Creative Characters Podcast.
Creative Characters explores the people and personalities behind the brands, campaigns, and designs we love. It is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever quality podcasts can be found.
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Creative Characters S4 E14: Never snap to guides: Exploring creative freedom with David Carson.
This week on Creative Characters, host Graham Sturt sits down with graphic design icon and the father of grunge typography, David Carson. Tune in now.
Creative Characters S4 E13: Embracing Chaos and Stillness: Astrid Stavro’s Design Philosophy.
This week, Monotype’s Executive Creative Director, Tom Foley, sits down with renowned graphic designer Astrid Stavro to explore her captivating journey. Tune in now.
Creative Characters S4 E12: From Parsons to Type Thursday: a conversation with Thomas Jockin.
This week on Creative Characters, host Charles Nix sits down with Thomas Jockin, the founder of Type Thursday, a global type meetup. Tune in for an interesting look at the intersection of type design, education, and community-building.
Creative Characters S4 E11: Kyle Read on the art (of the business) of type design.
Host Doug Wilson sits down with his long-time friend, Kyle Read, a distinguished type designer and graphic designer based in Denver, Colorado. Kyle shares his journey from studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design, working for various design studios and advertising agencies, to founding Badson Type Foundry. Tune in to hear Kyle’s story.
Behind the Font: Font Licensing, demystified (Part 3 of 3).
In part 3 of Behind the Font, our Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Phil Carey-Bergren, and host, Carl Unger, discuss the implications of breaching font licenses, the significance of copyright, and what to do if you accidentally breach a contract or misuse a font license. Tune in now.
Behind the Font: Font Licensing, demystified (Part 2 of 3).
In part 2 of Behind the Font, our Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Phil Carey-Bergren, and host, Carl Unger, dissect the main parts of a font license and walk us through some common font licensing use cases you might see at work. Tune in now.
Behind the Font: Font Licensing, demystified (Part 1 of 3).
In the first-ever edition of our new podcast miniseries series Behind the Font, we dive in to the often murky and mysterious waters of font licensing. In part one, we get a crash course in recent font history to understand how licenses have evolved and why this matters to today’s brands, designers, and agencies. Tune in now.
Creative Characters S4 E10: The power of initiative: Kat Romulo on following your creative passions.
Host Livia Halltari sits down with designer Kat Romulo, whose work spans the gamut from playful branding to engaging content creation. The conversation emphasizes the importance of designing for oneself to combat burnout, as well as Kat’s philosophy of seeking client work that aligns with her values. Tune in now.
Creative Characters S4 E9: Lee Yuen-Rapati on the typography and design of watches.
Host Doug Wilson geeks out about watch design with Lee Yuen-Rapati of Fears Watch Company. They discuss the intricacies of designing numerals for watches and the parallels between watch design and typeface design. Tune in now.
Creative Characters S4 E8: Beyond Mexico ’68: Lance Wyman’s world of design.
In this episode, host Graham Sturt journeys into the life and work of famed graphic designer Lance Wyman. Renowned for his iconic Mexico 1968 Olympics identity, Wyman is a design legend with a wealth of unique experiences. Tune in now.
Creative Characters S4 E7: Reinventing yourself at any age with Vic Lee.
Hear Monotype Creative Director Graham Sturt in conversation with Vic Lee, an artist, illustrator, and self-described “ragamuffin.” If you need some creative inspiration or are looking to reinvent your creative practice, this episode’s for you!
Creative Characters S4 E6: Petra Dočekalová on the influence of history in modern design.
This week on Creative Characters, first-time host Doug Wilson chats with Petra Dočekalová, a designer, educator, calligrapher, and sign painter from Prague. Tune in now.
Creative Characters S4 E5: Live from SXSW: A branding masterclass with Dentsu, eBay, Neurons, and WeTransfer.
Tune in for a masterclass in branding that explores the visual elements and innovative technology driving how brands, advertising, and experiences influence our responses.
Creative Characters S4 E4: Searching for signs of the British seaside with Justin Burns.
Join Monotype Creative Director Graham Sturt as he and guest Justin Burns, Head of the School of Arts at the University of Derby, explore the signage and typography of the English seaside and examine the linkage between letters, memories, and emotion.
Creative Characters S4 E3: Studying the subconscious superpowers of type trends across the globe.
As part of the 2024 Type Trends report, we wanted to take a deeper look at how design is manifesting across the globe. Tune in for insights, stories, and anecdotes from creative thought leaders shaping their local design scenes in NYC, Santiago, Paris, and Kuala Lumpur.
