TDC Ascenders Award Ceremony & Reception
2023-09-07 18:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | The One Club, 450 W 31st St, Floor 6, New York, NY, 10001, United States
ABOUT THE OPENING:
The Type Directors Club invites you to celebrate the winners of the fourth edition of Ascenders!
Join us at The One Club for Creativity Gallery in New York City on Thursday, September 7, as we honor this year’s cohort of exceptional type and design practitioners age 35 and under. It’s an opportunity to network with the type community, the ones that call the Big Apple home and those traveling from afar. You’ll see the winners in attendance receive their Ascenders honors, meet members of the TDC Advisory Board and extended community, and sip on beer provided courtesy of Other Half Brewing.
*Light food and drink provided

EVENT INFORMATION:
DATE: Thursday, September 7, 2023
TIME: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Doors Open / 6:00 pm
Networking and Drinks / 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Keynote Presentation / 7:00 - 7:45 pm
Networking and Drinks / 7:45 pm - 9:00 pm
WHERE: The One Club for Creativity (450 W. 31st Street, Floor 6, New York, NY 10001)
TICKETS
Non-Members: $10*
Students: $5*
Members: Free (use the code received via email to register or reach out to tdc@oneclub.org)
*plus Eventbrite fees

"Person Place Thing" with Timothy Goodman
2023-09-28 18:30 - 20:30 | The One Club, 450 W 31st St, Floor 6, New York, NY, 10001, United States
Get Tickets
Join us as Person Place Thing host Randy Cohen interviews award-winning multi-hyphenate , Timothy Goodman, in a live recording of the popular public radio series from the Type Directors Club.
Timothy Goodman is an award-winning artist, graphic designer, author and public speaker. His art and words have populated walls, packaging, clothes, products, and magazine covers and one sanitation truck for Apple, Nike, Google, Samsung, MoMa, Netflix, Yves Saint Laurent, Time, the New Yorker, the New York Times and the city of New York. His partnerships have included a global collection of clothing with Uniqlo and his own Nike basketball shoe for Kevin Durant titled the “Timothy Goodman KD15”. He regularly partners with not-for-profit organizations and schools to create art for communities in NYC. He’s the co-creator of several social experiments including the viral blog and book 40 Days of Dating (whose TV rights were optioned to Netflix). His second solo gallery exhibition Every Time I Fall in Love It’s Summer was on view at The Richard Taittinger Gallery in the summer of 2023. Timothy’s work often discusses topics such as mental health, manhood, race, politics, heartbreak and love. He teaches at School of Visual Arts in NYC, and regularly speaks around the world at creative conferences. His graphic memoir I Always Think It's Forever was published in January 2023 by Simon & Schuster.
Person Place Thing is an interview show based on the idea that people are particularly engaging when they speak, not directly about themselves, but about something they care about. Guests talk about one person, one place, and one thing with particular meaning to them. The result: surprising stories from great talkers and thinkers
Person Place Thing takes place in front of an audience, with live music, at a variety of venues and is then edited for broadcast across a 23-station regional radio network, and a dozen other public radio stations around the country. You can stream PPT’s archive at PersonPlaceThing.org or download episodes via iTunes.

REGISTRATION:
DATE: September 28th, 2023
TIME: 6:30 pm ET (Doors at 6:00pm, Program Begins at 6:30pm)
WHERE: The One Club for Creativity (450 W 31st Street, New York, NY 10001)
PRICE: $20 ($5 for Members)
This event is discounted for The One Club for Creativity's and Type Directors Club Members. Members, please use your associated email address as a promo code on the first page of registration.

Image To Type: A Conversation and Book Launch with Marta Cerdà Alimbau
2023-10-26 18:00 - 22:00 | Sunday Afternoon, 424 Broadway 5th Floor, New York, NY, 10013, United States
ABOUT THE EVENT:
New York audiences are in for a treat, as Barcelona-based letterer, illustrator, graphic designer, Type Directors Club Advisory Board Member, and Sunday Afternoon artist Marta Cerdà Alimbau returns to the Big Apple for the first time in several years with the launch of her new book!
Join us at Sunday Afternoon’s SoHo studio on Thursday, October 26, as Marta sits down with renowned designer Juan Carlos Pagan to discuss Image to Type, her brand-new book that blurs the lines between her typographic and illustrative practices. With six distinct sections — Calligraphy & Digital Lettering, Typography, Digital Effects, Illustrative Lettering, Illustration Within Letters, and Illustration — Image to Type showcases the multidisciplinary nature of Marta’s work in a first-person voice that gives a surprising level of insight.
Tickets for this event are free and include post-discussion networking for the attendees. You must RSVP in advance to be admitted, so please do so today!
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Marta Cerdà Alimbau brings functional beauty and emotion to Design, translating each project into an effective design that is unique. Her main body of work is focused on the boundaries between typography and illustration. While Marta’s style is strongly eclectic, she believes that the separation of these two disciplines into specialized activities is a limitation. Since 2008, she has worked on global projects which call for Art Direction, Design, Illustration and Custom Typography for Arts, Culture and Advertising Clients abroad.
DETAILS:
DATE: Thursday, October 26, 2023
TIME: 6:00pm - 10:00pm ET
WHERE: In-Person
PRICE: Free
LOCATION
Sunday Afternoon
424 Broadway
New York, NY 10013
5th Floor
Register

Type Drives Culture - Multilingüe
2023-11-09 12:00 - 2023-11-11 17:00 | New York
Multilingüe will take place between November 9th and 11th online where we will have the opportunity to meet a wide group of representatives from the Chatino, Mixe, Ngiba, Nahua and Zapotec nations and representatives coming from Mexico, Ecuador, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and that come together to talk about the challenges and achievements related to design and work with native languages.

