J Type 101

Posted on by koyubi.studio

Japanese typography is everywhere right now, from streetwear and album covers to editorial layouts and branding. Designers around the world are drawn to it. At the same time, many are working without a clear sense of how it actually functions.

J Type 101 is a 44-page guide by Mio Kosaka, Mizuki Hanada, and Monet Fukawa of Koyubi Studio in Brooklyn. It does not treat Japanese typography as a style to borrow, but as a system to understand.

The Features chapter looks at how Japanese characters are built, how they are grouped, and why they behave differently from Latin type. From there, the Rules chapter moves into use. It outlines ten practical guidelines, covering vertical and horizontal typesetting, line breaks, spacing, and the relationship between Japanese and Latin type.

The visual language draws from textbooks, with references to highlighters, annotations, and marked pages, translated into a palette of yellow and pink against grayscale. Each spread pairs short explanations with illustrations, allowing readers to grasp unfamiliar concepts without feeling overwhelmed.

Learn more about J Type 101 here.

J Type 101

Designers: Mio Kosaka, Mizuki Hanada, Monet Fukawa
Authors: Mio Kosaka, Mizuki Hanada, Monet Fukawa
Editor: Mio Kosaka
Publishers: Koyubi Studio
Publishing house: Koyubi Studio
Release date: April 2025
Volume: 44 pages
Format: 15.2 × 20.3 cm
Language: English
Production/Finishing: Printed by Conveyor Studio (USA)
Retail price: €21.50
Where to buy: Secret Riso Club, NYC

Coin

Posted on by Typedesign

Coin is a contemporary font superfamily comprising 36 fonts and 4 variable fonts. The type system includes weights ranging from Thin to Black as well as Expanded styles, making it suitable for a wide range of applications including branding, graphic design and web design. The international character set contains more than 650 characters and numerous currency symbols, including the Bitcoin symbol, enabling convenient use in global communication and financial contexts.

Coin also includes several OpenType features and alternate letterforms, allowing designers to use the family professionally in microtypography as well as across diverse communication contexts. The design follows a clean and modern approach that works effectively in both print and digital media. Its balanced proportions and clear shapes ensure excellent legibility, even at small point sizes.

Learn more about Coin here.

Coin

Foundry: Sergej Lebedev
Designer: Sergej Lebedev
Release: December 2024
File Formats: OTF, TTF, WOFF2
Weights: Thin, ExtraLight, Light, Regular, Medium, SemiBold, Bold, ExtraBold, Black
Styles: Roman and Italic, plus Expanded and Expanded Italic versions
Test Version available upon request

BUY

Eregalle

Posted on by Paula M

Eregalle is a contemporary typeface that explores how regional visual culture can inform typographic form without resorting to historical imitation. Developed through research into

and early printed matter, the project asks how cultural specificity can be embedded at the structural level of a typeface rather than expressed through ornament or explicit reference.

The project takes its name from Eregalle, an early historical name associated with the town of Ariogala. While the reference establishes a geographical anchor, the design itself avoids literal quotation. Instead, Eregalle draws from broader characteristics found in Lithuanian material culture—carved signage, folk patterns, and utilitarian lettering—where clarity, restraint, and durability are central values.

Formally, the typeface is built on a disciplined underlying structure. Proportions are controlled and economical, supporting consistent rhythm in text, while subtle irregularities in curves, stroke terminals, and internal shapes introduce a degree of softness. This balance between precision and human presence defines the typeface’s tone: neither neutral nor overtly expressive.

Throughout the design process, multiple directions were tested, ranging from more historically inflected sketches to increasingly abstracted forms. These iterations gradually removed direct references, allowing influence to operate indirectly through weight distribution, spacing, and texture. The final design emphasises cohesion over stylistic gesture, resulting in a typeface that remains calm under extended reading.

Eregalle is intended for contemporary editorial, cultural, and institutional use. Particular attention was paid to diacritics and typographic features required for the Lithuanian language, while maintaining compatibility with English. The typeface performs equally in continuous text and at larger sizes, making it adaptable across print and digital applications.

Rather than positioning heritage as a visual archive, Eregalle treats it as a system of values—restraint, continuity, and purpose—that can be reinterpreted through modern design tools. The project contributes to ongoing discussions about regional identity in type design, proposing a model where cultural influence is embedded quietly, through structure and use, rather than surface aesthetics.

