Not All Heroes Wear Capes: Learn How Designers Can Save the Day with Fonts
Every hero has a super power. Whether they can fly or simply squeeze into outfits that defy reason and the laws of physics, superheroes are defined by their unique abilities and strengths.
Designers are no different. Maybe that sounds like pandering, but it’s true: Designers use form and shape, color and text to communicate, connect, and convey emotion through the screen or the page.
Fonts are one of every designer’s secret superpowers. More than just a vessel for the message, fonts can evoke a range of emotions, support a brand’s personality, and connect the customer to the message.
In Monotype’s breakout session at Adobe MAX, you’ll discover how fonts can enhance designs, helping to create experiences that are unique, recognizable, and engaging. Like most superpowers, they are often hidden in plain sight or easily overlooked, but fonts are nevertheless potent, influential and inspiring.
Monotype Type Director Charles Nix and Senior Creative Director James Fooks-Bale will explore some of these powers during their session this year. Charles was part of the Helvetica Now team and the designer behind the award-winning Hope Sans, so he knows a thing or two about how fonts can have a life and personality of their own. Prior to his position at Monotype, Charles co-owned a small publishing firm, where he designed hundreds of books, while also orchestrating all aspects of book production, from writing proposals to supervising printing.
Based in London, James oversees the development of Monotype’s brand as its Creative Director. Prior to his current role at Monotype, he spent the best part of a decade working in the design studios of Burberry, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, among others.
Together, they will guide attendees through the crucial steps every creative needs to take when kicking off a new project, designing for an important product launch, or working on a brand refresh. They’ll focus on five key elements fonts need to support:
- Amplify and express emotion. Your fonts are your voice. Fonts can be quiet or loud, strange or serious, old fashioned or shockingly modern, calming or disruptive. See how fonts can help establish the tone and personality of a product, brand, or project, and why it’s essential to understand how and why certain fonts convey certain emotions.
- Recognizable, readable & legible. Fonts today have to perform in a huge range of environments, from tiny watch screens to huge billboards, with countless physical and digital use cases in between. Charles and James will outline what to look for when selecting fonts fonts that can handle the rigors of the modern world.
- Take chances! Brands today are competing for attention in more places than ever, and a thoughtful font system is one way to stand out (in a good way, of course) among the competition. Find out how to thread the needle between between something that distinguishes your visual identity from the competition without going too far afield.
- They have to work. Fonts are more than just beautiful designs–they’re software, and like any software, they need to be well-engineered, reliable, and up to the task of modern digital environments. See what goes into engineering today’s fonts, and why it’s important to use fonts you can trust.
- Flex as needed. Fonts are not a one-and-done decision, but rather a system of designs that should grow and adapt over time as new opportunities and challenges arise. New products, shifting audiences, and global expansion can all require fresh designs and, quite often, adding new fonts to mix.
You’ll leave the session feeling empowered to recommend and use fonts to maximize your company’s or client’s competitive positioning, offer improvements that speak to design, marketing, and UX best practices, and rescue your company or client from a failing type system.
Don’t get caught in the villainous trap of looking like everyone else or losing your identity in an endless stream of mismatched glyphs–learn how to pack a punch with fonts!
In addition to Charles and James’ presentation, be sure to stop by the Monotype booth (801) to take this year’s font quiz and get a free, custom-design typeface T-shirt. New this year, we’ll also have special 15 minute sessions on topics such as type design, 2020 design trends, font discovery, and more at our Monotype Theater, located at our booth as well. We’re even giving away a MacBook pro to one lucky winner who attends a mini-session in our booth theater.
Charles and James’ breakout session takes place Monday, November 04, from 1 PM to 2:15 PM. Register today, and we’ll see you there!
