TYPO San Francisco 2013 "Contrast" Presents Type Track

And suddenly it's almost here. In merely a week the second edition of my review of last year's inaugural edition to find out what to expect from the conference. Despite its name, the overall focus of TYPO is on design as a whole, not just typography. However the organisers FontShop's Michael Pieracci and Meghan Arnold wanted to make sure you get your typographic fix. That's why this year – besides the two main tracks in the Lam Research Theater and Forum building – they have added a Type Track in the intimate, 100-seat Screening Room to the schedule. On Friday, April 12, you will learn some of the secrets to creating a successful business in typography. Five knowledgeable speakers will address various aspects of the type industry. Bring your questions, they have answers. The track is moderated by Carima El-Behairy of the P22 type foundry.

TYPO San Francisco 2012 Connect: The first TYPO in America

Carima El-Behairy | "The idea for a Type Track originated at TYPO Berlin "Sustain" back in May of 2012. After Ivo's and Bryan's two presentations Meghan Arnold and I were talking about how the fascinating world behind the scenes of typography never really get explored. Great design, exciting projects, rock star designers, etc. all get their moment in the spotlight, but the basics are rarely discussed to provide the audience that "A-ha" moment. The protection of intellectual property, the communication with a potential audience, the nitty-gritty of marketing digital type,… We looked below the surface, behind the talent, and talked about what makes that talent shine. So we let it cook, thought about it, discussed it some more, and finally decided to make it happen."

"Type Track is an intimate room where the audience will have the ability to ask questions and interact directly with the speaker. We brought it down to the basics – Visual Communication, Marketing, and Identity, and ran with it."

How were the speakers selected?

Carima El-Behairy | "We started with a group of speakers, looking at several submitted proposals that met the criteria we set up. Then we worked to make them flow together. If there were two talks that needed bridging we looked for an individual to make the transition, then we asked them if they were interested in speaking. For example, we had one slot that kept changing because the speakers who were available were not what the slot called for, so we just kept looking until the perfect speaker presented itself."

This is the program for the Type Track:

10 a.m.: Sean McBride, More Than Type11 a.m.: Ivo Gabrowitsch, Let There be Extra Light1 p.m.: Travis Kochel, Typeface as Interface2 p.m.: Stephen Coles, A Typeface is a Chair3 p.m.: Nigel French, Finding Inspiration from the Type in your Environment

Header typeface: Rollerscript