Creative Characters S4 E2: Talking type that melts in your heart (not in your hand) with Steffi Marti.
This week, host Charles Nix sits down with Steffi Marti, the Global Head of Brand Identity and Design for Mars Snacking. Tune in to hear more.
Creative Characters S4 E1: Behind the 2024 Type Trends report with Jordan Bell and Damien Collot.
Join Type Designer Jordan Bell and Creative Type Director Damien Collot as they discuss their experiences curating this year’s Type Trends report. Enjoy!
Creative Characters S3 E20: Studios we love: the stories of ArrowType, Type Salon, and Blaze Type.
We’re closing out 2023 by spotlighting three amazing type studios from different corners of the world - and three of our favorite hosts. Listen to the full episode for more.
Creative Characters S3 E19: Roger Black and Charles Nix trace the history of type.
Roger Black draws from origins and evolution of type, type trend drivers, and his own career, in this week’s episode with our own Charles Nix. Listen to the full episode for more.
Creative Characters S3 E18: Celebrating community, embracing vulnerability, and fostering self-discovery at Adobe MAX 2023.
Now that the Adobe MAX dust has settled, we bring you our second annual recap of the inspiring event that brought 10,000 from around the world to Los Angeles in late October. Listen to the episode for more.
Creative Characters S3 E17: Exploring the fluorescent legacy of Baltimore's Globe Press with Allison Tipton.
The Globe and its archive are now part of the Maryland College Institute of Art (MICA). Tune in as Charles Nix is joined by Allison Tipton from MICA to discuss the living legacy of this landmark print shop.
Creative Characters S3 E16: What our emotions can teach us about design and branding.
This week, we dive into Monotype’s scientific research on the emotional power of typography. Marie Boulanger, Senior Brand Designer at Monotype, joins as a guest and shares some of the thinking, methodology, and insights behind the global studies. Tune in for more.
Creative Characters S3 E15: Talking shop with David Berlow, type hero and font technology pioneer.
David Berlow has been at the forefront of type design, publishing, and technology for 45 years. In this week’s episode Tom Rickner, the Senior Director of the Studio at Monotype, sits down with Berlow. Tune in to hear the two reminisce, talk shop, and explore Berlow’s influences, predictions, and perspectives on mentorship and team building.
Creative Characters S3 E14: From Basquiat to branding: how Erwin Hines creates space for community, dialogue, and collective liberation.
Erwin Hines designs and produces intentionally crafted garments and hosts in-person events at Future is Color’s mixed-use studio in San Diego, California, focused on the mission of building accessible space for intentional conversation around collective liberation. Listen to his podcast episode for more.
Creative Characters S3 E13: Chasing dreams and making them real with muralist Kent Yoshimura.
Throughout his life, Kent has illustrated for children’s books, recorded music for film and television, made a couple of documentaries, designed immersive experiences, built a thriving business, painted numerous beautiful murals, and so much more. Listen to his podcat episode for more.
Creative Characters S3 E12: From magazine to brand design with Warby Parker's Sarah Olin.
As Art Director at Warby Parker, Sarah Olin works on everything from retail design to TV commercials to fashion campaigns. Her story is one of adaptability, and with the design landscape rapidly changing, it feels fitting for the moment. Listen to her podcast episode for more.
Creative Characters S3 E11: Goodbye, zombie bosses: Making WFH work for creatives with Upwork's Patrick Holly.
Upwork Executive Creative Director Patrick Holly joins us this week to talk about the benefits and challenges remote work presents for creatives, how he keeps his global team connected and fulfilled, and why the days of “adult daycare” and ‘butts in seats” should be relegated to the history books for good.
Creative Characters S3 E10: Finding the “feels” with Picsart’s Scott Walker.
In this week’s episode, Monotype’s Bill Connolly sits down with Scott Walker, Executive Creative Director at Picsart, to learn about his own design process, which began in a print shop and has led him to work with some of the world’s most popular brands.
Creative Characters S3 E9: Studios we love: the stories of CoType, Naïma Ben Ayed Bureau, and XYZ Type.
This week’s episode is a triple threat. Monotype Executive Creative Directors Charles, Phil, and Tom spoke with Jesse Ragan and Ben Kiel of XYZ Type, Mark Bloom of CoType, and Naïma Ben Ayed Bureau, respectively, highlighting some of our favorite studios and designers making great type today.
Creative Characters S3 E8: Big brands, ideas, and big breaks with Tongal’s James DeJulio.
