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Have you ever dressed up as a life-sized paper doll, used a typewriter in a public bathroom or traveled to multiple continents to learn more about sheep? Today’s guest reached out to me via an email entitled ‘Message in a bottle…” after hearing me on the Hello, Print Friend podcast and, as kindred spirits, I felt we needed to connect, leading to the conversation you’re about to hear. Meet Kara Dunne , an artist from Providence, RI. She studied printmaking and glassblowing at Alfred University, performance at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and earned her master's in printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her creative drive is fuelled by her dual background in both the visual arts and theatre. Kara believes art should be an active experience, not a passive event, and should be encountered in other places besides the confines of a museum or gallery. Her videos, performances, and prints serve as a social commentary on what we forget about the past, deny in the present, and dream about in the future. In this conversation, you’ll learn more about why and how many artistic modalities are part of Kara’s artistic practice, as well as about her most challenging project to date: a book called ‘Shopping Cart Shepherds’ and all of the serendipity leading to its creation. You’ll hear about the importance of following the breadcrumbs in a creative project, no matter if you know where they’ll lead, as well as what Kara’s up to now and next. Let’s listen in… About Our Guest: Kara Dunne is an artist from Providence, RI. She studied printmaking and glassblowing at Alfred University, performance at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and earned her master's in printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her creative drive is fuelled by her dual background in both the visual arts and theatre. Kara believes art should be an active experience, not a passive event, and should be encountered in other places besides the confines of a museum or gallery. Her videos, performances, and prints serve as a social commentary on what we forget about the past, deny in the present, and dream about in the future. --- Music: A Kwela Fella - John Bartmann 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 to the family!  Today’s guest is Rosie Meleady, Irish author and my first cousin once removed! She made six figures as an Indie author within two years by writing a humorous living memoir series called  ‘A Rosie Life In Italy’.  She also writes humorous fiction. Rosie has been an entrepreneur for over 30 years; founded and edited 5 magazines, a PR company, a non-profit and a destination wedding business.   Rosie is currently having a fabulous midlife crisis in Italy, running  women’s writing retreats in Italy  twice a year, and hosting women solo travellers and creatives in her Umbrian villa guest house. We reconnected nearly 35 years after our initial meeting (when I was 3) and we’ve met just once more in Ireland in 2016. Last year she asked if I’d help her create a book cover for her book  Tilly Fox’s Fabulous Midlife Crisis .  In today’s delightful encounter, you’ll hear how Rosie accidentally bought a 22 bedroom villa in Italy when out buying bananas, as well as having mistakenly found herself on a ghost hunting tour when she thought she was signed up for a wellness retreat.   Through this conversation, you’ll better understand Rosie’s journey as both an independent and traditionally published author, her process for writing ‘living memoir’ (or ‘reality TV in book form’, as she calls it), and the advice she has for new authors. You’ll also learn why your new favourite creative hobby could be eavesdropping.  I just might make a lot more sense to you after you listen to Rosie share her love of writing, publishing, following her curiosities, and finding herself in objectively interesting situations. Perhaps it’s genetics? Let’s listen in… --- Rosie’s Substack: https://rosiemeleady.substack.com/   Rosie’s Website: www.rosiemeleady.com   Rosie’s Books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rosie-Meleady/author/B08HXRGSGL   Instagram: @ARosieLifeInItaly --- About Our Guest: Rosie Meleady is an Irish hybrid author. She made six figures as an Indie author within two years by writing a humorous living memoir series called  ‘A Rosie Life In Italy’.  She also writes humorous fiction.   Rosie has been an entrepreneur for over 30 years; founded and edited 5 magazines, a PR company, a non-profit and a destination wedding business.   Rosie is currently having a fabulous midlife crisis in Italy, running  women’s writing retreats in Italy  twice a year, and hosting women solo travellers and creatives in her Umbrian villa guest house. --- Music: A Kwela Fella - John Bartmann 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 to this 3 part mini-series features 3 designers who bring different kinds of magazines to life. Last but not least we have Kyle Schruder RGD, a creative director specializing in branding, editorial, and design. As the head of design at Creative Currency , he helps brands craft impactful visual identities that blend strategy and storytelling. His work at Creative Currency spans industries, from media and healthcare to education and public sector, with clients including the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, Indiescreen magazine, and the Mid-West Toronto Ontario Health Team. Kyle’s also a judge for the National Magazine Awards. In this conversation, Kyle straddles the line between printed magazines and digital magazines. He discusses the ways that digital overwhelm, as well as perceived lack of choice may be shifting consumer behaviour and digital culture (speaking on behalf of Kyle and I as elder millennials… who coined that term?! I want a word with them).  You’ll also hear about a project early in Kyle’s career that fundamentally changed the way he approached magazine design from that day forward. Kyle maps out a framework to balance readability and creativity, digging into actionable techniques to move through a magazine design process, including what magazine designers can learn from UX/UI designers. This episode is part of a guest lecture series in GCM 720 Magazine Production & Publishing at The Creative School  at Toronto Metropolitan University. Let’s listen in… About Our Guest: Kyle Schruder RGD is a creative director specializing in branding, editorial, and design. As the head of design at Creative Currency , he helps brands craft impactful visual identities that blend strategy and storytelling. His work at Creative Currency spans industries, from media and healthcare to education and public sector, with clients including the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, Indiescreen magazine, and the Mid-West Toronto Ontario Health Team. --- Music: A Kwela Fella - John Bartmann 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