In the same way, the congress will be held in Spanish, Portuguese and English, with simultaneous translation.

Multilingüese llevará a cabo entre el 9 y el 11 de noviembre en línea, donde tendremos la oportunidad de conocer a un amplio grupo de representantes de las naciones Chatino, Mixe, Ngiba, Nahua y Zapoteco y representantes provenientes de México, Ecuador, Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, que se unen para hablar sobre los retos y logros relacionados con el diseño y el trabajo con lenguas originarias.

Del mismo modo el congreso se hará en español, portugués e inglés, con traducción simultánea.

Multilingüe acontecerá entre os dias 9 e 11 de novembro online onde teremos a oportunidade de conhecer um amplo grupo de representantes das nações chatino, mixe, ngiba, nahua e zapoteca e representantes vindos do México, Equador, Argentina, Brasil, Colômbia e que se reúnem para falar sobre os desafios e conquistas relacionados ao design e ao trabalho com línguas nativas.

Da mesma forma, o congresso será realizado em espanhol, português e inglês, com tradução simultânea.

Register Now

TDC Lettering Walk — 14th to 34th St: Chelsea, Flatiron, Gramercy Park & More
2023-11-19 11:00 - 14:00 | New York
ABOUT THE EVENT:
This lettering walk will roam from the west side of Manhattan eastward between 14th Street and 34th Street. It will cover Chelsea, the Flatiron District, Ladies' Mile, Union Square, Gramercy Park and perhaps more. These neighborhoods are largely residential, but there are pockets of industrial buildings as well as numerous commercial strips. We will look at churches, liquor stores, apartment buildings, 19th century department stores, government buildings, and public schools. The lettering styles we will encounter include Art Nouveau (a rarety in New York), Art Deco, slab serifs, grotesques, classical Roman capitals, and some scripts. There will also be a few ghost signs. At the end of the walk, we will repair to a nearby cafe or restaurant for drink and food—and more conversation about letters and type.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Paul Shaw is a typographer, typographic historian and urban lettering expert. He has been conducting lettering walks in cities throughout the United States and Canada since 2005 for the Type Directors Club, TypeCon and various American and European design schools. He has also led or co-led Legacy of Letters since 2010, a combination lettering tour and workshop in northern Italy.
REGISTRATION:
DATE: Sunday, November 19, 2023
TIME: 11:00 am – 2:00pm ET
WHERE: 14th to 34th St: Chelsea, Flatiron, Gramercy Park & More (Starting Location TBA)
PRICE: $45 ($35 for Members)
This event is discounted for Type Directors Club Members. Members, please enter your email address in the promo code field to reveal discounted tickets
Register

MEMBERS' HOLIDAY PARTY 2023
2023-12-05 18:30 - 21:00 | The One Club, 450 W 31st St, Floor 6, New York, NY, 10001, United States
ABOUT THE EVENT
Join us in celebrating the magic of the season at our Members' Holiday Party! As we reflect on a year filled with workshops, networking events, awards, and more, we want to express our gratitude to the incredible One Club and TDC members who make our community thrive.
To fill our evening with holiday spirit, we'll have a live brass band, delicious passed hors d'oeurves, an open bar and more! The Members' Holiday Party is the perfect way to end the year, and we can't wait to share this joyous occasion with all of you!
THIS PARTY IS FREE FOR MEMBERS AND ONE GUEST.
GET TICKETS

SPREAD SOME JOY

This year, we are collecting toys and/or small donations for toys to be given to children seeking refuge in New York City.
Tens of thousands of children have recently found themselves relocated to New York City; we hope to spread joy to them as they spend their first holiday season in a new home.
Have a question about what you can donate? Email taziah@oneclub.org for more information.
If you prefer to make a monetary donation rather than bring a toy, you may do so via our online store.

NOT A MEMBER YET? JOIN TODAY!

As a member you’ll receive a host of other benefits including discounted event access, social features, leadership opportunities, members-only content and events, free admission to over 1,000 museums in North America, and so much more!
Join today: Type Directors Club Membership

QUESTIONS?
Contact taziah@oneclub.org

Available tickets:
Members' Holiday Party 2023

THE TDC AWARDS @ 70: THE JUDGES REFLECT
2024-01-17 08:00 - 2024-01-18 13:00 | Virtual, Virtual
ABOUT THE EVENT
For a milestone 70 years, the Type Directors Club’s Annual Competition has been celebrating the very best typography, lettering, and design the world has to offer. As we head towards the February 2024 entry deadline for this year’s awards, we invite you to reflect on that history with us!
Please join us virtually for two engaging panels featuring some of this year’s esteemed TDC70 judges as they reflect on past winners that have stood the test of time, as well as the projects they’ve seen in 2023 that deserve to stand alongside these historical gems.
Because the TDC Awards is a global competition, with submissions from all corners of the world, our panels are timed so that at least one is convenient for your time zone. First, tune in on Wednesday, January 17 at 8:30 AM ET — morning for those in the western hemisphere, afternoon for Europe and Africa, and evening for our Asia-Pacific entrants.
Speakers for Wednesday, January 17th:

Justine Braisted - Associate Design Director @ frog design
Andy Chen - Partner @ Isometric Studio, New York
Mark DeWinne - Creative Director @ Relay Room/Multitudes, Singapore
Ricardo Gonzalez - Artist, Designer @ IT’S A LIVING, New York
Nada Abdallah - Designer and Assistant Professor of Visual Communication @ College of Fine Arts and Design, University of Sharjah

Can’t make it on the 17th? Join us on Thursday, January 18 at 12:00 PM ET — morning for the west coast of the Americas, afternoon for the east coast, early evening for Europe and Africa, and late evening for the Asia-Pacific region.
Speakers for Thursday, January 18th:

Carmen Garza - Creative Director
Emily Oberman - Partner @ Pentagram, New York
Ben Johnston @ Artist, Designer
Jo De Baerdemaeker - Typeface Designer, Font Developer, Scholar @ Studio Type, Antwerp
Carolina Laudon, MFA Graphic Designer, Type Designer, Type Director @ Laudon Design AB, Gothenburg

QUESTIONS?
Contact carol@oneclub.org

TDC70 Exhibition
2024-05-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Location05, 450 West 31st Street Floor 7, New York, NY, 10001
This is the milestone 70th year of the Type Directors Club’s annual competition, and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate its winners than with a breathtaking exhibition! Join us on Tuesday, May 14, for a reception where not only the very best of type and lettering will be on display, but this year’s Best of Discipline winners and Judges' Choice selections will finally be revealed.

TDC Lettering Walk
2024-05-16 10:30 - 14:00 | New York City, New York City, NY, United States
New York is one of the most fascinating cities in the world, and a casual stroll through any of its famous locales is sure to be a typographic journey, by way of its architecture and signage.
On Thursday, May 16, slip into some comfortable shoes and join us as designer, calligrapher, and historian Paul Shaw returns to lead us on one of his renowned TDC Lettering Walks. This year, we will be headed down the spine of Manhattan, along Broadway from City Hall all the way to the Battery! Along the way we will check out sites such as the Sun Building, St. Paul's Chapel, Trinity Church, the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the Brooklyn/Battery Tunnel, the Cunard Building, and the Municipal Ferry Terminal. For those so inclined, we’ll even hop aboard the Staten Island Ferry for lunch in the neighborhood of St. George, where a breathtaking view of Manhattan is always on the menu.

New York City
Thursday, May 16
10:30 AM - 2:00 PM
SOLD OUT

TDC Book Night is BACK!!
2024-06-12 18:00 - 20:30 | The One Club, 450 W 31st St, Floor 6, New York, NY, 10001, United States
Designing books and book jackets is one of the most rewarding and admired jobs available.
But everything about the process—from how brilliant designs are created and approved, to how to build a successful career in book publishing—can be a mystery, to outsiders and insiders alike.
Three industry veterans will spill the tea and do some collective GATE-BREAKING, to share some of the tips, tricks and insights that they have discovered while charting their own unique career paths.
How do you break into book publishing as a cover designer? How do you get a great design approved when there are a dozen stakeholders in the process, all with veto power? How do you ask your boss for a promotion, negotiate a raise, and know when it's time to leave for greener pastures? These are the difficult questions they will tackle.
An event for fans of book and book jacket design, but also one that will empower creatives at every stage of their career—in book publishing and beyond.
Please note that this is an IN-PERSON event and will not be streamed.
So if you want to hear the crazy stories, share the laughs and glean the wisdom, you'll have to put on hard pants and join us in person for this amazing evening.
First come first serve due to limited seating.
Tickets will sell out, so get yours NOW!
In partnership with A2A.
TDC Member/Student prices available for $10/ticket, contact carol@oneclub.org to receive the discount code.

PURCHASE TICKETS

PANELISTS
Maria Elias
Senior Art Director of Rise x Penguin Workshop a part of Penguin Young Readers
Raised in Brooklyn, Maria Elias has a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her career began in news and magazine. Once in books, Maria designed adult books for a decade before moving on to Children’s at Disney Hyperion and later Workman Publishing. In 2019, she co-founded Rise x Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers. Maria’s work has been recognized by AIGA, the Type Directors Club, and others. She also writes about design and is a proud member of the Latine/LatinX in publishing community.
Chris Sergio
Vice President, Group Creative Director, HOLT / Macmillan Publishing
Prior to joining Macmillan in 2019, Sergio worked at Random House, Simon & Schuster and was VP Art Director at Penguin Random House for many years. Sergio serves on the National Board of Directors for The One Club and is also a member of the Type Directors Club Advisory Board. He is a proud alum of both RISD and LaGuardia High School and was raised in Hell's Kitchen, New York so long ago that sometimes he still stands on street corners—for extended periods—trying to hail nonexistent yellow cabs rather than call an Uber, much to the chagrin of his family.
Albert Tang
Vice President, Creative Director, Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Book Group U.S.A.
Albert Tang is a New York born and raised graphic designer who happens to design book covers for a living. He has made stops at Penguin, W.W. Norton, Simon and Schuster, and is currently the VP, Creative Director at Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. Twenty something high and low years in the publishing industry, and still loving it.

