Type Faces: Meet Jake Murtaugh.

Welcome to our Type Faces series, where we’ll be sharing the stories of some of the fabulous people behind the type here at Monotype. From all around the globe and across the organization, our Monotype colleagues truly prove that, like Charles Nix, Senior Executive Creative Director at Monotype, always says, “We are ALL creative.”

Jake Murtaugh is clear about what makes his job at Monotype so enjoyable: “I get to look at beautiful things all day.” As Digital Operations Manager, Jake’s work sits at the intersection of design, technology, and storytelling. He’s not a developer, but he dabbles in code. He’s not a designer, but he helps shape the way Monotype’s fonts are seen and experienced online. It’s a role that gives him a broad perspective on the company as a whole, while also allowing him to celebrate the artistry of typography every day. Read on to learn more about Jake.

Portrait of Jake. Photo by Simon Simard.

How does creativity fit into your life?
I do film photography. I have about 40 cameras at this point. What started as a mental health hobby during the pandemic turned into a full-blown passion — and a pretty serious collection. One of my favorites is a rangefinder I picked up in Shoreditch after my camera broke on a trip to the London office.

One of the first photos Jake took in London with his new camera. Photo by Jake Murtaugh.

Photography gets me out of the house, gets me traveling, gets me excited to go places and see new things. I live in Salem, MA, which is kind of like a little artist colony. I take a darkroom class at Salem State every week.

What do you love about living in Salem?
It’s inclusive. It’s welcoming. It feels like a village. It has that small-town vibe where you walk around and know the people you see, but it’s also got a buzz to it. There’s a strong focus on art and community, and that’s important to me.

The Salem lighthouse. Photo by Jake Murtaugh.

Before Monotype, I worked in public affairs — child mental health and foster care reform. Today, I serve on the Massachusetts Family Advisory Committee. I don’t think there’s a better way to engage with your community than helping out a child and family.

Even though I’m in a completely different professional field now, I still look for ways to connect my work with community. And I think fonts can be used to advocate for and connect people, too.

Jake believes strong communities are built through connection. Photo by Jake Murtaugh.

How do you see fonts connecting people?
Fonts are more than words. They tell a story, help sell a point, or evoke memories and feelings. You see a certain font, you think Christmas. You see another one, you think Halloween. It’s a visual cue, almost instant, no matter what the words themselves say.

And balancing that emotion with accessibility, with breaking the rules and still making it work — that’s what makes fonts really interesting. 

The Crane Bar’s typography immediately sets the mood. Photo by Jake Murtaugh.

We recently published a case study with the Obama Foundation on the evolution of the Gotham font, which is a great specific example of how fonts can be used for advocacy. There was so much thought and intention behind how and where different typeface variations are used in order to communicate themes of democracy and community engagement, among others.

Sentinel, one of Jake’s favorite fonts.

Do you have a favorite font?
I like a chunky font weight like Neue Haas Grotesk Black and Sentinel Black. I love the fonts that are used for H1s and headings. They’re compelling. They’re meant to be seen. They scream a little bit. They make a power statement! 

In Jake’s photography, type is part of the scene — and often the focal point. Photo by Jake Murtaugh.

What’s your role at Monotype?
I’m the Digital Operations Manager, which means I help manage our websites and other digital properties. I oversee content and digital experience management and work across product, marketing, and strategy.

The role is both creative and operational. I have the freedom to make creative choices, especially from an imagery and content standpoint. Every day I get to look at beautiful things made by incredibly talented people.

Jake’s photos show his appreciation for type in the real world. Photo by Jake Murtaugh.

What inspires you?
I’m inspired by the people in my life. My dad and mom were innovators in their fields, and their work ethic was wild — but they were still present parents. I have great siblings, too.

My brother Colin, who has autism, is a big inspiration. He reminds me to stay lighthearted and kind. And my fiancée, Rachael, provides so much joy and laughter in my life. I’m very lucky.

Jake and his fiancée, Rachael. Photo provided by Jake Murtaugh.

Professionally, Brian Hennings really inspired me. He’s the one who hired me at Monotype. He designed typography.com, which is beautiful. Seeing how he worked through creative problems really shaped my creative process.

I’m always inspired by how art and work intersect in my life. I often find that I’ve taken photos that remind me very much of the images we put on the Monotype site — it’s pretty wild! I feel so lucky that the things I find beautiful in life are also present in my work.

Art imitates life — or is it the other way around? This is just one example of the similarities Jake sees between his photographs and the artwork he posts on the Monotype site. Photo (left) by Jake Murtaugh. Image (right) Monotype.