The Type Directors Club (TDC) announced the launch of Type Drives Culture 2022, a global virtual conference on March 4-5, 2022 that will explore the ways typography is used to form and transform creative communities and the broader culture.
In recognition of TDC’s 75th anniversary, the theme of this year’s conference is “Type: the Next 75 Years”.
The annual conference includes two half-days of guided type tours by city, presentations, and roundtable discussions featuring speakers from around the world covering a broad range of design disciplines. Registration is now open, with discount tickets available for different audience types.
“Type: the Next 75 Years” programming will explore the shifts in perspective and conversations around contemporary global type and design. Discussions will encompass what these strategies suggest about how designers might navigate shifts in technology, communication, and social good.
The conference also includes a new edition of TDC’s “Type:Seeing” series, providing a visual walkabout of type by city. This year’s series features Las Vegas, London, New York, Mumbai, and JalanJalan in Kuala Lumpur.
In developing content for Type Drives Culture, TDC leveraged its extensive network of global creative leaders to share their insight and experiences. The conference kicks off with a keynote from Andy Chen and Waqas Jawaid, managing partners at Isometric Studio, a New York-based visual identity firm dedicated to designing a more inclusive contemporary culture.
Other confirmed speakers to date include:
- Erik Brandt, Typografika, Chair, Design Department, Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD), Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), Minneapolis
- Tanya George, principal, TanyaTypes, Mumbai
- Lais Ikoma, managing partner, Polar, São Paulo
- Chang Sik Kim, creative director, Living Creative Design, San Jose (US)
- Onica Lekuntwane, principal, REBATAKI, Gaborone (Botswana)
- Sueh Li, founding partner, huruf, Kuala Lumpur
- Nontokozo Tshabalala, managing partner, Mam’Gobozi Design Factory, Johannesburg
- Vincent Wagner, principal, Vincent.Computer, Vienna
“Type Drives Culture raises questions pertinent to designers today,” said Jon Key, principal at MorcosKey in New York, member of the TDC Advisory Board and conference co-chair. “Can we inspire creatives to project into the next 75 years of design? How can we shift our perceptions of the future of design? And how can we move the industry into the future.”
“It’s often said that the future is what we design it to be,” added Zelda Harrison, principal, ZELDESIGN in Los Angeles, conference co-chair and TDC Advisory Board member. “But visions and dreams are a shared experience, and that’s what TDC aspires to create with its conferences. We’ve curated a diverse panel of speakers from various parts of the world, generations, and design disciplines — including wayfinding, branding, type design, social engagement, UX, and more — as a reflection of the needs and diversity of our audience.”
More detail and registration information for Type Drives Culture 2022 is available here.