In this week’s episode, Monotype’s Bill Connolly sits down with James DeJulio, co-founder and CEO of Tongal, a “studio on demand” that boasts an impressive roster of clients like LEGO, PayPal, NBC Universal, and more.
Creative Characters S3 E7: Exploring all things novel and familiar with Mark Simonson.
Mark Simonson has designed some of the most widely used typefaces in the world. Host Charles Nix sits down to talk influences, process, and why truly memorable work – such as Simonson’s versatile, legible, and wildly ubiquitous Proxima Nova – has to be “both novel and familiar.”
Creative Characters S3 E6: Bringing design to the masses with Canva’s Andrew Green.
Monotype’s Executive Creative Director, Charles Nix, sat down with Canva’s Head of Design, Andrew Green, to talk about his own international career beginning at agencies in New York and Hong Kong and circling back to Canva, where he now oversees the design leadership team in Melbourne.
Creative Characters S3 E5: Changing the game with Maureen Raisch.
After 18 years designing for some of the biggest names in professional sports, Maureen Raisch embarks on a new journey as the first-ever Creative Director for the National Women’s Soccer League. In this week’s episode she reflects on the importance of visibility and inclusivity in sports branding, the power of design to elevate women’s sports, and what she calls her own “personal rebrand.”
Creative Characters S3 E4: Making the Monotype Type Trends report with Terrance Weinzierl and Emilios Theofanous.
This week, we take you behind the scenes of one of Monotype’s biggest, and most anticipated campaigns of the year: the annual Type Trends report. Tune in to hear from the report’s curators, Creative Type Directors Terrance Weinzierl and Emilios Theofanous on their experiences producing the report.
Creative Characters S3 E3: Getting into the ‘heavy stuff’ with Aaron James Draplin.
We are thrilled to have Aaron Draplin on the podcast this week and to dig into the “heavy stuff” with him – existential musings on life and building a career, the importance of hanging on to your inner kid, and the “weird little spot” he’s in as he approaches 50 turns around the sun.
Creative Characters S3 E2: Iterative, content-first design with In-House International.
Monotype’s Executive Creative Director, Charles Nix, speaks with guests Michu Benaim Steiner and Lope Gutierrez-Ruiz, about their Texas-based design studio, In-House International. They’ve done type work for over 100 clients, and their typeface Perfora was recently featured in Monotype’s Type Trends Report. Keep reading for a behind-the-scenes look into their creative process.
Creative Characters S3 E1: Jim Moran, Preserving print history at the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum.
In our first episode of Season 3, we welcome the new Senior Director of the Monotype Studio, Tom Rickner, as a first-time host. Tom speaks with Jim Moran, master printer and collections officer for the internationally-known Hamilton Wood Type Museum. Keep reading for a glimpse into the museum’s history and to learn why the letterpress is still so important today.
Creative Characters S2 E18: Elliot Jay Stocks, Navigating a Universe of Type.
Elliot Jay Stocks, designer and musician, joined us on the podcast this week to speak about passion projects. Known for his typography work, Elliot is a freelance designer and was previously Creative Director at Adobe Typekit. Today, he’s working with Google on Google Fonts Knowledge.
Creative Characters S2 E17: 'Live' from Adobe MAX, this week's guest is: You!
We recently packed up our recording gear and traveled to Adobe MAX, one of the largest creative conferences in the world, to scan people’s brains (yes, really) and connect with creatives just like you. Listen to the episode to find out more.
Creative Characters S2 E16: Craig Ward: From metal type to the digital unknown.
This week, host Charles Nix sits down with Craig to talk about his career, his myriad side projects and quirky pastimes, and how technology could revolutionize the way we use type and ensure the rights of ownership for designers.
Creative Characters S2 E15: Annie Atkins: building worlds in film through graphic props and typography.
Today we’re welcoming Annie Atkins, a creative in the film industry (just like our last guest, Holly Fraser). She’s known for her graphic props and set pieces for Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel and Isle of Dogs. Tune-in to learn about the magic of film.
Creative Characters S2 E14: Holly Fraser: Winning Oscars and attention with a purpose-driven brand.
Today we’re welcoming Holly Fraser, editor-in-chief at WePresent, WeTransfer’s digital arts platform that works with 1,000+ creatives from over 100 countries. Tune-in to learn what makes a hit film, how to stay inspired, and why the creative industries need more diversity.
Creative Characters S2 E13: Mindy Seu: Gathering 30 years of cyberfeminism.
