It takes far less time to read a text than it takes to write and edit it. This asymmetry of effort also exists in the basis of those texts: we can decode the symbols on the page in a fraction of the time it took to make those symbols. As readers we need only a basic understanding of letterforms. In order to design letterforms we must learn to look at the shapes, as well as their patterns and texture, in a far more analytical way.

Students at the TypeMedia master do just that. They study contrast, weight, rhythm, proportion, spacing: in short, every aspect of the process of making type. They examine primary sources and original material. Just as importantly, they learn to tinker with the tools: physical writing implements as well as digital and even algorithmic ones. The teaching follows a practical approach in studio-based making and learning. The students are taught to reflect on how the tools they use influence the creative process and the possible outcomes. And most of all they are taught the TypeMedia mantra: when in doubt, draw.

Visit the official web site: typemedia.org