Typographics 2023

Typographics is a design festival for people who use type.

Kyla Paolucci ’23 will be presenting part of her thesis work in person at Type Lab on Thursday, June 15 at 2:00 pm EST. Her presentation will center on the typeface she designed based on her grandfather’s tape lettering and sign-making practice. Silas Munro, Faculty Co-Chair, will also be in attending the conference in support of Kyla.

“Nontraditional influences can be just powerful in shaping design as conventional methods. In my typeface project “Federico,” which is named and modeled after my grandfather’s practice of sign-making, I explore ideological expression while questioning contemporary trends and the underlying hegemony that constrains our making. Through the crude and scrappy act of sharing his ideals with electrical tape and plywood, I’ve built a playful typeface that relies on humble materials and a relational history of manifesting abundance from poverty as a form of portraiture.”

Faculty member Tasheka Arceneaux-Sutton will be presenting her work on Saturday, June 17 at 3:40pm EST in a talk entitled A Historical Survey of Typography by Black People in America.

Despite the limited availability of information, Black designers have made notable contributions to graphic design, and their work in type creation has yet to receive adequate attention and study. This presentation emphasizes the correlation between Black designers and the realm of typography, lettering, and calligraphy. The discussion will showcase a range of works across diverse industries, including publishing, music, film, activism, commercial products and more, from the late 1800s to the present. The objective is to reveal the untold stories that have shaped the dynamic landscape of Black graphic design history, with a particular focus on the role of typography.