Today we’re welcoming Mindy Seu, a New York-based designer, researcher, and an educator at Rutgers and Yale. Seu recently completed the Cyberfeminism Index, a book documenting more than 700 short entries of radical techno-critical activism. Tune in as Seu shares her story of getting involved in cyberfeminism and the process involved in publishing her book.
Creative Characters S2 E12: Jason Debiak: Let's start a design agency from scratch.
This week we’re welcoming Jason Debiak, friend of Creative Characters co-host, Carl, and co-founder of Paper Tiger, a family-owned design agency. Jason runs the agency alongside his brother, creating designs for user-friendly websites and mobile applications while having a Helvetica of a good time.
Creative Characters S2 E11: Ximena Amaya on the role of design in communication, architecture, and protest.
This week we’re speaking with Ximena Amaya, recent graduate of ArtCenter in Pasadena, California by way of Mexico City. Listen in as Kadley Gosselin, Senior Content Strategist at Monotype talks with Ximena about what led her to study design, her desire to use typography as a tool for protest and her exhibition work for emerging technologies as an intern at Pentagram.
Creative Characters S2 E10: Sarah Boris – On the power of defining yourself as a creative.
Today, we’re welcoming Sarah Boris, a London-based artist who runs her own creative studio. Creativity seems to be in her DNA. Tune in as Sarah talks about her experiences working in-house versus running an independent creative studio, the power of titles, and her interest in pop art.
Creative Characters S2 E9: Nathan Lance – How to build an (authentic) sustainable brand.
This week’s guest is passionate about designing for change. We’re welcoming Nathan Lance, creative director at Leap, a B Corp certified design agency in Truro, England. Nathan is here to spill the tea on eco-friendly design, sustainability, and brand transparency.
Creative Characters S2 E8: Andrew Krivine and Michael Worthington.
This week we’re welcoming Andrew Krivine, author and punk rock collector, alongside Michael Worthington, faculty at CalArts and co-founder of Counterspace. The creative duo is here to tell the tale of how they co-created the largest exhibition of punk and new wave graphics ever shown on the West Coast.
Creative Characters S2 E7: Cristina Pandol.
This week we’re joined by award-winning creative Cristina Pandol, VP Creative at Westbrook Media, an entertainment company founded by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Tune in as our own Bill Connolly talks to Cristina about her experiences as a creative from growing up multi-cultural to her short-lived allergy to entertainment. Listen until the end to hear their favorite advertisements.
Creative Characters S2 E6: Juan Villanueva.
This week’s episode features the first ever guest from Monotype, our very own Juan Villanueva, a senior type designer on the studio team. Outside of the work he does designing typefaces for clients like M&M’s, Tencent and Google, Juan leads a busy life as an educator and active member of the design community in NYC. Listen to the episode for more.
Creative Characters S2 E5: Perkins Access – Jennifer Sagalyn and JoAnn Becker.
This week’s guests are Jennifer Sagalyn, Director of Strategic Partnerships, and Joanne Becker, Assistive Technology Support, Training and Testing Specialist at Perkins Access. Perkins Access is an organization whose mission is to build a more accessible digital world for all people, regardless of their abilities.
Creative Characters S2 E4: David Sheldon-Hicks.
In this week’s episode, Phil Garnham talks with schoolmate David Sheldon-Hicks, the co-founder and Executive Creative Director of Territory Studio, a design firm that has worked on the veritable who’s-who of recent blockbuster films and video games.
Creative Characters S2 E3: Greg Lutze.
Creative Characters S2 E2: Dewey Bryan Saunders.
In this week’s episode, Monotype Senior Content Strategist Kadley Gosselin is joined by Dewey Bryan Saunders, the designer behind album covers for artists like Anderson .Paak, Future, and Turnstile.
Creative Characters S2 E1: Andrew van der Merwe.
In the first episode of Season 2, Carl Unger sits down with calligrapher, letter artist and “beachscriber,” Andrew van der Merwe from Cape Town, South Africa.
Creative Characters Ep. 20. Adam Weiler.
In this week’s episode, Monotype Type Director, Terrance Weinzierl has an inspiring conversation with designer, educator, and design thinker, Adam Weiler, who currently leads the social innovation program at Steelcase, a furniture company founded in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Creative Characters Ep. 19: Chelsea Goldwell.
In this episode, our own Bill Connolly is joined by Chelsea Goldwell, partner and creative director at Zero Studios, a digitally-native branding studio. Goldwell reflects on her trajectory in design and shares her perspectives on finding balance in this era of intense work.