We continue our 3 part mini-series featuring 3 designers who bring different kinds of magazines to life. Next up we have Alexandra Golubeva of Readymag , a browser-based tool for designing anything on the web. No coding needed. Founded in 2012, Readymag offers the most powerful, versatile, and visually-pleasing tool for designing on the web. Ideal for dozens of formats — from landing pages to multimedia long-reads, presentations and portfolios — all made with a single tool. Besides the design system, at Readymag they seek to advance the culture and community of design itself. Creative freedom and mindful design are the principles they champion throughout everything they do. In this conversation, Alexandra takes us through what Readymag is all about, as well as a series of projects that showcase the platform’s capabilities. You’ll better understand what’s possible with digitally published magazines, as well as how Alexandra thinks about working with type on the web and lots of tips around accessibility for publication design on the web. You'll definitely want to check out the links to all of the projects and follow along with the conversation and explore with us in real time. https://girlhood-2023.com/ https://g-a-s-p-m-a-g.com/ **Mature content https://pdf-mag.com/ https://rwanda.artmilitonian.com/ https://readymag.com/designingwomen/ https://coffeereceiptstories.com/?ref=blog.readymag.com https://time.non-objective.works/?ref=blog.readymag.com   This episode is not sponsored in any way (just a cool tool!) and is part of a guest lecture series in GCM 720 Magazine Production & Publishing at The Creative School  at Toronto Metropolitan University. Let’s listen in… Readymag's Accessibility Resources: Mastering accessible design: basic tips and tools for every website The bare minimum of a designer's job: tips on making websites accessible Alt text for images, shapes, and slideshows About Our Guest: Alexandra Golubeva is the Senior Product Designer on the Growth team at Readymag. She designs interfaces for a no-code tool that empowers to create anything on the web, with a focus on users engagement and learning. Offline, Sasha enjoys raising her dog, practicing yoga, creating art, and reading—a lot. --- Music: A Kwela Fella - John Bartmann 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

Magazine love is in the air!  This 3 part mini-series features 3 designers who bring different kinds of magazines to life. First up we have the lovely Nicola Hamilton here!  Nicola Hamilton (she/her) is an independent creative based in Toronto, Canada. She began her career at the beloved, city-weekly The Grid  (2011-2014). She’s spent time as Chatelaine’s  Deputy Art Director (2015-2017) where she helped lead the team through a redesign of both their print and digital properties and as Studio Wyse's  Art Director (2017-2020) where she helped redesign, reposition and produce publications for clients such as  Xtra, The University of Toronto Magazine , and Ryerson University Magazine . Today, Nicola is the Creative Director at Serviette Magazine, a part-time design educator, President of The Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD)  and she maintains an artistic practice via The Scaries , exploring the emotional realities of being creative. In July 2022, Nicola opened Issues Magazine Shop , a retailer of independent magazines from around the world. In this conversation, you’ll hear Nicola share what it means to work on projects that manifest in print, as well as how she approaches the design of Serviette magazine to serve the content and audience, including working with a number of design constraints.  Nicola shares insights about how she believes current students keen on being part of the magazine industry can work on achieving this reality. We talk about what it means to try and fail in magazine making, as well as communication and collaboration necessary to make a magazine happen. Nicola also chats about her ‘clubhouse for print’, Issues Mag Shop, and you’ll hear what she’s most excited about in Magazine Land. You can also find Nicola chatting about design and magazines in the following past episodes: 064: Designing Magazines with Nicola Hamilton of Best Health 116: Big Emotions in Creative Living with Nicola Hamilton and LeeAndra Cianci of The Scaries 149: Micro Trends in Magazine Publishing with Nicola Hamilton 167: Canada’s Home for Graphic Designers with RGD’s Hilary Ashworth and Nicola Hamilton This episode is part of a guest lecture series in GCM 720 Magazine Production & Publishing at The Creative School  at Toronto Metropolitan University. Let’s listen in… **Russell Oliver's gold photoshoot! About Our Guest: Nicola Hamilton (she/her) is an independent creative based in Toronto, Canada. She began her career at the beloved, city-weekly The Grid  (2011-2014). She’s spent time as Chatelaine’s  Deputy Art Director (2015-2017) where she helped lead the team through a redesign of both their print and digital properties and as Studio Wyse's  Art Director (2017-2020) where she helped redesign, reposition and produce publications for clients such as  Xtra, The University of Toronto Magazine , and Ryerson University Magazine . Today, Nicola is the Creative Director at Serviette Magazine, a part-time design educator, President of The Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD)  and she maintains an artistic practice via The Scaries , exploring the emotional realities of being creative. In July 2022, Nicola opened Issues Magazine Shop , a retailer of independent magazines from around the world. --- Music: A Kwela Fella - John Bartmann 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!  This is a 3-part mini series about new ways of thinking about education, assessments, grading and ungrading with 3 brilliant educators who work and teach in the spaces of communication, design, creativity, art and art therapy. The previous episode explored Dom Prevost’s approach to teaching success through failure.   