communication, and that they should be cherished, protected, and promoted. Through conducting workshops at their library and abroad and hosting events that promote zines as a method of open communication and free expression, as well as the library space itself, they aim to make this belief a reality. Last year I had the opportunity to speak with two volunteers from the Toronto Zine Library for this podcast. You can check out Episode 262 for the full conversation and explore their catalog at https://www.torontozinelibrary.org/. Today Izy and I find ourselves exploring the catalog in-person, surrounded on all sides by shelves containing big ideas tucked into small publications. Let’s see what we find… https://www.sickstories.org/ https://www.prudemag.net/ https://www.pagerecords.ca/about-page About Our Guest: Izy Iannetta is an advertising strategist, performer, and a published poet, with a Master of Digital Media from Toronto Metropolitan University. They are a queer, mad, neurodivergent, AFAB person with a passion for community building and self-expression. Izy is also a member of the team at Sick Stories, a radical bookstore and micropublisher focused on amplifying the voices of disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent, and mentally ill writers and artists. Learn more at sickstories.org Colophon: Recorded on location at Toronto Zine Library on February 27, 2026. Music tracks used in this episode were both from the Free Music Archive. Bach - Aria Variata, BVW. 989 - Variation No. 2 by Brendan Kinsella is licensed under a Public Domain License. Variatio 6 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Seconda by Kimiko Ishizaka is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Sound Effects were all Creative Commons 0 license from Freesound.org Creak 11.wav by jameswrowles -- https://freesound.org/s/323546/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 pages turning.wav by simone_ds -- https://freesound.org/s/366079/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Scribble.wav by TiesWijnen -- https://freesound.org/s/341738/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 group shush by chapter15studios -- https://freesound.org/s/760256/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Text is set in conversation, bound by curiosity. Until next time…

Design students and design educators — this episode is for YOU! We have Mitch Goldstein, educator and author of How to Be a Design Student (and How to Teach Them), here to share some powerful thoughts and actionable advice. Mitch is based in upstate New York and he is an associate professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, where he teaches in the College of Art and Design. Over the past twenty years, he has taught at Rhode Island School of Design, Virginia Commonwealth University, Maryland Institute College of Art, and other institutions. Mitch also maintains a creative practice focusing on various disciplines such as graphic design, wet darkroom photography, sculpture, and furniture design. He also writes and speaks about art and design education, pedagogy, and creative practice. In this conversation, you’ll hear Mitch’s approach to being “professionally curious” and the difference between “education” and “professional practice”. We dig into grading, what design education does well and what parts of the system needs improvement. We talk phones, distraction, and the power of working with materials and analog technologies in the context of digital media. We also dive into Mitch’s book How to Be a Design Student (and How to Teach Them), specifically what Mitch hopes everyone will learn about ownership and agency, critique, and engagement. Mitch also shares his artistic practice and all that entails. Finally, Mitch mentions a study in our conversation from Psychology Today from March 2026 and that study is called The Impact of Tech on Young Minds: Measurable evidence-based decline in student cognitive abilities. Mitch’s style as a teacher and as a communicator cuts through the noise and he tells it like it is. I really feel his authenticity come through in the audio. Design students and design educators, I think you’re really going to enjoy this one. Let’s listen in… About Our Guest: Mitch Goldstein is a designer, artist, educator, and author based in upstate New York. He is an associate professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, where he teaches in the College of Art and Design. Over the past twenty years, he has taught at Rhode Island School of Design, Virginia Commonwealth University, Maryland Institute College of Art, and other institutions. Mitch also maintains a creative practice focusing on various disciplines such as graphic design, wet darkroom photography, sculpture, and furniture design. He also writes and speaks about art and design education, pedagogy, and creative practice. Mitch has an MFA in Furniture Design from RIT, an MFA in Design/Visual Communications from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, and a BFA in graphic design from Rhode Island School of Design. --- Music: Bubbles ( Lofi , Bright , Relaxed ) by HoliznaCC0 is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

