Type Electives Lecture Series:

Join us for a series of insightful conversations exploring the challenges of language support, diacritic design, and the role of type design in language revitalization. Our guests will share their experiences designing for diverse languages and scripts, offering both practical insights and critical perspectives.

In this session, we’ll speak with Leo Vicenti about North American Indigenous Languages and his approach to type design that honors linguistic and cultural traditions. We’ll explore the design, cultural, and linguistic considerations involved in creating typefaces that support Indigenous communities, diacritics, and regional typographic practices. Leo will share his journey in type design, how working with Indigenous languages has shaped his perspective, and what it means to engage with language as both a designer and a community member. We’ll also discuss questions such as: How can designers work respectfully with Indigenous languages and worldviews? What lessons can typography draw from regional and cultural practices? How can designers support indigenous communities, sovereignty, and cultural expression through their work?

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

Send us your questions through our Instagram @typeelectives

The event will be hosted online via Zoom.

We look forward to having you with us!

Leo Vicenti

Leo Vicenti (Jicarilla Apache) (he/him) is an Assistant Professor of Communication Design at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. He holds an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in Visual Communication Design and a BA in Graphic Design from Fort Lewis College (FLC). His current research approaches indigenous language preservation, revitalization, and the return of these languages to everyday use through the development of language support in typography and representation in the design field. He maintains practice-based research in exhibition design alongside his creative pursuits in visual communication design.

Personal: @lowerearthorigin