Creative Characters Ep. 18: Dave Addey.
In our eighteenth episode, Terrance Weinzierl, Creative Type Director at Monotype, talks with Dave Addey, author of Typeset in the Future. Dave work explores type and design choices in sci-fi movies, a fun crossover that has drawn a remarkably big audience.
Creative Characters Ep. 17: Ellen Lupton.
In our this week’s episode, Monotype’s Brand Designer, Marie Boulanger talks with Ellen Lupton, writer, curator, educator, and designer. They discuss her recent book, Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers, and Lupton’s mission to democratize type through teaching, collaborating, and writing.
Creative Characters Ep. 16: Tyler Haughey.
In our sixteenth episode, we talk with Tyler Haughey, a photographer whose work highlights otherwise unseen details of Jersey shore beach towns in the off-season. He discusses the creative influence of having a father who was a sign painter, as well as the nature of memory and how signage and décor help anchor experiences in our minds.
Creative Characters Ep. 15: James Horwitz.
This week, Creative Type Director Charles Nix talks to James Horowitz during a London heatwave about the lessons he learned from founding a design agency, his approach to guiding clients through the creative process, and the impact of Instagram and social media on branding and design.
Creative Characters Ep. 14: Landland.
This week’s guests are Jessica Seamans and Dan Black, who together comprise Landland. We discuss their early days of going to (and playing in) DIY punk shows, how screenprinting keeps you humble, and the evolving relationship between music and the art of the poster.
Creative Characters Ep. 12: James Edmondson.
In our twelfth episode, Creative Type Director Charles Nix speaks with James Edmondson, founder of OH no Type Company in California. James shares how he got his start in typography, as well as his perspective on designing a fulfilling creative career.
Creative Characters Ep. 11: Lauren Hom.
In episode 11, Monotype’s Jay Loo interviews Lauren Hom, celebrated designer and hand-lettering artist. The two discuss how to build a creative career, and Lauren shares a new passion she is preparing to pursue.
Creative Characters Ep. 10: Hannelore Ocampo.
In episode 10, Creative Type Director Terrance Weinzierl interviews Hannelore Ocampo, Fonts Lead and Type Specialist at Ford Motor Company. The two discuss how to develop a cohesive in-car experience that reflects the needs of modern transportation.
Creative Characters Ep. 9: Angelina Lippert, Posterhouse.
Creative Type Director Charles Nix talks with Angelina Lippert, Chief Curator at the Posterhouse museum in New York City, about the history of poster design, the unseen hands behind some of the more iconic posters from history, and the finicky wonder of Rubylith.
Creative Characters Ep. 8: John Norman.
Our guest in episode eight was John Norman, a celebrated visual storyteller and former Chief Creative Officer of world-renowned creative agencies like Translation, The Martin Agency, and most recently, Havas Chicago.
Creative Characters Ep. 7: Sarah Hyndman.
In episode seven we talked with Sarah Hyndman, founder of Type Tasting and the author of several books, including Why Fonts Matter and How to Draw Fonts and Influence People.
Creative Characters Ep. 6: Chris Do.
In episode six we talked with Chris Do, award-winning designer, CEO and Chief Strategist of Blind and the founder of The Futur—an online education platform that teaches creatives how to make a living doing what they love.
Creative Characters Ep. 5: Terrence Williams.
In episode five we talked with Terrence Williams, Senior Design Lead at Salesforce, who discusses the emergence of relationship design, and shares why it is important for people to bring their full identities into their work.
Creative Characters Ep. 4: Tré Seals.
In episode four we talked with Tré Seals, founder of Vocal Type, about his efforts to break down stereotypes in design and how a middle-school side gig, born out of a brush with serious childhood medical issues, helped him become the artist he is today.
Creative Characters Ep. 3: Jenna Blazevich.
In episode three we talked with Chicago-based lettering artist Jenna Blazevich, about chain stitching, punk rock, intersectional feminism, and whatever the heck Malört is.
Creative Characters Ep. 2: Scott Starrett.
In our second episode, Monotype Creative Type Director Charles Nix talked with Scott Starret, co-founder of the design studio Tandem NYC, about serendipity and the experience of designing for a transformational political candidate.
Creative Characters Ep. 1: James Sommerville.
In our first episode, we talked with James Sommerville, co-founder of KNOWN_UNKOWN, about his ideas for the future of creative work, community, and work/life balance in a post-pandemic world.