This episode features designer and PhD candidate, Rupsha Mutsuddi . Rupsha is an emerging researcher, educator, designer, and artist. Her PhD in Global Health thesis focuses on Human-Centred Design to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia in global communities. Her thesis is supported by the Dahdaleh Institute of Global Health Research Scholarship and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship. She also teaches at York University’s School of Global Health and Conestoga College's Bachelor of Design Honours Program. Her SSHRC-supported Master of Design thesis focused on building supportive technologies in augmented reality to help people living with dementia with their daily rituals. Rupsha has worked for a diverse array of clients in government, healthcare, non-profit, and clean beauty space, including the Detox Market, Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region, and the Ontario Public Health Association. With an interdisciplinary approach and an empathetic mindset, she develops meaningful solutions and strives to shape a better future through design education, research and practice. In this episode, you’ll hear about Rupsha’s upbringing in a variety of school systems and the ways it’s led to her current path. You’ll hear about the unique interdisciplinary nature of Rupsha’s cohort and how the program uses grades to support students through a pathway of their choice using a pass/fail model. Rupsha shares how important it is for designers to be able to articulate their value, the benefits of iteration and the importance of staying in the divergent stage of thinking for longer than we think we have to. Finally, you’ll hear ideas about encouraging vs. stifling creativity in the classroom. Let’s listen in… Ilipinar, G., Matosas, J. M., Iglesias, O., Kristensen, T., & Johnston, W. (2009, October). Designer as midwife: Towards a new state of mind?. In  3rd annual conference of the International Association of Societies of Design Research, Seoul 2009 . About Our Guest: Rupsha Mutsuddi is an emerging researcher, educator, designer, and artist. Her PhD in Global Health thesis focuses on Human-Centred Design to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia in global communities. Her thesis is supported by the Dahdaleh Institute of Global Health Research Scholarship and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship. She also teaches at York University School of Global Health and Conestoga College's Bachelor of Design Honours Program. Her SSHRC-supported Master of Design thesis focused on building supportive technologies in augmented reality to help people living with dementia with their daily rituals. Rupsha has worked for a diverse array of clients in government, healthcare, non-profit, and clean beauty space, including the Detox Market, Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region, and the Ontario Public Health Association. With an interdisciplinary approach and an empathetic mindset, she develops meaningful solutions and strives to shape a better future through design education, research and practice. --- Music: A Kwela Fella - John Bartmann 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!  This is a 3-part mini series about new ways of thinking about education, assessments, grading and ungrading with 3 brilliant educators who work and teach in the spaces of communication, design, creativity, art and art therapy. The previous episode explored Rupsha Mutsuddi’ s experiences learning and teaching in an interdisciplinary program, exploring the idea that design is creative midwifery; helping to bring ideas to life through thoughtful process. This episode features Patricia Ki (she/her), an immigrant/settler of Chinese-Hakka descent living and working in Tkaronto. She currently serves the community at Toronto Art Therapy Institute as the executive director, practicum supervisor, instructor, and research advisor. She is also an adjunct faculty in the Critical Disability Studies program at York University. She is a graduate of Ontario College of Art and Design (BFA 2007), TATI (2011) and York University (BSW 2013, MSW 2014, PhD Critical Disability Studies 2023). She is where she is today because making art saved her life. She deeply believes that arts-making for healing must be shared as widely and freely as possible. Patricia brings a rich understanding of therapeutic practice and educational pedagogy informed by her practice to this conversation. She discusses how traditional grading systems are in misalignment with the communities of care art therapists are aiming to foster, as well as the importance of imagination and self reflection, not just for not only for clients of art therapy, but also for the schools and teachers that facilitate the training of practitioners.  Patricia dives into the concepts of individualism and competition that lie at the centre of a colonial education system, as well as the connection between capitalism and traditional grading systems, all of which are in direct opposition to the goal of collective care. She discusses shame and how it’s detrimental to transformative learning and she shares a fundamental truth: that educators ultimately don’t have control over students’ actions; we can only support, guide and facilitate.  Let’s listen in… Notes from Patricia about ideas explored in this episode: "outside the lines" come from this article of poetry:  https://www.jocat-online.org/c-24-ki "the master's tools will never" comes from this editorial:  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26907240.2022.2140910#d1e440 "unfolding revolution" comes from this article:  https://feralfeminisms.com/an-unfolding-revolution-toward-widespread-flourishing-artist-statement-for-cover-art/ My work can be found on  https://mappingcare.art/ Full list of publications are on my LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-ki-ab049038/details/publications/ TATI's website, points of interest related to collective care: Zine archive:  https://tati.on.ca/current-students-alumni/tati-zine-archive/ Not Standard Procedures Podcast:  https://tati.on.ca/current-students-alumni/video-library/  - a project initially developed by the students in the TMU MDM program. About Our Guest: Patricia Ki (she/her) is an immigrant/settler of Chinese-Hakka