Typographics 2024
2024-06-14 - 2024-06-15 | The Cooper Union Gallery 41, 41 Cooper Square, New York, NY, 10003, United States
The 2024 Typographics Conference is on June 14 & 15. This will be the 10th year of the Festival hosted at The Cooper Union in NYC. Early bird tickets are available until April 30. Discounts are also available for groups, educators, and students.
Speakers include M/M (Paris), Andrea Trabucco-Campos, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Osmond Tshuma, Gen Ramírez, Luiza Dale, Authentic, Jingqi Fan, Chris Lee, Kyle Letendre, Sanchit Sawaria, Tala Safié, Vera van de Seyp, Zoë Pulley, Rozi Zhu
and Min Lew.
Get your tickets here

Ascenders 2024 Award Ceremony & Reception
2024-08-14 | The One Club, 450 W 31st St, Floor 6, New York, NY, 10001, United States
Created by the Type Directors Club, Ascenders recognizes rising designers. It is for all typographic creatives aged 35 or under. This August 14 at The One Club for Creativity, we are holding a winners' ceremony and reception, a formal evening with keynote speakers, creative professionals, design leaders, and Ascenders winners in attendance.
Each Ascenders applicant is reviewed by a panel of top industry professionals, who hand-select entries decided through multiple rounds of group voting and discussions.
Join us at The One Club for Creativity Gallery in New York City on Wednesday, August 14th, as we honor this year’s cohort of exceptional type and design practitioners age 35 and under. It’s an opportunity to network with the type community, the ones that call the Big Apple home and those traveling from afar. You’ll see the winners in attendance receive their Ascenders honors, meet members of the TDC Advisory Board and extended type community.
SCHEDULE

Doors Open / 6:00 pm
Networking and Drinks / 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Keynote Presentation / 7:00 - 7:45 pm
Networking and Drinks / 7:45 pm - 9:00 pm

*Light food and drink provided
TICKETS

Non-Members: $20*
Students & Members: $10* (use the code received via email to register or reach out to tdc@oneclub.org)

*plus Eventbrite fees
Limited seating is available, so get your tickets while you can—it will be a memorable experience for everyone.
The One Club For Creativity
450 W 31st St
New York, NY 10001

PURCHASE Tickets

Learn about the 2023, 2022, 2019, and 2018 Ascenders, and follow #TDCAscenders. Become a member for discounted entries and important dates. ​

Person Place Thing with Juan Carlos Pagan (Free w/ RSVP)
2024-10-08 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual, Virtual
Join us as Person Place Thing host Randy Cohen interviews award-winning Juan Carlos Pagan in a live recording of the popular public radio series from the Type Directors Club.
Person Place Thing is an interview show based on the idea that people are particularly engaging when they speak, not directly about themselves, but about something they care about. Guests talk about one person, one place, and one thing with particular meaning to them. The result: surprising stories from great talkers and thinkers

Juan Carlos Pagan is a multi-disciplinary artist, designer, and typographer from New York. Juan has created work for clients including NPR, Pinterest, Cîroc, Under Amour, Nike, Google, Apple, Disney, New York Lottery, Jump Bikes, and Youtube. He has also designed cover art for publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Rolling Stones Magazine, and Variety Magazine. Juan has been recognized for his work by The Type Directors Club, The Art Directors Club, The One Show, Communication Arts, Graphis, Cannes Lions, Clios, D&AD, AICP, 4A’s, AdColor, and Print Magazine amongst others.
In 2013 Juan received The Art Directors Club Young Gun Award, which recognizes vanguard creatives under the age of 30. That same year he was nominated for Print Magazines New Visual Artist 20 Under 30, and was named at the top of Adweek‘s Talent 100. In 2018 Juan received the Type Directors Club Ascenders Award, which recognizes designers who are 35 years of age and under for their remarkable achievement in design and typography. In 2017 Juan co-founded Sunday Afternoon, a hybrid design studio & artist management agency.
Juan holds BFA from Parsons School of Design, and completed his postgraduate studies in typeface design at The Cooper Union.

Randy Cohen’s first professional work was writing humor pieces, essays, and stories for newspapers and magazines (The New Yorker, Harpers, the Atlantic, Young Love Comics). His first television work was writing for "Late Night With David Letterman" for which he won three Emmy awards.
His fourth Emmy was for his work on Michael Moore’s "TV Nation." He received a fifth Emmy as a result of a clerical error, and he kept it. For twelve years he wrote "The Ethicist," a weekly column for the New York Times Magazine. He is currently the creator and host of Person Place Thing, a public radio program.
RSVP Here

David Carson: The Rules of Grafik Design
2024-10-23 18:30 - 20:30 | The One Club, 450 W 31st St, Floor 6, New York, NY, 10001, United States
David Carson debuts "The Rules of Grafik Design & Creativity ''; an insightful look into his creativity and unique eye.
Dive into the world of visual storytelling with one of the most influential designers of our time. Join us for an exclusive lecture with David Carson, the iconic graphic designer renowned for his groundbreaking work and unconventional approach to design. From his early work with *Ray Gun* magazine to his more recent projects with Macallan Whiskey & Stussy, Carson has consistently challenged the norms and expanded the boundaries of visual communication.
The AIGA Gold Medal recipient will also be debuting an unreleased book titled "The Rules of Grafik Design & Creativity '' that was originally put together in 2009. This book is an insightful look into his creativity and unique eye.
Whether you're an aspiring designer, a seasoned professional, or simply a design enthusiast, this lecture offers valuable perspectives and inspiration from a true pioneer in the field. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a legend and explore the dynamic interplay between tradition and innovation in graphic design.

