Voices in Type Assembly: Typography, Politics, and Collective Voice

The day began with a live performance by visual artist Guido de Boer, who painted words of resistance across large sheets of paper. It set the tone immediately: this was not a conference that treated type as a neutral system, but rather as a medium shaped by urgency, identity and public meaning.

The programme then shifted into a panel format, which was as memorable as the topics themselves. This format gradually expanded as more speakers joined in real time, both in the room and on screen. The panel began with Michael Ellsworth and Raya Leary of design studio Civilization, joined by Tré Seals of Vocal Type via screen, followed by Keleena Sales, who also joined remotely. Finally, Mark Baker-Sanchez and a team member from Graphic Matters completed the line-up. This unfolding structure gave the session a sense of movement and openness that suited the subject matter. Rather than presenting typography through a single authoritative voice, the conference allowed it to emerge through layered perspectives and shifting formats. Framed by CHARACTERS: Voices in Type, the opening session connected activism and representation. The speakers reflected on how typography can carry histories of struggle while also making room for new forms of visibility.

As part of the CHARACTERS: Voices in Type project, Vocal Type developed the VTC WIJ typeface earlier this year, drawing inspiration from the ideas and legacy of Anton de Kom, a Surinamese resistance fighter and anti-colonial writer. Using this typeface, Civilization created a 100-metre-long temporary mural in Breda last October, with the help of 60 volunteers. The project gave the opening discussion a concrete visual dimension, grounding the ideas in a public and collective gesture.

Saki Mafundikwa offered insight into Afrikan Alphabets: The Story of Writing in Africa, while Aneesh Bhoopathy connected design to contemporary political movements through his reflections on the Zohran Mamdani campaign, which combined local culture, hand-drawn typography and an inclusive visual language. Golnar Kat Rahmani addressed the negative perceptions surrounding Persian-Arabic typography and the social and political context behind them in her talk Type & Politics, while Beatriz Lozano spoke on typography as a vehicle for community power. Ruben Pater, author of Politics of Design and CAPS LOCK, concluded by examining how design can reinforce power structures and how designers can create alternatives that empower communities.

The event’s effectiveness was strengthened by the diversity of voices present. Some speakers were physically present, while others joined remotely, creating a format that felt international in both content and method. Graphic Matters curated a conversation that moved across geographies and political contexts without reducing them to a single theme. The result was a conference that felt expansive yet focused.

For a design audience, achieving this balance is important. Voices in Type Assembly was well curated, but it was also more than a polished programme of talks; it was a reminder that typography is never only about aesthetics. It is shaped by who is represented, who is read, and how visual language travels between communities. In this sense, the conference’s real strength lay not only in the individual presentations, but also in the way it made design feel like a shared public language.