descent living and working in Tkaronto. The land of the Hakka village in Hong Kong to which she belongs, the enthusiastic brilliance of students, the solidarity amongst diverse peoples, and the transformative magic of arts-making are the sources of her imaginings, efforts, and hopes toward a decolonial future of collective care and thriving. She currently serves the community at Toronto Art Therapy Institute as the executive director, practicum supervisor, instructor, and research advisor. She is also an adjunct faculty in the Critical Disability Studies program at York University. She is a graduate of Ontario College of Art and Design (BFA 2007), TATI (2011) and York University (BSW 2013, MSW 2014, PhD Critical Disability Studies 2023). She is where she is today because making art saved her life. She deeply believes that arts-making for healing must be shared as widely and freely as possible. Professionally, Patricia is a registered member of the Canadian Art Therapy Association and the Ontario College of Social Service Workers and Social Service Workers. With a commitment to disability justice, she has practiced professionalized care work (art therapy, psychotherapy, social work) in various community-based mental health and social services, including community health centres, emergency shelters, drop-in services, and supportive housing, working alongside individuals who are navigating effects of violence, housing/income insecurity, and intersecting forms of marginalization and oppression. --- Music: A Kwela Fella - John Bartmann 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

Yes, I do love printing and design, typography and branding, books and publishing. I feel grateful that I get to chat with so many incredible folks in these spaces (today’s guest is no exception!). I am particularly grateful when I have guests to talk about a passion layered underneath all of these areas: education.   This is a 3-part mini series about new ways of thinking about education, assessments, grading and ungrading with 3 brilliant educators who work and teach in the spaces of communication, design, creativity, art and art therapy. First up is Dom Prevost: Seasoned in both advertising and design, Dom has worked in top agencies around the world, from Paris and London to Sydney, Melbourne, New York, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Over the course of his two-decade career, he spearheaded the development of award-winning, fully-integrated campaigns for adidas, lululemon, Nike, Toyota, Smart, Mercedes, Johnnie Walker, Red Bull, Sony Playstation, and the list goes on. He also teaches at Miami Ad School and Vancouver's IDEA School of Design, while actively involved as a collaborator, jury member, and keynote speaker at industry events across North America and Europe. Dom’s work has been repeatedly recognized in the industry’s major award shows, including the Cannes Lions, One Show, London International, and the Advertising & Design Club of Canada. His work has also been covered by The New York Times, The Guardian, Fast Company and Time Magazine… and now Talk Paper Scissors!  In this episode, you’ll hear about Dom’s teaching role and specifically around a course he teaches that, at its core, is helping students succeed through embracing failure by removing control and providing space for things to go wrong. You’ll hear about Dom’s creative exercises that draw a line directly from his role as Creative Director to his classroom (brainstorm bootcamp and his critique hot seat), as well as how his views on failure have evolved as he’s evolved as a creative leader. Dom explains why and how creativity is a muscle to be exercised and not born genius, what he hopes to instil in his students about failure, iteration and pushing past the first ideas, as well as how he uses grades not as a means of control and power, but as a means of relinquishing control and power, handing it back to students to show up with good, bad and ugly ideas. Finally, Dom gives us a sneak peek at his upcoming new workshop at DesignThinkers Vancouver , May 13-14, 2025. May the food, gym and transportation metaphors flow freely in this conversation about creative education, both as a noun and as a verb. Let’s listen in… https://www.dominicprevost.com/idea-fall About Our Guest: Seasoned in both advertising and design, Dominic worked in top agencies around the world, from Paris and London to Sydney, Melbourne, New York, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Over the course of his two-decade career, he spearheaded the development of award-winning, fully-integrated campaigns for adidas, lululemon, Nike, Toyota, Smart, Mercedes, Johnnie Walker, Red Bull, Sony Playstation, and the list goes on. He also teaches at Miami Ad School and Vancouver's IDEA School of Design, while actively involved as a collaborator, jury member, and keynote speaker at industry events across North America and Europe. Dominic’s work has been repeatedly recognized in the industry’s major award shows, including the Cannes Lions, One Show, London International, and the Advertising & Design Club of Canada. His work has also been covered by The New York Times, The Guardian, Fast Company and Time Magazine. He currently leads the creative department at Resonance where he creates brands and campaigns for cities, destinations and hotels all around the world.  --- Music: A Kwela Fella - John Bartmann 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

