Creative Characters S4 E11: Kyle Read on the art (of the business) of type design.

I want to make brand-ready typefaces that are personality-driven, have a sensibility about them, that are well-crafted. You can be so perfect, but I think that’s become a detriment to type design and it ends up homogenizing a lot of type design.

Kyle Read.

On Creative Characters, we meet creative people working at the intersection of type and everyday life. You can listen below, or on AppleSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, and wherever quality podcasts are available.

In this episode, host Doug Wilson sits down with his long-time friend, Kyle Read, a distinguished type designer and graphic designer based in Denver, Colorado. Kyle shares his journey from studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design, working for various design studios and advertising agencies, to founding Badson Type Foundry.

The two discuss the balance Kyle maintains between branding and type design, offering insights into the economic realities of the industry and the importance of creating brand-ready, personality-driven typefaces. Additionally, the episode delves into Kyle’s innovative marketing strategies for type foundries and his collaborative project, Proof & Co, which provides valuable data analyzing the independent typography market. Through it all, Kyle emphasizes the significance of community within the type industry, particularly within Denver, a city he and Doug both celebrate for its unique creative spirit and historical ties to typography.

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