Case Study – Typography Lab for D&AD

D&AD Typography Lab case study slideshow

Client: Baillie Gifford
Duration: Two days
Participants: 40

An intensive creativity refresher focusing on typography for the investment management firm’s Edinburgh headquarters. The graphic design, digital and motion graphics teams attended the workshop, with participants ranging from partner to newest recruit. The venue was a conference centre in Edinburgh with the attendees split over two days.

The session
A day away from the office and the computer exploring creativity through typography.
Type is shaped by the tools used to create it.
Quick fire sketching session using expressive mark making materials.
Context influences meaning.
How typeface personality research informs your choice of typeface.
Typeface pairing refresher.
Design a modular alphabet.
Creative thinking poster challenge.

The outcome
The importance of thinking creatively as part of the design process.
Sketching and drawing for idea generation.
Confidence to experiment with new typefaces and combinations; not the safe and familiar.
Greater awareness of using type to emotionally engage with the audience.

Comments
“Different fonts can be used to emotionally engage the audience”
“Engagement of everyone in the team through the tasks—confidence building”
“Sketch ideas before going to the computer”
“Drawing with charcoal is great!”

Type Tasting workshop clients include
Autotrader, BBC, Baillie Gifford, D&AD, Ecole Intuit Lab, Interbrand, JML, Mark-Making, Save the Children, Virgin Active.

Workshop leader
Sarah Hyndman is the founder of Type Tasting and the author of Why Fonts Matter. She is a graphic designer, educator, writer and regular public speaker who is known for her interest in the psychology of typography and is involved in ongoing research with the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at the University of Oxford.

Credentials
MA in Typo/Graphics (Distinction) from the London College of Communication, University of the Arts.
Tutor, Experimental Typography, London College of Communication, University of the Arts (2002–2008).
Director of design company With Relish (2003–2013).
D&AD workshop leader, bespoke Typography Lab.
D&AD judge (New Blood and Professional awards).
Author of Why Fonts Matter (Penguin/Random House) and How to Draw Type and Influence People(Laurence King).
Research published with the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at the University of Oxford.
Public speaker on typography and perception, including South by Southwest (Austin, Texas), TYPO San Francisco, TEDx, radio and television.
International teaching includes the Ecole Intuit Lab in Mumbai, India.

Watch: TEDx, Master Talk in Mumbai (3 mins), Nicer Tuesdays, Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch.

Listen: BBC Radio 4 Saturday Live.

Read: Wired ‘If You Love That Font So Much, Why Don’t You Date It?’, CNN ‘How fonts could help you find the perfect date’, Creative Review ‘A taste of type’, iPerception ‘The Taste of Typeface’.