Eregalle

Design: Paula Minelgaite
Release: 2025
File Formats: OpenType CFF

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Serrucho

Posted on by alexander wright

In a landscape defined by softened edges and calibrated restraint, Serrucho cuts through with intention. Not smooth, not polite, but sharpened.

This new variable typeface from In-House International foundry spans eight weights that move from solid, blocky authority to spiky, kinetic chaos. Named for the handsaw it references, Serrucho quite literally shows its teeth—starting controlled and ending feral.

The journey from Serrucho -100 to Serrucho -800 is one of escalating intensity. At its flattest, the type is brutal but precise: angular forms, confident geometry, the kind of weight that commands without shouting. But as the variable axis progresses, something transforms. Edges multiply. Forms fragment and spike. By the extreme end, letters look electrified—vibrating, buzzing, like machinery pushed past its limits.
“There’s a rawness to it that felt important,” explains Alexander Wright, who designed the typeface. “It references this whole lineage of underground graphics—punk flyers, hardcore logos, protest posters—where the urgency of the message mattered more than polish. But we wanted it to be just as effective when you need control as when you want chaos.”

The typeface carries the DNA of DIY rebellion: hand-cut aesthetics, industrial textures, the visual language of counterculture. Its repeating vertical forms create rhythm and motion, while circular counters read as drill holes or punch marks. It’s typography that feels made rather than drawn—assembled, abraded, sharpened.

Serrucho works where polite design doesn’t: brands with something to prove, events that demand attention, packaging that refuses to blend in, any project where the appropriate response is volume and edges. It’s perfect for music graphics, bold identities, street-culture branding, and anywhere rebellion is the brief.

Learn more about In-House International here.

Serrucho

Foundry: In-House International
Designer: Alexander Wright
Engineer: Rodrigo Fuenzalida at FragType
File Formats: available as a variable font for maximum versatility and as individual OTF weights
Styles / widths / weights: The type includes uppercase and lowercase alphabets, numbers, punctuation, and extended Latin diacritics

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Fujifilm Milan

Posted on by Samira Niedermayer

From April 21 to 22, we had the pleasure of being invited by Fujifilm to Milan during the city’s Design Week. Milan represents the ideal place to showcase a design approach that puts people at the center, focusing on their real needs and the ongoing dialogue between innovation, culture, and responsibility.

With this event, Fujifilm aimed to convey the essence of its “Faithful Design” philosophy: an approach that places authenticity, innovation, and genuine attention to people’s needs at the center. For the first time, Fujifilm, the Japanese multinational company, presented its innovative approach to design, giving us exclusive insights into its “Faithful Design” strategy.

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, operates globally across four key business segments: healthcare, electronics, business innovation, and imaging. With over 70,000 employees, the company leverages its proprietary core technologies and long-standing expertise to develop products and services worldwide. Guided by its Group Purpose “giving our world more smiles,” Fujifilm aims to address social challenges while creating value for a broad range of stakeholders. Its medium-term management plan VISION2030 sets the strategic direction toward FY2030, with the ambition to further evolve as a portfolio of global leading businesses.

The experience began in the spirit of Milan Design Week itself. After arrival, the first evening set the tone with a Welcome Dinner under the theme “Milanese Heritage & Aesthetic Warmth” at Trattoria dei Cacciatori. The relaxed setting offered a first opportunity to meet the two designers, who had just arrived from Tokyo, creating an informal start and an initial sense of connection for the day ahead. An overnight stay at the hotel followed, including breakfast the next morning, before the program officially began.

The following morning marked the start of the official “Fujifilm’s Faithful Design” day at the headquarters of FUJIFILM Italia S.p.A. The day opened with a welcome by Mr. Fabio Santambrogio, Corporate General Manager of FUJIFILM Italia S.p.A. This was followed by a corporate presentation from Luana Porfido, European Head of Corporate Communication and ESG Management at FUJIFILM Europe GmbH, providing deeper insights into Fujifilm’s transformation, purpose, and sustainability approach.

She highlighted that Fujifilm’s evolution from a photographic film manufacturer to a diversified global technology group is central to understanding its current identity. Established in 1934, the company has gradually expanded beyond imaging, with healthcare now representing its largest business segment, alongside electronics, business innovation, and imaging. This shift reflects a long-term transformation driven by Fujifilm’s proprietary core technologies and continuous adaptation to societal and technological change.

A key element of Fujifilm’s transformation is its Group Purpose “giving our world more smiles,” which, as Luana explained, is not a slogan but a guiding principle for all business decisions. It reflects the company’s long journey from photography to healthcare and diversified technologies, with the aim “to serve the society for the better.”

She emphasized that this mindset requires constant reflection on impact: “it’s not just simply, I did my task, but my task has a scope,” focusing on whether products create real value for society—through sustainability, usability, or responsible communication. Improvement is seen as continuous: “it’s constantly trying to improve yourself, to impress a positive sign on society.”

Sustainability is embedded in strategy through the Sustainable Value Plan 2030, aligned with global frameworks such as the SDGs. Europe plays an active role in this shift, especially through a strong green mindset in countries like the Netherlands and Denmark.

Fujifilm’s global structure supports this approach by enabling knowledge sharing across regions, summarized as: “we really have in our toolbox all what we need to realize our purpose.”

The focus then shifted to the designers who had travelled from Japan for the occasion, particularly Sumire Kuroda and Masahiko Yamamoto. Throughout the session, they presented Fujifilm’s design philosophy alongside concrete case studies, showing the full process from early sketches to final production. The program was complemented by direct Q&A sessions and interview exchanges.

Sumire Kuroda, User Interface Designer, joined Fujifilm in 2020 and works across medical systems and digital healthcare solutions. Her focus is on designing intuitive interfaces for complex environments such as endoscopes and medical IT systems. One of her key projects was an app for drug identification, aimed at reducing workload and improving accuracy in clinical practice.

Masahiko Yamamoto, Industrial Designer, has around 15 years of experience in industrial design and joined Fujifilm Business Innovation in 2019. He is responsible for the exterior design of office and industrial printers and currently serves as lead designer for flagship models of the Apeos series.

A central theme of their presentation was “Faithful Design.” The designers emphasized that innovation begins with real-world observation rather than purely technical translation. As they explained, design is shaped by “observing on-site” and capturing unspoken user needs, which are then translated into solutions that reflect real human behavior. Sumire Kuroda added: “Whenever we as a team face the challenge of designing a new product, we start with what people highlight as areas for improvement in their everyday lives.”

A key example of his design approach was the development of a multifunction printer in 2021. The project began with a fundamental question: what will the workplace of the future look like, and how will the relationship between people, their environment, and their tools evolve? Yamamoto emphasized that offices are no longer purely functional spaces, but are becoming more human-centered environments that foster comfort, interaction, and belonging. In this context, the device itself was redefined—not just as a machine for printing, scanning, and copying, but as an active assistant supporting users in their daily work.

The design process is supported by the Fujifilm Design Center, which has operated as an independent studio since 2017. To further strengthen collaboration and creativity, CLAY STUDIO was opened in May 2023 as the current design hub. The space was entirely designed by Fujifilm’s own teams—from architecture and interiors to lighting, furniture, and green areas—reflecting a collective design approach that fosters exchange and shared creativity.

Cross-disciplinary collaboration is a core principle of this environment. Designers from healthcare, imaging, and business innovation work closely together in a highly integrated setup. Weekly sessions with around 100 designers enable continuous exchange of ongoing projects, insights, and learnings, ensuring that ideas from one field can inspire others across the organization.

This collaborative way of working is also reflected in Fujifilm’s growing number of design awards. Products across categories—from cameras to medical systems—have received numerous recognitions both in Japan and internationally. In April 2025, Fujifilm was honored with 23 Red Dot Design Awards, one of the world’s most prestigious competitions, recognizing excellence in functionality, ergonomics, and user-centered design.

Among the winners, the Apeos Digital Color Multifunction Printer will be showcased until June 2026 at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen. The product reflects a deep understanding of how design can shape user experience—from its clean, seamless silhouette to its intuitive interface designed for real working environments. More than a tool, it acts as a thoughtful companion for everyday tasks, combining cloud connectivity, AI, and human-friendly usability in a sleek form.

Also recognized were Fujifilm’s FDR ES II digital radiography detectors and the FDR Xair portable X-ray unit.  Both stand out for their lightweight, user-friendly design, enabling advanced medical care even in challenging environments.

The program concluded with an immersive showroom tour, offering a hands-on exploration of Fujifilm’s latest innovations—from X-Series cameras and endoscopy solutions to multifunctional printers. The experience provided a final, tangible overview of how design, technology, and purpose come together across the company’s diverse portfolio.

With many new impressions and insights, and a goodie bag in hand as a small reminder of the experience, we eventually made our way back to the airport. A final thank you was shared for the open exchange, inspiring conversations, and the opportunity to gain such a close look into Fujifilm’s world of design and innovation, ending the visit in Milan with a smile.

New Design from Düsseldorf 2026

Posted on by eric_fritsch

From June 6 to 13, 2026, the exhibition New Design from Düsseldorf 2026 will present over 50 projects from the programmes New Craft Object Design, Communication Design, Retail Design and Exhibition Design at the Faculty of Design of the Peter Behrens School of Arts at Hochschule Düsseldorf–University of Applied Sciences, at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf.

The works on display have been selected from 300 degree projects. They present concepts, ideas and solutions to current social discourses in innovative ways and with a high level of craftsmanship. They go far beyond a compulsory academic task, instead exemplifying the independent attitudes and positions of emerging designers. More than ever, the focus is not on the superficial creation of messages, but on the role of design in a constantly changing society and the conscious use of artistic and creative methods to address social questions, initiate discourse and open up new spaces for thought. They are New Design from Düsseldorf.

The exhibition will open on Friday, June 5, at 6 pm with an opening ceremony. On Friday evening, June 12, an external jury will present the HSD PBSA Design Award to selected graduates. Workshops for children and families will complement the programme. The exhibition will be part of the Art:walk Festival 2026 on Saturday, June 13, 2026.

New Design from Düsseldorf 2026 is a project of the Faculty of Design at the Peter Behrens School of Arts at Hochschule Düsseldorf–University of Applied Sciences and design (from) düsseldorf e.V. with the generous support of the exhibition’s partners: Areal Böhler, Avema, Cofermin Chemicals, KomKuK–Kompetenzzentrum Kultur- & Kreativwirtschaft der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf und SIGMA System Audio-Visuell.

Further information here.

Slanted Publishers will publish the catalogue on the occasion of the exhibition, preorder your copy here.

New Design from Düsseldorf 2026

When?
Opening event: Friday, June 5, 2026, 6–10 pm
HSD PBSA Design Award ceremony: Friday, June 12, 2026, 6–10 pm
Opening hours: June 6, 7, 11, 12 and 13, 11 am–6 pm
Art:walk Festival Düsseldorf: June 13, 4–12 pm

Where?
NRW-Forum Düsseldorf
Ehrenhof 2
40479 Düsseldorf
Germany

Contemporary Spanish Poster Project

Posted on by gabriel martinez

The Contemporary Spanish Poster project brings together a selection of contemporary designers whose work repositions the poster within a culturally relevant context. What connects these positions is a shared attitude. The poster is not merely a carrier of information, but the expression of an independent and distinctive visual truth, often rooted in culture and always aware of context and the public sphere.

A project by Artediez and the Panama Poster Group, curated by Sonia Díaz, Gabriel Martínez, and Ivo Baldovinos Carleo, Contemporary Spanish Poster establishes a framework for this exploration as a platform that brings together diverse design positions and translates them into a shared discourse.

Óscar Mariné works with a vividly colored, illustrative visual language that moves between expressive directness and ironic inflection. Isidro Ferrer advances the idea of the poster as object, a condensed moment in public space, a form of visual theater. David Torrents develops a hybrid typography, a layered field of textures that searches for new graphic vocabularies. Ibán Ramón reduces, organizes, and refines, creating geometric compositions that unfold a quiet spatial complexity. Javier Jaén constructs images that are at once obvious and enigmatic, and precisely in that tension they evoke a sense of visual poetry. Quim Marin choreographs typography, image, and color into rhythmic compositions that are both functional and expressive. Koln Studio relies on radical reduction, using minimal forms with high conceptual density. Brave New World represents a collective practice, design as a shared process and as a political and social act.

Within an increasingly pragmatic understanding of design, the poster takes on a particular role. It remains one of the few media capable of resisting pure functionality, a space for attitude, friction, and critical thought. This raises a question. What kind of truth can design articulate today? What form can expression take?

Ibán Ramón offers one possible answer. Designing posters today can be a political and cultural act, a way of returning to the city some of its capacity to communicate something beyond commercial messages.

The publication Poster Thinking documents and reflects on the curatorial work of more than 14 exhibitions within madridgráfica and supergráfico from 2008 to 2025, as well as the Contemporary Spanish Poster project, published by FANSBOOK (Artediez).

CLOCK IN

Posted on by hungyuchen

In February 2024, a daily commute to work by bicycle became the starting point for an ongoing photographic and design-based exploration. What initially began as a practical shift in routine gradually evolved into a structured way of observing and documenting everyday movement.