Lora is a well-balanced contemporary serif with roots in calligraphy. It is a text typeface with moderate contrast that is well-suited for body text. A paragraph set in Lora will make a memorable appearance because of its brushed curves contrasting with driving serifs. The overall typographic voice of Lora perfectly conveys the mood of a modern-day story or an art essay. Technically, Lora is optimized for screen appearance and works equally well in print. Designed by Olga Karpushina and Alexei Vanyashin for Cyreal, it was released in 2022 with contributions and assistance from Gayaneh Bagdasaryan. Lora is licensed under the SIL Open Font License. Claim to Fame: What type is it? Lora is a classic serif typeface that exudes sophistication and readability. This font is part of the Google Fonts library, making it readily accessible to designers and architects worldwide. The font’s name, Lora, is derived from the Greek word for “beautiful,” which encapsulates its design's essence. Historical Roots To fully appreciate the significance of Lora, one must delve into the historical evolution of serif typography. Originating in ancient Rome, serifs were designed to enhance the readability of text carved onto stone. Lora font, with its graceful serifs and balanced proportions, pays homage to this rich typographic history while seamlessly integrating modern design principles. Styles and Characteristics: Elegance and Simplicity Lora strikes a harmonious balance between elegance and simplicity. Its slender letterforms and moderate contrast contribute to a refined aesthetic that communicates professionalism without sacrificing readability. Architects can benefit from this balance when presenting complex project details in a visually appealing manner. Versatility Whether used in headings or body text, Lora maintains its legibility across various sizes and applications. Its versatility makes it an ideal choice for architects looking to create cohesive and visually engaging portfolios that resonate with a diverse audience. Timelessness Lora’s timeless design ensures that it transcends fleeting design trends. Architects, aiming for an enduring and classic appeal in their portfolios, can rely on Lora to convey a sense of permanence and reliability. Lora’s range of weights creates a clear visual hierarchy, seamlessly guiding viewers through project details. Its bold and italic variations add sophistication to titles, while its balanced proportions enhance readability, making detailed descriptions more engaging and accessible. About the Type Designer: Alexei Vanyashin, a typeface designer based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, runs Cyreal Type Foundry and teaches at Almaty City Design School. A BHSAD Moscow graduate (2010), he has collaborated with major foundries like Swiss Typefaces, Optimo, Dalton Maag, and Google Fonts. Specializing in Cyrillic typography, he has contributed to fonts such as Florian, Geo, Vidaloka, Nunito, Lora, and Rubik. Cyreal, his open-source foundry, offers Latin and Cyrillic fonts under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, with source files on GitHub and customization services available. And that concludes our journey through the history and design of Lora. Thank you for joining me on An Incomplete History of Type. Until next time, keep designing, keep creating, and most importantly—keep exploring the world of type. References Quality fonts. Free. Fontshare. (2022, May 23). https://www.fontshare.com/fonts/lora Future, R. T. (2023, December 29). Lora font: Elevating architectural portfolios with timeless typography. RTF | Rethinking The Future. https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/articles/lora-font/ Vanyashin, A. (n.d.). About: Alexei Vanyashin typography. About | Alexei Vanyashin Typography. http://110design.ru/about Vanyashin, A. (n.d.-b). Libre/Opensource Foundry - Cyreal open-source fonts. Cyreal Fonts. https://www.cyreal.org/info/ About Our Guest: Natalie Annabelle is a Graphic Communications student at Toronto Metropolitan University with a concentration in Publishing. Passionate about typography, design, and the book industry, they explore the intersection of print and digital media in their work. They have experience in marketing, editorial design, and type-focused projects, including creating a font based on handwriting. When they’re not designing or reading, they enjoy discovering new typefaces and learning about the history of print. --- Music (public domain): TRG Banks - Above the Earth 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

From the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type . Name: Eurostile Release Date: 1962 Designer: Aldo Novarese Classification: Geometric Owned By: URW Type Foundry Claim to Fame: Popular in Sci-fi media and space exploration branding. Used in the original Dr Who title sequence. Eurostile, the typeface that evokes sleek modernity and forward-thinking design, didn’t begin life as we know it. No, its origins trace back to 1952, when two Italian designers, Alessandro Butti (how a minion says buddy) and his young assistant Aldo Novarese (no-va-rese), first set out to create what would become one of the most influential typefaces of the 20th century. Butti and Novarese (no-va-rese) were looking to design a typeface that was not only legible but also modern, a reflection of the postwar optimism of the 1950s and the dawn of the space age. Originally, the design they created was called Microgramma, a bold, geometric sans-serif typeface, entirely in uppercase. This early version had clean, geometric forms with a futuristic, almost machine-like quality. It was modern, yes, but also functional and incredibly versatile. This was a typeface designed for the modern world, a world that was on the cusp of technological breakthroughs. However, the story doesn’t end there. In 1962, Aldo Novarese (no-va-rese), now with a much more prominent role in the design world, returned to refine and expand on the original concept. He introduced lowercase letters into the design, transforming Microgramma into Eurostile. It was this crucial shift that marked the true birth of Eurostile as we know it today. But who exactly was Aldo Novarese (no-va-rese)? Born in 1922 in Turin, Italy, Novarese (no-va-rese) was a master typographer, a man who truly understood the power of type. To say Novarese (no-va-rese) was a design icon is no exaggeration. In fact, he’s often compared to the likes of Ferrari in the world of cars: a designer with an unmistakable sense of precision and flair. Over his lifetime, Novarese (no-va-rese) worked on countless influential typefaces, but Eurostile remains one of his most enduring legacies. So, what made Eurostile such a groundbreaking design? It’s not just the fact that it was one of the first to include lowercase letters in a primarily geometric typeface. The unique qualities of Eurostile are what set it apart from other typefaces of the time. Eurostile is a geometric sans-serif typeface, meaning it lacks the small 'feet' or 'serifs' that are common in more traditional typefaces. This absence of decorative elements gives Eurostile a clean, modern, and functional appearance, making it ideal for a world increasingly moving away from old design conventions. Let’s break down the key design elements that give Eurostile its unmistakable look. Square Shapes with