In this course we will examine type design from a viewpoint that offers an alternative to the historical model of categorization. Inspired by Gerrit Noordzij’s teachings we will explore the design space in closely guided sketching sessions. At the end of this hands-on workshop the students will have created a number of possible starting points for personal typeface design projects and understand the choices available to them.

In order to confidently engage the design process a type designer has to be aware of the entire theoretical room of possible letterforms she is navigating. Only a profound understanding of the multi-dimensional design space as a concept and the most important extrema therin will enable the type designer to make design choices that go beyond elaborating on historical letterforms and instead create truly unique typefaces.

On the journey through the certificate program this course is located at the end of basic training and offers an entry into a personal typeface design. Basic experience in writing with the pointed nib as well as the broad nib pen is required.

About Hannes Famira

Hannes Famira is founding principal of the Kombinat-Typefounders. He is  a graphic designer, a type designer and a teacher of both disciplines. After 20 years in the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States he now lives in Berlin, Germany where he works for Luc(as) de Groot and FontShop International.

He studied graphic and typographic design at the KABK (Royal Academy  of Fine Arts in The Hague) in the Netherlands. After apprenticeships  at Studio Dumbar and the Font Bureau he worked at Meta Design, at the Buro Petr van Blokland and at House Industries. Hannes started  his own design studio Das Kombinat in 1999 and the Kombinat-Typefounders in 2001.

Hannes taught various typography and type design classes at the SfG, School for Design in Basel (CH), at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art School of Art, the New Jersey City University and the City University of New York.