Today I have for you an extra special, extra ordinary, out of this world conversation (literally) about Moon Joy and the digital strategy that surrounds it. Our guest today is Thalia Patrinos, who seeks to make science accessible for everyone through storytelling. Thalia has worked for NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, as a contractor since 2018. Today, she is the Artemis Digital Lead within the Office of Communications. She leads and strategizes all digital communications about NASA’s Artemis missions to and around the Moon, including social media, video, audio, web presence, and digital engagements. In her spare time, she writes science fiction, studies Greek, and juggles fire. In today’s conversation, you’ll hear Thalia talk about the years of work that goes into digital strategy for communicating a mission around the moon, balancing planning and flexibility to capture spontaneous moments of moon joy. She talks about the spreadsheets—the spreadsheets!—including how she uses technology to help with creative strategy. You’ll hear the ways that NASA prioritizes publishing factual information above all else, and get a better sense of who is behind the content and how these teams work together. Thalia takes us into her thinking when addressing multiple audiences across multiple platforms when the whole world is watching and what success looks like for a project of this magnitude. Finally, Thalia lets us in on her career backstory including how she ended up at NASA and the funny and relatable story about her first job interview. This episode was recorded as part of a guest lecture series in DG 8111 Digital Publishing in Spring 2026 at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University. “Copy, Podcast joy.” Let's listen in... About Our Guest: Thalia Patrinos (she/her) seeks to make science accessible for everyone through storytelling. Patrinos has worked for NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, as a contractor since 2018. Today, she is the Artemis Digital Lead within the Office of Communications. She leads and strategizes all digital communications about NASA’s Artemis missions to and around the Moon, including social media, video, audio, web presence, and digital engagements. In her spare time, she writes science fiction, studies Greek, and juggles fire. --- Music: Utopian Future by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

Welcome, dear friends, to the library. Each episode finds me loitering in a library with a special guest in a location of their choosing. We comb the stacks and have a chat about passions, practices, and possibilities, letting the story unfold as it will. You’re encouraged to read between the lines because it’s going to be a real page turner… Welcome to The Library Loiterers. --- Ahhhhh, today we find ourselves at Canada’s largest reference library and home to over 4 million items, specialized Digital Innovation Hubs, extensive study spaces, and rare historical archives: welcome to the Toronto Reference Library. Located just north of the buzzing downtown intersection of Yonge and Bloor, this library is an incredible resource for the people of the City of Toronto, and a place (I’m a little ashamed to admit), I was visiting for the first time with today’s guest, and I couldn’t think of a better person to traverse the floors with… none other than the delightful Carl Shura. Carl Shura (he/him) is a Canadian visual designer focused on identity, wayfinding, installations, and type design in his practice and as an educator. He's a graduate of the graphic design program at Winnipeg's Red River Polytechnic, the post-graduate type design program at The Cooper Union, and the type design residency at SVA in New York. Carl is a member of faculty at the SCHOOLOFDESIGN at George Brown Polytechnic in Toronto where he teaches design, typography, communication, and print production. He is a member of TDC (the Type Director’s Club), RGD (the Association of Registered Graphic Designers), RHSC (the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada), and is the Canadian Delegate for ATypI (Association typographique internationale). He is also a lover of books, which some call a bibliophile, though he's accepted that it's much more accurate to call him a bibliomaniac. To give you a sense of the breadth and depth of resources in this library branch, here are a few highlights from the Toronto Public Library’s website and adjacent sources: There’s a gallery space as soon as as you walk in, inviting you into a space within a space There’s access to 3D printers, green screen studios, audio/video recording equipment and even soldering stations! An Adaptive Technology Hub, equipped with Braille writers, print magnifiers, and screen-reading software for visually impaired library goers There are piano practice rooms and an extensive sheet music catalog There are study and event spaces totalling 1250 seats Not to mention the books (the books!), with rare books, special collections, manuscripts, historical maps, the Baldwin Collection of Canadiana, and the Arthur Conan Doyle Room Carl and I met in the lobby to explore one of the city’s most bountiful spots, to see what would unfold. BONUS TRIVIA FROM CARL! The TPL online account lets you have your own "shelves" as a way to like/favourite titles for later or for items you've finished, and also to share publicly with comments or recommendations. I have several titles on my shelf that are significant to me regarding design or design history like Adrian Frutiger's iconic work, "Signs and Symbols" and Gerrit Noordzij's collection of newsletters about type design theory in "Letter Letter"—but I also have "The Wonderful World of Insects" by Abro Gaul in 1953. Any guess why that's on my shelf of design significance? A HINT: think about production and type in this period of time.