Rounded Corners: Eurostile’s letters are based on geometric shapes, think of squares, rectangles, and circles, but with softened corners. This gives the typeface a crisp, yet approachable appearance, striking a perfect balance between precision and human warmth. Wide Letterforms: Eurostile’s letters are horizontally extended, which gives the typeface a bold, confident, and even somewhat futuristic look. It’s a design choice that commands attention, which makes Eurostile perfect for signage, titles, and any application where you need a typeface to make a strong impression. Uniform Stroke Widths: Another distinctive feature is the consistent thickness of the strokes. Unlike other typefaces where stroke widths might vary, Eurostile’s evenness gives it a sense of harmony and stability. It’s part of the reason the typeface still looks so clean and modern today. Futuristic Appeal: Perhaps most importantly, Eurostile’s design is futuristic. It was created with the future in mind, an era of space travel, technological breakthroughs, and digital innovation. Its crisp, geometric forms evoke the sleek machinery of spacecraft, satellites, and scientific progress. Now, let’s talk about why Eurostile became more than just a typeface, it became a cultural icon. You see, Eurostile quickly gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, whenthe world’s imagination was captured by the idea of space exploration and the high-tech future. Being first utilized in Doctor Who’s original title sequence back in 1963. It didn’t take long for designers and filmmakers to realize that Eurostile was the perfect typeface to represent the future. From movie posters to TV shows, Eurostile quickly became the go-to typeface for science fiction. Perhaps its most iconic appearance was in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, where Eurostile was used to display futuristic control panels, spacecraft branding, and high-tech equipment. This connection to space age visuals became cemented in the public’s mind and soon, the typeface was synonymous with all things futuristic. Eurostile has been featured in decades of Sci-Fi even if you have not noticed it. It can also be found in Sci-Fi pop culture like inside the DeLorean from Back to the Future, Iron Man, Star Trek and much more. But Eurostile wasn’t just for movies. It found its place in advertising, design, and even technology. Its modern, clean lines were ideal for projects aiming to communicate innovation. Over time, the typeface evolved with the world around it. In the 1990s, for example, the typeface was updated with Eurostile 2 and Eurostile Next, which further refined the proportions and adapted the typeface for use in the digital world. These new versions made Eurostile even more versatile, ensuring its place in a wide range of media from websites and apps to corporate branding and product packaging. Eurostile, with its clean, modern look, has continued to represent the cutting edge of technology and the future. Its presence is everywhere from logos of tech companies to user interfaces on devices, Eurostile has managed to remain relevant through changing trends, maintaining its status as a timeless design. And as we look ahead, it’s clear that Eurostile’s legacy is firmly cemented. It’s not just a typeface, it’s a symbol of progress and the possibilities of the future. So, why is Eurostile such a unique typeface? For one, it perfectly encapsulates the ethos of the 20th century, a century of technological advancement, space exploration, and digital innovation. It is a typeface born of optimism and forward-thinking. Even decades after its creation, Eurostile continues to capture the imagination, transcending time and trends, remaining as modern today as it was when it was first designed. Whether you’re designing for a tech startup, a futuristic film, or an innovative product, Eurostile is there, still looking to the future, just as its creators intended. And that’s the story of Eurostile. From its origins as Microgramma in 1952, to its evolution in the hands of Aldo Novarese (no-va-rese), to becoming the typeface of the space age and beyond, Eurostile has truly become a symbol of the future. Thanks for joining me for an Incomplete History on the typeface Eurostile. This has been your host Sam Weinberg, till next time. References Addey, D. (2018). Typeset in the Future: Typography and Design in Science Fiction Movies. Abrams Books. https://books.google.ca/books?id=woFnDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA10&source=gbs_toc_ r&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false Coale, B. (2013, October 11). Eurostile, the Space Age font. Casey Printing. Retrieved January 23, 2025, from https://www.caseyprinting.com/blog/2013/typography/eurostile-the-space-age-f ont German Museum of Books and Writing. (2016, November 13). Eurostile. Deutsche Nationalbibliothek. Retrieved January 23, 2025, from https://mediengeschichte.dnb.de/DBSMZBN/Content/EN/FontDesign/05-eurostil e-en.html#:~:text=The%20predecessor%20of%20Eurostile%20was,type%20with% 20clean%20geometric%20forms Kupferschmid, I. (2016, September 15). Aldo: as Ferrari is to cars, Novarese is to type. Type Network. Retrieved January 24, 2025, from https://typenetwork.com/articles/aldo-as-ferrari-is-to-cars-novarese-is-to-type Rahaman, J. (2025, January 6). Eurostile Font: A Timeless Modern Typeface | Art. Vocal Media. Retrieved January 23, 2025, from https://vocal.media/art/eurostile-font-a-timeless-modern-typeface About Our Guest: Sam Weinberg is a 4th year RTA Sport Media student at Toronto Metropolitan University. As a graphic designer, Sam loves combining his passions for graphic design and sports to create compelling stories, build strong brands, and connect teams and audiences in meaningful ways. When not designing, Sam loves watching and playing sports, listening to music, immersing in films and tv shows and hiking and exploring. --- Music (public domain): TRG Banks - Above the Earth 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

From the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type . Name: Abhaya Libre  Release Date: 2015 Designer: Sol Matas Classification: Serif Owned By: The Abhaya Libre Project Authors Claim to Fame: It’s a redesigned version of the existing FM Abhaya typeface made suitable for the Latin alphabet. My name is Joanne Liao, and I’ll be your host for today’s episode about a personal favourite typeface of mine, Abhaya Libre. I came across this typeface by chance one day while looking for a new way to spruce up my notes, and I’m excited to present it to you now.  Released in 2015, Abhaya Libre was designed by a small company located in Sri Lanka called Mooniak, which still holds ownership rights to this today ( Abhaya Libre, n.d.) . The name Abhaya  refers to King Abhaya, who was the ruler of Sri Lanka in ancient BCE. It is classified as a serif typeface with an appearance similar to the likes of other famous serifs like Bodoni, Garamond, Didone and Baskerville. Abhaya Libre got its claim to fame through being a redesigned version of the existing FM Abhaya typeface made suitable for the Latin alphabet (more on this in a minute) ( Abhaya Libre Font Free by Mooniak, 2016) .  Alright, without further ado, let’s get to it! History Our story takes place in South Asia with a man by the name of Pushpanada Ekanayake. In 1970, Ekanayake designed a typeface called FM Abhaya, which eventually became one of the most popular and well-known typefaces catering to the language of Sinhala. However, although useful and beloved for decades from the point of view of the locals and citizens within Sri Lanka, FM Abhaya faced one particular setback which prevented its name from reaching more of the world- it was only suitable for Sinhala characters ( Abhaya Libre Font , 2021).  In the hopes of giving FM Abhaya a new life, an employee named Sol Matas from the aforementioned type foundry Mooniak reached out to Pushpanada Ekanayake with a proposal for a new idea: redesign the beloved typeface to accommodate the Latin alphabet. Ekanayake agreed, and so the team had their work cut out for them, taking care to preserve the characteristics of the original Abhaya typeface such as the boldness or thickness of its curves and lines, while also adjusting these measurements for the best possible legibility regarding Latin letters ( Abhaya Libre Font Free by Mooniak, 2016). Some specific considerations were large counters and x-heights to mimic the Sinhala version, which in turn increased the legibility of the English letters by giving them a clean and uniform appearance.  Other members of the team were Pathum Egodawatta and Ayantha Randika, who contributed through consultations with Matas throughout each design phase. The project was definitely a labour of love because it was not easy to redesign a typeface for two alphabets with entirely different sets of glyphs.  Nevertheless, 1996 marked the year that the name of Abhaya Libre was officially born. The typeface is not only considerate of the Latin alphabet but pays homage to the name of the original FM Abhaya as well by carrying on part of the name itself. The word libre  means “free” in French, representing a new twist on a once more reserved typeface ( Abhaya Libre Font Family , 2021).  Conclusion In conclusion, Abhaya Libre is an important typeface because it helped FM Abhaya reach its full potential. By bridging the gap between languages, Abhaya Libre opened the doors of usability to the global audience, inviting typographers and users worldwide to embrace and appreciate this wonderful typeface.  Thank you very much for tuning in to this episode of Talk, Paper, Scissors ! I sincerely hope you enjoyed listening and were able to take away some cool new fun facts. Thank you Diana for having me. Until next time! References   Abhaya Libre Font Free by Mooniak . (2016, October 26). Font Squirrel. https://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/abhaya-libre Abhaya Libre Font . (2021, July 21). Befonts. https://befonts.com/abhaya-libre-font.html   Abhaya Libre . (n.d.). Google Fonts. https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Abhaya+Libre Abhaya Libre Font Family . (2021, July 15). Fontesk. https://fontesk.com/abhaya-libre-typeface/   E.M.M. (n.d.). Catchy and Cool . Jamendo. https://licensing.jamendo.com/en/tracks/lX5xgZYt1UH/catchy-and-cool   About Our Guest: Joanne Liao is a fourth-year GCM student at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is a passionate learner at heart who is always looking to explore new mediums and projects (like featuring in a podcast). In her spare time, Joanne can be found reading, studying foreign languages, or working on her latest journal spreads. --- Music (public domain): TRG Banks - Above the Earth 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

From the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type . Name: Lexend  Release Date: 2019 Designers: Bonnie Shaver-Troup, Linnea Lundquist, and later Thomas Jockin, Santiago Orozco, Héctor Gómez Classification: Sans-Serif Owned By: The Lexend Project Claim to Fame: An early typeface designed for people with Dyslexia, and low reading fluency.  The story of Lexend is a reflection of innovation, and the shared impact technology has on the world. To tell it thoroughly, we must start post-WW2, when in the late 1960s research started into a phenomena first labelled “Word-Blindness.” Now it is called Dyslexia. Dyslexia is widely used throughout recent history by different professionals and uninformed persons in and out of public perception with different connotations and understandings of what it is to better suit their respective biases. However, what  is  agreed upon is that some people do experience limiting and persistent problems with recognising a collection of symbols and turning them into oral language. This is through a combination of the brain's ability to interpret, and partially on the letterforms themselves. Not everyone with a low fluency in reading is dyslexic, and vice versa. Though dyslexia was a core focus initially, the scope of Lexend has widened to include anyone who’s ability to read get’s in their way.  Within any single medium for expression there is a burden of inaccessibility to at least one subsection of people. Aid is often supplied through other sources internal or external to the project. Reading’s relationship to typography can’t be simplified in that way. In traditional education systems, particularly those found in the United States and Canada, sources are limited. Hand outs, textbooks, and your basic homework are all traditionally paper based, only in recent years becoming more influenced and intertwined with digital technology, if at all. And so previous to this integration what was left for the students with needs which could not be met by the standard typefaces of the day?  