The type industry is changing fast. Between consolidation, shifts in distribution, open-source libraries, AI, and the pressures of an increasingly crowded marketplace, running a sustainable practice has become much harder. For many emerging designers, the question is no longer how to draw better letters, but how to create the conditions that allow their work to reach an audience. This series explores a shared anxiety: Is there a future in type?

Through conversations with people who have built new models, we'll examine what it takes to move beyond making typefaces to shaping the field. What did it take? What did it cost? And what can we take away from their experiences?

Type Electives Virtual Lecture Series:

Past, Present, and Future Fonts

Future Fonts began as a thought experiment to relieve our own anxiety about releasing typefaces. After eight years, it now spans 140 foundries and 366 typefaces. Just like the typefaces we offer, Future Fonts itself is a work in progress, constantly evolving as we aim to nurture the vibrant community that’s grown around it, and make licensing easier and fairer for everyone. In our talk, we’ll discuss things we’ve learned along the way, what’s worked, what hasn’t, and where we think the future is headed.

This session will feature a short presentation, followed by a conversation moderated by Flavia Zimbardi, and an open Q&A for attendees.

The event will be hosted online via Zoom.

We look forward to having you with us!

Lizy Gershenzon and Travis Kochel

Lizy Gershenzon and Travis Kochel have been creative partners for over two decades. Based in Portland, they are the founders of Future Fonts, an experimental marketplace and community built around releasing typefaces while they’re still in progress. Through their foundry Vectro, they design and release their own typefaces for clients and retail, including their award-winning Chartwell, which uses OpenType features to transform numbers into charts. For nearly ten years before that, they ran Scribble Tone, a product design studio, building apps, brands, and typefaces for clients in the creative and environmental industries.

Instagram: @futurefonts, @vectrotype