* Both images are Creative Commons; attribution: "Jeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons" About Our Guest: Carl Shura (he/him) is a Canadian visual designer focused on identity, wayfinding, installations, and type design in his practice and as an educator. He's a graduate of the graphic design program at Winnipeg's Red River Polytechnic, the post-graduate type design program at The Cooper Union, and the type design residency at SVA in New York. Carl is a member of faculty at the SCHOOLOFDESIGN at George Brown Polytechnic in Toronto where he teaches design, typography, communication, and print production. He is a member of TDC (the Type Director’s Club), RGD (the Association of Registered Graphic Designers), RHSC (the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada), and is the Canadian Delegate for ATypI (Association typographique internationale). He is also a lover of books, which some call a bibliophile, though he's accepted that it's much more accurate to call him a bibliomaniac. Colophon: Recorded on location at The Toronto Reference Library on February 5, 2026. Music tracks used in this episode were both from the Free Music Archive. Bach - Aria Variata, BVW. 989 - Variation No. 2 by Brendan Kinsella is licensed under a Public Domain License. Variatio 6 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Seconda by Kimiko Ishizaka is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Sound Effects were all Creative Commons 0 license from Freesound.org Creak 11.wav by jameswrowles -- https://freesound.org/s/323546/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 pages turning.wav by simone_ds -- https://freesound.org/s/366079/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Scribble.wav by TiesWijnen -- https://freesound.org/s/341738/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 group shush by chapter15studios -- https://freesound.org/s/760256/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Text is set in conversation, bound by curiosity. Until next time… *ANSWER: It's the first book published using phototypesetting instead of metal type.

It has become a Talk Paper Scissors tradition to feature the incredible work of up-and-coming typeface designers in this space (check out Episode 026 with Veronika & Mary-Anne, Episode 113 with Nate & Sarah and Episode 146 with Nicole & Cameron, Episode 191 With Max & Cecilia, Episode 258 with Paulina & Darrab, and Episode 277 with Ivana & Mahrukh). This work was born in the Advanced Typography course I teach at Toronto Metropolitan University. After reviewing many submissions, with work scaffolded throughout the semester, I chose today’s guests because their work was consistently thoughtful, innovative, developed and well-executed. There were lots of incredible submissions and it’s always genuinely hard to choose. As a testament to their contributions to the type community, I am awarding today’s guests (Juliette Bifolchi and Jasmin Gulati—as well as Sakina Shaikh who couldn’t be here) the totally fictitious, highly coveted, not an actual award award: The Apostrophe! Juliette designed a typeface called Road Block and Jasmin designed a typeface called Invertia. In the following conversation, you'll get to hear about each typeface. You'll also hear their perfect type pairings, sensory descriptions of each (sight, smell, touch, sound and even taste), as well as what was easy and difficult about the process. Let the type geekery begin! Let the type geekery begin! About Our Guests: Juliette Bifolchi is a fashion communications student in her final year of study. Her work is grounded in the belief that design goes beyond aesthetics, emerging instead from intention and purpose. She extends this viewpoint to typography, with a particular interest in its function as a narrative tool and its influence on contemporary visual communication. Jasmin Gulati is a graphic designer in her third year of Graphic Communications Management. Her work focuses on translating complex ideas and interdisciplinary research into visual systems, with an attunement to typography as a tool for communication. She is interested in information design and data visualization, and engages with film photography and visual art alongside her design work. --- Music: Bubbles ( Lofi , Bright , Relaxed ) by HoliznaCC0 is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash