Who is an industry leader?
What makes one qualified to use this title? Is there a certain amount of time someone needs to be professionally active in a field to call themselves one? Is it others’ perception that matters? How are these concepts tied to gender, class, race, geography? Why do structures exist to perpetuate the use of the term and why do we think this is acceptable?
I’ll be sitting here thinking about these questions while sipping my tea.
A few weeks ago, I had to advise a design studio on licensing fonts. It is a common practice since different foundries and distributors handle licenses in many alternative ways. What may be complex for us, who work in the type industry, can become a nightmare for font users and design studios that acquire licenses for their clients. Some have made an effort in simplifying font licenses but webfonts is still a case worth discussing.
From all the types of use you can make of fonts, the web is probably the format where we find more differences, both in the licensing model and the pricing. Some articles offer information on the topic and compare the different licenses available. I was surprised to note there is little debate or discussion on this.
Continue readingLast year, we took a hiatus from our ridiculously complicated and sleep-depriving idea of a 24 Hour Hangout on International Women’s Day. The concept was first crafted in 2019, before endless video calls with friends around the world was as normal as shoving a medieval torture stick up your nose and wiggling it around for 15 seconds. This year, we’ve decided to once again (dis)organize our 24 Hour Hangout on Wednesday, March 8. And, we hope you’ll join us.
From March 8, 2023 at 12:00am ET / 05:00 UTC to 11:59pm ET / 04:59 UTC 3/9, stop by for conversations on type, design, the universe, what’s in that dreaded ‘desktop’ folder on our desktop, whatever! Everyone is welcome. Some times may be more spontaneous and chatty, other hours might be filled with activities and presentations.
Look! A Handy Timezone Chart!
Some fun plans throughout the day (times in ET):
00:00: Amy kicks it off with a bedtime story
02:00: Liron and her daughter, a budding 7 year old lettering artist, talk about learning to write
03:00: Typewriter chat with María and friends
09:00: Boom shares what she’s up to in Bangkok and Luang Prabang, Laos this month
10:00: Ro and friends discuss the recent anticonferences and events they just organized
11:00: La Hora Spanish with Caro and friends
12:00: La Segunda Hora Spanish with Laura, María, Elena and amigas
14:00: Alanna and Sophia on live streaming type design
15:00: Ro and friends will make posters in preparation for the Women’s Day march
16:00: Bianca and Tânia show books and chat
17:00: Luisa’s Advice hour! Unqualified advice about life, typography and everything else.
18:00: Teresa hosts type conference social hour. Yes, there is a TypeCon this year.
21:00: Lisa on AI generators + letters + typography + low-res impressions of language
and more! Surprises! Fun! Chats!
You! All are welcome* to stop by when you can and leave when you need. Video is possible but just audio is fine, too. Or, just help the chat stay aflame. Keep an eye on this post and the socials for any updates and help us spread the word! INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY = FUN.
* Participants must follow our code of conduct.