PURCHASE TICKETS

Brent David Freaney Reflects On His Design Work on Charli XCX's 'brat'
2024-10-30 18:00 - 21:00 | The One Club, 450 W 31st St, Floor 6, New York, NY, 10001, United States
It is rare for designers to achieve such global recognition that they transcend their original function, leading to a celebration of form that becomes a pop culture phenomenon.
You’ve witnessed it. It’s everywhere.
TDC presents an in-person event with Brent David Freaney, founder of Special Offer, Inc., where he’ll discuss type design, large-scale systems, his work on Charli XCX’s album “brat,” and what it truly means to be a professional designer, followed by a live Q&A.
SPECIAL OFFER, Inc. is an award—winning creative tech company committed to the growth of subculture through design.
Brent David Freaney on instagram @spamriskmissedcall
Special Offer, inc on instagram - @specialoffer.inc
Website - SPECIALOFFER.inc
Admission
$20 - General Admission
$10 - Members & Students
Due to capacity, limited seating is available. Purchasing tickets ahead of this event is recommended.
PURCHASE TICKETS
Due to capacity, limited seating is available. Purchasing tickets ahead of this event is recommended.
Additional work below.

Charli XCX - 'brat' + Charli XCX Troy Sivan SWEAT Tour

TDC Lettering Walk w/ Paul Shaw
2024-11-10 11:00 - 17:00 | New York
Join Paul Shaw on Sunday, November 10 for one of his legendary lettering walks. Paul has been leading lettering walks in New York since 2005. He has also conducted them in 18 American and Canadian cities as well as in several cities in Italy. These walks are aimed at getting designers and others away from their computers, smart phones, and digital fonts to see letterforms in the wild: letters carved into stone, cast in metal, carved out of wood, molded in plastic, spray-painted, scrawled with a marker, written with paint and a brush, fabricated in neon, and more. Each TDC lettering walk is unique, though some may include neighborhoods from previous walks. This time the walk will focus on the East Side of Manhattan between Union Square and Grand Central Terminal.
Paul Shaw is a typographer, typographic historian and urban lettering expert. He has been conducting lettering walks in cities throughout the United States and Canada since 2005 for the Type Directors Club, TypeCon and various American and European design schools. He has also led or co-led Legacy of Letters since 2010, a combination lettering tour and workshop in northern Italy.

A Virtual Discussion with Shine's Michael Riley (Free w/ RSVP)
2024-11-19 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual, Virtual
A good concept has always been at the center of design. But in 2024, with the explosion of design in motion, designers are increasingly stepping into the role of storyteller. Join us at for a virtual presentation at the TDC to hear one designer’s approach. Michael Riley from Shine in Los Angeles will share his design work in streaming and film. Spoiler alert: the answers are often in the script.

The TDC Awards @ 71: The Judges Reflect | Session 1 of 2
2025-01-22 09:00 - 10:00 | Virtual, Virtual
For a milestone 71 years, the Type Directors Club’s Annual Competition has been celebrating the very best typography, lettering, and design the world has to offer. As we head towards the February 2025 entry deadline for this year’s awards, we invite you to reflect on that history with us!

Please join us virtually for two engaging panels featuring some of this year’s esteemed TDC71 judges as they reflect on past winners that have stood the test of time, as well as the projects they’ve seen in 2024 that deserve to stand alongside these historical gems.
Because the TDC Awards is a global competition, with submissions from all corners of the world, our panels are timed so that at least one is convenient for your time zone. First, tune in on Wednesday, January 22 at 9 AM ET — morning for those in the western hemisphere, afternoon for Europe and Africa, and evening for our Asia-Pacific entrants.
Can’t make it on the 22nd? Join us on Wednesday, January 29 at 5 PM ET — afternoon for the west coast of the Americas, evening for the east coast, late evening for Europe and Africa, and early morning for the Asia-Pacific region.

SPEAKERS FOR THIS SESSION INCLUDE

Christopher Caldwell, Partner at The Power of Friendship
Rutherford Craze, Type Designer at Mass-Driver
Aleksandra Samujenkova, Type Designer
Noemie Le Coz, Creative Director at Little Troop

RSVP here

The TDC Awards @ 71: The Judges Reflect | Session 2 of 2
2025-01-29 17:00 - 18:00 | Virtual, Virtual
For a milestone 71 years, the Type Directors Club’s Annual Competition has been celebrating the very best typography, lettering, and design the world has to offer. As we head towards the February 2025 entry deadline for this year’s awards, we invite you to reflect on that history with us!
Please join us virtually for two engaging panels featuring some of this year’s esteemed TDC71 judges as they reflect on past winners that have stood the test of time, as well as the projects they’ve seen in 2024 that deserve to stand alongside these historical gems.
Because the TDC Awards is a global competition, with submissions from all corners of the world, our panels are timed so that at least one is convenient for your time zone. First, tune in on Wednesday, January 22 at 9 AM ET — morning for those in the western hemisphere, afternoon for Europe and Africa, and evening for our Asia-Pacific entrants.
Can’t make it on the 22nd? Join us on Wednesday, January 29 at 5 PM ET — afternoon for the west coast of the Americas, evening for the east coast, late evening for Europe and Africa, and early morning for the Asia-Pacific region.

