A few weeks ago graphic designer, typographer and educator Wolfgang Weingart passed away. I think we can all agree that he left a lasting legacy amongst a whole generation of designers, and beyond. …

Writing and, by extension, reading are humanity’s greatest cultural achievement which happened approximately 5,000 to 5,500 years ago. From what we know today, it originated in ancient Egypt with the invention of hieroglyphics. Some believe Cuneiform, (the writing system of ancient Babylonia and Assyria), came first. But the earliest records…

I have always been a fan of gas hobs because once the pan is hot, temperature regulation is instant and easily controllable. I also like that you can put a wok on the largest ring and have the heat go on the sides of the pan rather than just the…

The visual system — a brief guide to anatomy and physiology in the context of typography The vast majority of people would classify reading as a visual activity but it can also be a tactile experience such as Braille script or touch-sign language. …

Much has been said recently about the rebrand of Standard Life Aberdeen to ‘abrdn’, and much of it not very flattering. The comments mostly seem concerned with the dropping of the vowels and how it can now be misread and misinterpreted. To me, all this is a bit far fetched. …

Typographic accessibility in more detail The three pillars of accessibility - emotional, functional and technical - can be applied to any output whether that is a product or a service. Each industry and sector will have its own specific definitions relevant to their output. …

Functional accessibility in typography includes legibility and readability among other things, and often the two terms are applied interchangeably. It is important to have a clear definition of what each does to be able to identify a potential accessibility hurdle. A great variety of factors can of course affect the…

The three pillars of accessibility Accessibility means different things to different people but accessibility is not just a single thing. We can broadly divide it into three pillars: emotional, functional and technical. Each pillar must be accessible in itself but all must be considered together. …

“For our members, by our members” is the driver of the changes that the board of ATypI has started to set in motion. We are working to transform the Association so that it is more relevant to aspiring and practising designers in all matters relating to type and typography. We…