Winner

Kyle Read, 24
Chatham, NJ

Simply put, typography is what Kyle Read knows and loves. Kyle graduated from the Savannah College of Art & Design in 2010 with a BA in Graphic Design and Printmaking. Afterwards, Kyle took a position in the corporate world at Abercrombie & Fitch where he helped reinvent the brand’s typographic voice by applying his knowledge of type design and typography. In doing so, he created dozens of alphabets and typefaces for A&F and the Hollister brand. In 2012 Kyle was accepted into the Type@Cooper Extended Program in New York City. He is currently working towards completing that program later this year.

Many spectacular submissions from truly talented and brilliant people were received, making it not such an easy task for the jury to arrive at a winner. Nevertheless, it soon became clear that Kyle Read was it. Here is what a couple of the judges had to say:

“Kyle Read is a committed and articulate young member of the type design community. He understands letters not as abstract shapes, but as elements of communication that make their appearance in specific media and through specific processes. That sophisticated awareness will serve his developing design sense well.”

“Kyle’s type designs satisfied a real client’s need under very particular constraints, which is impressive territory for a young designer to have successfully navigated.”

The Aster Affects typeface may be purchased for $20US through the SOTA Store.

When developing the annual theme for TypeCon, we explore taglines or phrases that tie together various aspects of local culture, typography, and the fundamentals of what the conference stands for. This year’s theme is Portl& — and it certainly ties things together, literally and conceptually.

The ampersand replaces a portion of the host city’s name, reinforcing the importance of type and typography in this vibrant, creative community. Intended to be used as part of an extensible and flexible typographic system, the ampersand plays the dual role as glyphic rebus and traditional conjunction. The ampersand is inclusive by definition, naturally connecting ideas, cultures, and communities together — words & pictures, ink & paper, education & application, global & local — and by natural extension, TypeCon & Portland.

Let us know what you think.

The Society of Typographic Aficionados (SOTA) is now accepting programming proposals for its fifteenth annual conference. TypeCon2013 will be held at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower, August 21st – 25th in Portland, Oregon and will once again offer an affordable program designed for type makers and type users from all walks of life.

We are currently reviewing proposals for contemporary and historical presentations and panel discussions, focused hands-on workshops in both the digital and non-digital realms, and a variety of programming for the Type & Design Education Forum and other special events.

Topics for presentations at TypeCon cover a broad range of interests, including: typography; type design; font production; graphic design; new media; printing history; calligraphy and hand lettering; the book arts; advertising; type in motion; literacy; type sales and marketing; legal issues; type and design education; and other related areas.

Deadline for proposals: Friday, March 15th, 2013

Standard programming formats are as follows:

Main Conference Program

Friday, August 23rd – Sunday, August 25th

Full-length Presentations

• 40 minutes, including time for audience Q & A

Type in 20 Presentations

• 20 minutes, including time for audience Q & A (if any)

Panel Discussions

• Requires a minimum of 3 panelists representing a range of experience and expertise in a given topic. An experienced moderator is necessary for all panels — programming committee will choose a moderator at its discretion if an appropriate candidate does not emerge. A moderator may also serve as a panelist where appropriate. Panel discussions range from 45 – 75 minutes, depending on the topic.

Pre-Conference Workshops

Wednesday, August 21st – Thursday, August 22nd

Workshops should give attendees and opportunity to “get their hands dirty” and expand their creative and/or technological horizons.

Full-day Workshops

• 7 hours (with break for lunch at midday)

Half-day Workshops

• 3.5 hours (no break)

Type & Design Education Forum

Thursday, August 22nd

Please refer to the Education Forum Call for Speakers.

Tours & Special Events

Wednesday, August 21st – Sunday, August 25th

Any ideas that showcase typography and design in Portland and the surrounding region are welcome.

Proposal Guidelines & Requirements

You may submit multiple proposals.

In order to consider your proposal, we will need the following:

• The type of programming spot you are seeking
• The title of the presentation, panel, workshop, tour, or other event
• A concise one-paragraph description of your topic (up to 100 words)
• Complete supporting materials for review (visuals, theses, articles, abstracts, etc.)
  • the more details you provide, the better
  • workshop proposals must include a list of supplies that will be required
• Your biography, edited for publicity (100 words maximum)
• Your CV, resume, or long form biography (including areas of interest and specialization)
• Speaking references (if you have not previously presented at TypeCon)
• A short statement on why you wish to participate in TypeCon
• A print quality headshot (JPEG format, 2″ x 2″ @ 300 DPI minimum size, no larger than 2MB)
• Any other material that supports your proposal

For Main Program & Workshop proposals, use the online form.

For Education Forum proposals, see the Education Forum Call for Speakers.

For Tour & Special Event proposals, email email hidden

Deadline for all proposals: Friday, March 15th, 2013

Photo Copyright © Henrique Nardi. All rights reserved.