SPEAKERS FOR THIS JANUARY 29 SESSION INCLUDE

Mary Kate McDevitt, Lettering Artist at Panton
Lipi Raval, Type Designer
Eric Hu, Type Designer at Eric Hu Studio

RSVP HERE

Typography After Dark w/ Special Guests
2025-02-19 18:30 - 21:00 | Mother, 77 10th Street #3rd Floor, Brooklyn, 11215, United States
A sexy night to step into the sultry world where letters meet libido.
Typography After Dark explores the penetrative role of typography in porn, from vintage erotica to modern-day visual media. Discover how typefaces shape desire, communicate intimacy, and play a subtle yet powerful role in the art and marketing of sensuality.
Join Silas Munro, Yihuang Zhou, Elizabeth Goodspeed & Zipeng Zhu for an evening of saucy talks, juicy visuals, and anything goes discussions about the intersection of design, sexuality, and culture. Whether you’re a designer, a typophile, or simply curious, this event promises to unveil the playful, provocative, and profound stories hidden in the curves and contours of the letters we love.
BUY TICKETS

Silas Munro is a designer, artist, writer, researcher, curator and surfer. He is founder of the design studio Polymode that works with clients across cultural spheres. Commissions and collaborations include: The New York Times Magazine, MIT Press, Nike, Airbnb, the Brooklyn Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, LA MOCA. Munro is the curator and author of Strikethrough: Typographic Messages of Protest at Letterform Archive, and Reverberations: Lineages in Design History, opening at the Ford Foundation Gallery in the Spring of 2025. He was a contributor to W. E. B. Du Bois’s Data Portraits: Visualizing Black America and co-authored the first BIPOC-centered design history course, Black Design in America: African Americans and the African Diaspora in Graphic Design 19–21st Century. His work was recently exhibited at Lesley University, LA Design Festival, and the Scottsdale Museum of Art, and is included in the collections of Tufts University, and the Montalvo Arts Center. Upcoming exhibitions in 2025 include a solo show at The University of Hartford’s Joseloff Gallery, and in the group show Printing Black America at Print Center New York, curated by Tiffany E. Barber. Munro is Founding Faculty, Chair Emeritus for the MFA Program in Graphic Design at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Zipeng Zhu is a Chinese-born artist, designer, art director, illustrator, and animator in New York City who wants to make every day a razzle-dazzle musical. His clients include Apple, Adidas, Adobe, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Twitter, Netflix, New York Times, The New Yorker, CNN, MTV, and Samsung. He was one of the Art Directors Club Young Guns 13 winners and has been recognized as Print magazine’s New Visual Artist and The One Show Young Ones. His work has been exhibited all over the world including New York, Barcelona, Dubai, Mumbai, Shanghai, Beijing and other major museums and institutions. Now he runs his creative practice Dazzle Studio and gift shop Dazzle Supply to push dazzle to the next level.

Yihuang Zhou is a graphic designer who navigates the intersections of cultural identity and design. Born in Taicang, China, traditional Chinese calligraphy training and the country's rapidly changing visual landscape profoundly shaped his design perspective.
Graduating from the School of Visual Arts in 2019 with a BFA in Design, Zhou's career has spanned design roles in both China and the United States. He currently works as a Senior Designer at Mother Design in New York City and is pursuing the Type@Cooper Extended Program for Typeface Design.
Outside of design, Zhou is passionate about cooking, which he considers another creative outlet that engages all five senses.

Elizabeth Goodspeed is an independent designer and writer based in Providence, Rhode Island. She's collaborated with clients like Herman Miller, Phaidon, HBO, and The Whitney Museum, as well as many studios—including Pentagram, Mythology, High Tide, RoAndCo and Porto Rocha. She’s also the US Editor-at-Large for It’s Nice That, where she writes a monthly column on design and visual culture, and contributes to Fast Company, PORT, The Architect’s Newspaper, and AIGA Eye on Design. She publishes "Casual Archivist," a newsletter about design history, and teaches at RISD and Parsons.

get tickets

TDC71 | Final Submission Deadline this Friday
2025-02-28 | TYPE DRIVES CULTURE
Final Deadline to enter your work is this Friday, Feb 28, at midnight.
Enter here

Creativity as Advocacy | Women’s History Month
2025-03-05 13:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
March is Women’s History Month and we invite you to join us virtually on Wednesday, March 5, for Creativity as Advocacy | Her Stories, Her Impact.
Our guests that day will include Alanna Flowers, Freelance Lettering Artist & Designer; Isabel Martinez Mancebo, Freelance Copywriter/ CD; and Mimi Muños, Global Creative Producer at Wieden + Kennedy. The conversation will be moderated by Neisha Tweed Bell; Creative consultant, inclusion specialist and member of The One Club's of Next Creative Leaders.
Registration for this event is free, and while you’re signing up, we encourage you to check out our panelists’ profiles; it’s a fantastic way to get a sneak peek at some of the work they’ll be discussing next week.
CREATIVITY AS ADVOCACY | HER STORIES, HER IMPACT
WEDNESDAY, MAR 5 @ 1 PM ET
VIRTUAL, INFO + REGISTRATION HERE