Enter Dr. Bonnie Shaver-Troup, an educational therapist who in 1999 noticed people who experienced reading related difficulties with fluency, were being inhibited by the lack of choice of something which suited their needs. In the year 2000, with the typeface being later digitized by Linnea Lundquist in 2004, she began a project called LEXEND, with the goal to create a typeface that aided students with reading difficulties through the perception of words themselves. If the cause of comprehension errors is a mix between cognition and perception, what about the perception could be changed to alleviate the stress? Lexend stands out from its peers through its family of siblings. The adjustments made are not drastic enough to be spotted over a glance, and act as a typeface suitable for scenarios outside of education systems. Counters are slightly larger on average, and stroke contrast is low. Ascenders, descenders, and x-height are slightly larger in minuscules, commonly called lowercase. Letterforms such as I and T are given more unique shapes compared to similar sans-serifs. However symmetrical identical letterforms that are rotated, such as miniscule p and d do not have noticeable differentiators, which should be reconsidered.  These subtle changes meant that I myself did not realise Lexend's concept when I first found it, as it was a suitable multipurpose typeface outside of its origins. One could easily mistake it as an approachable friendly sans-serif geometric typeface without a second thought. An instructor could use it for the entire class, and it would have minimal impact for most , but noticeable improvement for those who benefit from it, which is to say, not all. The issue with any solution that is intended to solve problems experienced by a population, is that not all people are alike, and thus any solution must account for small variations in the symptoms by the users. What makes Lexend “Lexend” is its breadth of customization. Within a large range of 9 weight types from thin to black, and 7 character spacing variations to reduce crowding, that’s 63 different styles from the default options alone. These adjustments to be made based on the needs of the user are as Lexend themselves put it, like adjusting a glasses prescription. In correlation with the growing research of dyslexia in the 1980s, the advancement and availability of computers truly began. That is if you were one of the few who could afford playing with the novel machines. Digital font files for these computers allowed for typefaces to be used based on the needs of users outside the publishing world. The TrueType Font reigned until two years before Dr. Shaver-Troup’s idea, where a sleeping blessing happened. In 1997 Microsoft and Apple combined forces to create OpenType, the most robust font file type as of date. In the following years as its glyph storage and customizability grew alongside both the reliance and necessity of advancing computing power, a revolutionary tool changed both digital typography, and Lexend forever: the innovation of variable fonts. In late 2016 the previous tech juggernauts with aid of Google, Adobe, and independents expanded the capabilities of OpenType to include real time user inputted adjustment to at least one aspect of a typeface, from anything such as width, counter size, or even custom shapes. Starting in 2017 and releasing in 2019, The seven Lexend Typefaces released through Google Fonts as an open source variable-font tool to allow both ease of implementation and customization for users. All 7 siblings are variable, meaning that instead of just 9 sizes each, there are 800 individual sizes each. In total Lexend today has 5600 different possible options to choose from. For free. As of to date Lexend is embedded in a little over 112,000 websites, and can have around 200 million uses a week. It’s no confession to say Lexend is not the perfect solution for everyone. It never was or will be. It’s just one tool designed to help those which aid from its specific design choices, and by extension sets an example of how to avoid the one size fits all approach. As technology continues to improve and customization becomes more accessible and intuitive, thinking outside the box might just mean taking a step back, and reusing what you’re given to help more people than yesterday. Is making a difference a matter of trend or reflection? Do you draw the line at miscomprehension or perception? As you design your type based on a sans-serif, sans-self, or glyph ascender direction, will you derive success from deeping connections with diverse dependents? When rendering thoughts, penning plots or making amends through a message, Privilege is provided to those able to have read the lesson. Barriers are just a window of opportunity too small, or perhaps a glass ceiling viewed from the wrong perspective. To help one helps us all, so always remember to be a Lexend. References Accessible typography. (2020, June). American Psychological Association. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/accessibility/typography#myth5 Breuer, T. (2023, January 9). The Lexend Project. slanted. https://www.slanted.de/the-lexend-project/ Google Fonts. (n.d.). Lexend. https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Lexend/about Karton, M. (2025). Type for a New Millennium [Song]. The evolution of technology in the classroom. (2024, January 1). Purdue University College of Education. https://education.purdue.edu/2024/01/the-evolution-of-technology-in-the-classroom/ The Lexend Project (n.d.). Change the way the world reads. Lexend. https://www.lexend.com/ Variable fonts: What’s new in them for designers? (2021, June 25). TypeType®. https://typetype.org/blog/variable-fonts-whats-new-in-them-for-designers/ Wolf, M., Gotlieb, R. J., Kim, S. A., Pedroza, V., Rhinehart, L. V., Tempini, M. L., & Sears, S. (2024). Towards a dynamic, comprehensive conceptualization of dyslexia. Annals of Dyslexia, 74(3), 303–324. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-023-00297-1 Zaraysky, S. (2022, February 2). Struggling to read? A font may help. Google Design. https://design.google/library/lexend-readability About Our Guest " A constant vague objection to the notion of reality." --- Music (public domain): TRG Banks - Above the Earth Karton, M. (2025). Type for a New Millennium [Song]. 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