The recipient will be awarded up to $1,500 USD in reimbursement for transportation and lodging expenses to attend the TypeCon2013 conference in Portland, Oregon — August 21st – 25th. They will also have their conference registration fee paid for and will be required to give a 20-minute presentation during the main conference program. Recipients should be available to attend the conference from Thursday to Sunday.

Judging Committee

Tim Brown
Carolina de Bartolo
Craig Eliason
Ivo Gabrowitsch

Submission Deadline

March 1st, 2013

Notification of Award

April 1st, 2013

Requirements

You must be 25 years of age or younger on December 31st, 2013 and must attend TypeCon2013 in Portland — making a presentation during the conference.

The following materials must be emailed to email hidden by the submission deadline. A single PDF file (may be multiple pages) containing the following information is preferred:

1. Visual samples of a specific project or related group of work to be the topic of the presentation
2. A brief description of the presentation (100 words or less)
3. A letter explaining your involvement in typography (300 words or less)
4. Optional: Online links to additional work or background information

Contact Information

Include your name, date of birth, postal address, organization or university affiliation (if applicable), email, and phone number with area code. Applicants from outside the U.S. or Canada should include their country dialing code as well.

The theme of this year’s Type & Design Education Forum is:

Changing of the Guard

Educators today often feel like they are facing a changing of the guard, or even a Solomon’s choice between educating students in the fundamentals which will give them an aesthetic foundation for creative thinking, or teaching them competent usage of the evolving technologies which they must master to succeed in the workplace. Sometimes our choices are driven by economic decisions made at the administrative level; sometimes they are influenced by our own trepidation at embracing new platforms that are more familiar to our students than ourselves. Many schools have abandoned trying to keep up with both sides of the equation.

None of us are good at everything our students need to learn if they are to have the best creative education. How do we teach to our strengths and ensure that students work to theirs? How do we synthesize the two principles of technology and fundamentals? How do we look forward and innovate rather than stagnate or streamline to the point of net loss? The robustness of our teaching depends on finding a new synthesis.

SOTA invites you to submit proposals for 30-minute talks that elucidate successes in blending technology and fundamentals and how it can be done. We also will continue our popular 20-minute assignment presentations, showing specific assignments that have been successful in the classroom. If you feel your presentation can be an effective 40-minute keynote address for the Type & Design Education Forum, please indicate this in your proposal.

Proposal Guidelines & Requirements

Proposals should be submitted in PDF and contain the following information:

• The title and a brief synopsis of your presentation
• Supporting images (Assignment presentations must include examples of student outcomes)
• Your CV and contact information
• Your biography, edited for publicity (100 words maximum)
• Your head shot (square cropped, high resolution, print quality)

Please send all submissions to email hidden by Friday, March 15th, 2013

Speaking on his collaboration with SOTA, Michael says:

“I have always had a strong affinity for TypeCon — having been involved as an attendee (I went to the first one), a sponsor, and now as a designer. I believe that typography is the backbone of design. I have been fortunate to have worked with type from several facets — using, selling, and creating it. I am honored to have been asked to create the TypeCon 2013 identity.”

Michael’s design expertise is highly sought after — as he has successfully tested, innovated, and mastered unconventional approaches to the discipline, giving his work a fresh and unique flair. Throughout his career, he has applied and synthesized typography, branding, illustration, motion, web, music, photography, art, and typefaces to produce an integrated approach to his design. He is passionate about his work and constantly elevates his work to new levels for his clients. That is why he is often named one of today’s leading designers.

See the Hamilton web site for more information.

What are you waiting for? Donate today!

When:
Tuesday, November 27th at 7:00 pm

Where:
Art Institute Portland
1122 NW Davis Street
Portland, OR 97209

Apologies for the last minute change, but we’re pleased to have a venue where we can accommodate everyone who’s shown interest in TypeCon.

Spread the word and see you there!

The Society of Typographic Aficionados (SOTA) is pleased to announce that Portland, Oregon, has been selected as host city for TypeCon2013. Thanks to the top notch crew of local typophiles who have been instrumental in helping us bring TypeCon to The City of Roses.

TypeCon2013 will take place August 21st – 25th at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower. A discounted room rate will once again be available to TypeCon attendees. Details regarding conference registration and hotel reservations will be posted as they become available.

Town Hall Meeting

Update! The meeting location has changed. See below.

Interested in helping with TypeCon2013 preparations and planning? We’re looking for plenty of volunteers who love type and design as much as we do and will be holding a town hall meeting hosted by the good folks at Extensis.

When:
Tuesday, November 27th at 7:00 pm

Where:
Art Institute Portland
1122 NW Davis Street
Portland, OR 97209

All are welcome to attend, but space is limited. RSVP to email hidden so that we know you’re coming. If you can’t make it to this meeting but would still like to participate, please contact us.

Additional information and updates will be published on the TypeCon site, via our Twitter stream, as well as in our email newsletter.