TDC71 Exhibition & Winners Ceremony
2025-05-13 19:00 - 21:00 | The One Club, 450 W 31st St, Floor 6, New York, NY, 10001, United States
TDC71 at Creative Week 2025 – Recap
Creative Week 2025 rolled out the red carpet for four acclaimed award shows celebrating the best in global creativity. Among them, the Type Directors Club’s 71st Annual Exhibition spotlighted typographic excellence through its TDC71 Winners Showcase, held at The One Club for Creativity in New York.
The TDC71 exhibition featured 170 winning entries across Communication Design, Type Design, and Lettering, selected from 26 countries. Each category celebrated a Best of Discipline winner:

Best of Communication Design: New York City FC Branding – Gretel with Frere-Jones Type

Best of Type Design: Naatak – Ek Type

Best of Lettering: Stanford d.School Yearbook 2023 – Daniel Frumhoff Design

In addition to category winners, the jury selected standout projects as their personal Judges’ Choice honorees. These were presented by:

Min Lew (Communication Design)

Charles Nix on behalf of Sahar Afshar (Type Design)

David Jon Walker (Lettering)

Each Judges’ Choice highlighted work of exceptional craft, innovation, or cultural relevance. The full list of honorees was featured in the show and will appear in Typography 46: The World’s Best Typography®
All winning work will travel globally in eight international exhibitions and be permanently archived in the TDC annual.
Thank you to all who joined us to celebrate the world’s best typography.

TDC71 Exhibition at Fordham University
2025-09-11 - 2025-10-07 | ildiko Butler gallery, Fordham University, Lincoln Center 113 West 60th Street, New York, NY, 10023, United States
If you missed the annual TDC Winners Exhibition this year … you’re in luck! The Type Directors Club’s 71st Annual Exhibition—a global showcase of typographic excellence—makes a special three week appearance at Fordham University, NYC (Columbus Circle campus.) The exhibit showcases a dazzling array of The World’s Best Typography from the last year.
TDC71 continues this legacy, recognizing outstanding work across communication design, type design, and lettering. The exhibition of this year’s winners represents the full spectrum of what typography can do—from expressive editorial layouts to experimental letterforms and cutting-edge variable fonts. Hand-selected by our esteemed Discipline Chairs and jurors, these projects were chosen for their aesthetic strength and contribution to shaping the future of type.
With entries submitted from over 60 countries and writing systems, TDC71 exemplifies the global nature of our discipline. The winning work includes emerging voices and renowned leaders, spanning studios, independent designers, and type foundries.
We’re committed to nurturing the next generation of designers and broadening what’s possible with type. If you’re inspired by what you see here, we invite you to enter the next TDC competition, TDC72. Each submission supports our broader mission — celebrating typographic excellence, building community, and pushing the discipline forward.
There will be a special reception on October 2, please join us!

SCHEDULE
September 11 – October 7, 2025
Open daily 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
See website for additional information

LOCATION
Ildiko Butler Gallery
Fordham University Lincoln Center
113 West 60th Street,
New York, NY 10023

Fresh Dialogue: TDC, AIGA NY, D&AD Community Event
2025-09-24 19:30 - 20:30 | Museum of Art and Design (MAD), 2 Columbus Circle, New York, NY, 10019, United States
Something pretty special is happening. Three major design organizations are joining forces for the first time, for a conversation led by you – our community.
Kwame, Jolene, Sarah, and Archie aren’t here to give you the polished conference speak. They want to dig into what’s actually happening in design right now and where we’re all headed.
This is about what you’re experiencing, what you’re seeing, and a dialogue about the biggest challenges and opportunities impacting our industry.
Fresh Dialogue Event Series
These events are critical discussions that focus on current events, issues of cultural relevance, and emerging topics in the world of design.
Community Engagement
Send us your questions ahead of time. The real ones that come from actually doing this work. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been at this for decades, whether you’re freelancing or leading teams, your perspective shapes our industry’s future.
This is your chance to drive the conversation that our community needs. Because when three organizations that have shaped design for decades decide to have a real conversation, you don’t want to miss it.
Speakers
Jolene Delisle (The Working Assembly / TDC Advisory Board Member)
Jolene is the Founder and Creative Director of The Working Assembly. Her design work has been recognized by Print, D&AD, Dieline, The One Show, and Fast Company. She has been named to the Forbes Next 1000 entrepreneur list and Adweek Creative 100, honoring the most innovative and inspiring individuals. Jolene is passionate about bridging the gap in creativity and tech by investing, advising, and prioritizing founder diversity. In 2022, Jolene became the owner of a 1950s ice cream shop in Stone Ridge, New York, called Cherries. She also serves on the TDC Advisory Board.

Kwame Taylor-Hayford (D&AD)
Kwame is a creative executive and entrepreneur with a career spanning advertising, fashion, and philanthropy.
He co-founded Kin, a creative company that drives positive change in business and culture for clients such as Intuit, Mailchimp, Delta Air Lines, Uber, Ben & Jerry’s, and the Obama Foundation, to name a few. Kin was named AdAge’s Purpose-Led Agency of the Year, Silver, in 2022.
Kwame’s work has garnered recognition from industry organizations, including The Emmys, D&AD, One Show, ADC, LIA, Andys, Clios, Shots, and Cannes. For his achievements, Kwame was included in Adweek’s Creative 100 list in 2022, Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 list in 2020, Crain’s New York’s list of Notable Black Leaders in 2021, and was inducted into the American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Achievement in 2019.
Kwame is currently serving as President of D&AD, the globally renowned nonprofit that represents the pinnacle of creative excellence. He is also on the board of directors for SATURDAY MORNING, a nonprofit he co-founded in 2016 to shift perceptions of racial bias and injustice.

Sarah Williams (AIGA NY)
Sarah is the Co-CEO and Creative Leader for Beardwood&Co, an independent, woman and queer-owned branding agency based in New York City, illuminating possibilities to amplify brand growth. With a focus on big, creative ideas made to thrive in the real world, Sarah and team partner with clients to achieve brilliant outcomes, without the egos or silos often found in the agency world. She has led creative for global brands including Westin, Pottery Barn, Danone, Hello Products, and the nation’s largest affordable housing non-profit, Enterprise Community Partners.
In addition to leading Beardwood&Co, Sarah serves as the President of AIGA NY, where she has served on the volunteer board for 3+ years, supporting the mission of “Championing the Future of Design for All” through organizing and hosting community-based events. She is a Mom, loves to run, and trek in the woods as much as the streets of NYC for inspiration.

Moderator - Archie Bell, II
Archie spent much of his youth memorizing commercial jingles and replicating the sharp wit of cartoonist Gary Larson. Since then, his creative compass has been shaped by other visionaries who have mastered the art of weaving meaning into simple, yet magnificent stories – including the likes of Romare Bearden, Faith Ringgold, Ed Ruscha, Kara Walker, Barbara Kruger, Emory Douglas, George Lois, Saul Bass, and Aaron Douglas.
Archie launched his career in 1999 on Madison Avenue at Y&R, designing and art directing award-winning campaigns for the industry’s most iconic brands. After a decade in advertising across various agencies, he shifted into media with the ambition to expand the creative boundaries of digital storytelling. In the years that followed, he led powerhouse teams and helped establish a few of the industry’s most forward-thinking content studios – including NBCUniversal’s Content Innovation Agency, One X Studios, and later Spotify, where he served as Global Head of Creative.
Today, Archie is the Ford Foundation’s Creative Director, where he and his team continue to shape narratives rooted in cultural nuance, creativity, and social impact. Beyond his professional role, he contributes his expertise as a board member of BLAC (Building Leaders and Creators) and as an Emeritus board member of AIGA NY. Across each of his roles, he has consistently championed best-in-culture work that inspires, impacts, connects, and moves audiences worldwide.
Still a fan of remarkable stories told simply, he remains dedicated to crafting and supporting work that unexpectedly illuminates truth, sparks meaningful dialogue, and honors the beauty within. When he’s not doing any of those things, you can find him at home in Brooklyn, art directing his kids’ shenanigans.

TDC72 Early Bird Entry Deadline
2025-10-03 08:00 - 17:00 | New York

MAKE IT: Building a Business Around Your Creative Skill + Live Mentorship
2025-10-23 18:30 - 20:30 | The One Club, 450 W 31st St, Floor 6, New York, NY, 10001, United States
International lettering artist and author Martina Flor comes to New York to present her new book, MAKE IT: Turn Your Creative Skill into a Business and Thrive Doing What You Love, in a special event hosted by the Type Directors Club.
In conversation with Matteo Bologna, creative director of Mucca and chairman emeritus of TDC, Martina will dive into the real story behind making it as a creative—based on her own experience and the lessons she’s gathered from mentoring hundreds of designers and illustrators building careers in lettering design.
Whether you're a seasoned designer, illustrator, or emerging lettering artist, you’ll leave with fresh perspectives and actionable strategies on:

Evolving from amateur to professional lettering designer
Building a portfolio that opens doors
Communicating and pricing your creative work with confidence
Managing mindset, money, and momentum
Finding the right creative community to grow with

PLUS: Live Mini Mentorship Session
To close the evening, Martina will host a live mentoring session—offering hands-on advice and personalized feedback for those navigating the challenges of creative work.
This is a one-time opportunity to meet Martina during her U.S. visit and connect with fellow creatives passionate about letter design.
RSVP – Space is limited

Grafis Nusantara: Indonesian Graphic Pop Culture (Zoom)
2025-11-20 11:00 - 12:30 | Zoom
Indonesia is lavished with vernacular wealth — reflected in visuals that exist within the daily lives of its people. From the packages purchased in supermarkets, colourful posters and leaflets wheat-pasted on electric poles, to the old shop signs scattered on every street corner.
Yet, the opulence of these Indonesian-styled graphics is sometimes overlooked, forgotten, or underestimated because of assumptions that they’re low-brow or kitschy.
For this special event, Grafis Nusantara's Rakhmat Jaka (Creative Director) and Claudia Novreica (Researcher) will discuss Indonesian graphic culture and the process behind the beautifully crafted books they’ve produced to showcase this rich visual archive.

Title of event
2025-11-22 14:30 - 17:00 | Zoom
Description of event

TDC Meet-Up with David Jon Walker
2026-01-22 18:00 - 21:00 | The One Club, 450 W 31st St, Floor 6, New York, NY, 10001, United States
Designer, Educator, Lettering Artist, and TDC Board member David Jon Walker hosts a low-key evening of critique and discussion (crits are for TDC members only; sign up via Google Form. Join TDC to access the form).
The evening includes special guests and the premiere of the new TDC71 Competition Annual, designed and published by Slanted Publishers. Come help us celebrate the release, possibly get some peer review of your latest project, nosh on cheese sticks, and enjoy basking in the warm glow of type nerdery.
THIS EVENT IS FREE FOR MEMBERS. PLEASE REACH OUT TO tdc@oneclub.org IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR CODE.