Through photography, every reason for being late was recorded. Beyond the obvious delays, the work captures the subtle interruptions and detours that shape a morning ride: changing landscapes, incidental encounters, small accidents, and fleeting moments that would otherwise go unnoticed. Over time, these fragments formed a growing visual archive, compressed into a series of everyday records oscillating between documentation and diary.

From a design perspective, this collection was translated into a series of objects. The images gathered along the route were reinterpreted and materialized into three distinct outcomes, each engaging with notions of time, repetition, and delay.

☻ 12 × CLOCK IN Time Clocks → functional clocks
☻ 01 × 🅒Ⓗ🅘Ⓛ🅛Ⓞ🅤Ⓣ Punch Card → photo book
☻ 01 × late (at) life Warning Light → luminous charm

Together, these works form a system of reminders that sits between function and narrative. They reflect on lateness not only as disruption, but also as a condition that opens up space for attention, observation, and reflection within the everyday.

At its core, the project proposes a simple thought: even if work life balance remains out of reach, there is still a way to find moments of return to life along the road of being late.

As the familiar saying suggests, “Life is like riding a bicycle. Once you start pedaling forward, you find your balance.”

Find more informations about the project here.

Experimental Typography by Hiroshi Imaeda (PENETRATE)

Posted on by Samira Niedermayer

In an era where connection is effortless, intimacy often feels distant. Surrounded by countless digital voices, we may find ourselves more isolated than ever.

Hiroshi Imaeda is a Japanese graphic designer and art director whose practice spans brand communication and experimental visual research. After working at agencies in Nagoya and Tokyo and later at Interbrand Japan, he founded PENETRATE in 2016. He is a member of JAGDA (Japan Graphic Designers Association). While his background is rooted in branding, Imaeda’s work increasingly extends into critical and experimental territory. His projects reflect on the conditions of contemporary communication, where constant connectivity produces not only proximity, but also overload, fatigue, and emotional distance. Within this context, he investigates how meaning behaves under pressure—when signals accumulate, structures destabilize, and language begins to lose clarity.

A key focus of his recent practice is the development of experimental bio-typography in collaboration with AI systems. These works translate the emotional and psychological effects of digital communication into unstable typographic forms, where language appears to behave like a living system—stretching, fragmenting, and collapsing under saturation.

In parallel, Imaeda explores what he describes as “anti-design” strategies. By repeating found imagery and typographic elements, removing context, and reconstructing meaning through variation, he creates visual systems that resist immediate readability. Instead of delivering clear messages, these works emphasize friction, ambiguity, and perceptual delay—challenging the expectation that design must always resolve into communication.

Across these projects, Imaeda examines the tension between structure and collapse, order and noise. His work treats these not as opposites, but as interconnected states that continuously shape one another. Within this dynamic field, design becomes less about resolution and more about observation—of systems under pressure and meaning in transition.

Nobody Reads This 2026

Posted on by ujazdowski

On 22 May 2026, the second edition of the Nobody Reads This Art Book Fair opens at the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw. Following last year’s strong debut, which drew over 5,400 visitors, the fair returns with an expanded and more international focus.

Over the course of three days, Nobody Reads This will bring together more than 70 exhibitors, including art galleries, independent publishers, foundations, artist run initiatives, and individual practitioners. Set within the courtyard of Ujazdowski Castle, the fair creates a concentrated space for printed matter, where publications can be experienced beyond the screen, tactile, immediate, and rooted in materiality.

This year’s edition places particular emphasis on international exchange. With a growing number of participants from outside Poland, the fair fosters dialogue across borders and disciplines, encouraging new collaborations and shared perspectives within the fields of art, publishing, and design.

Accompanying the fair is a curated program of talks, workshops, and presentations running from 22 to 24 May. Industry focused sessions offer insight into the processes behind publishing, from concept to production, while book launches and artist talks open up the programe to a broader audience.

Positioned at the intersection of artistic practice and independent publishing, Nobody Reads This addresses both professionals and enthusiasts alike. It offers opportunities to present work, expand networks, and discover new approaches, as well as to engage collectors, readers, and anyone interested in printed matter beyond mainstream distribution. The fair invites visitors to slow down, engage with detail, and explore publishing as a physical and cultural practice.

When?
May 22–24, 2026

Where?
Ujazdowski Castle
Centre for Contemporary Art
Jazdów 2, 00–467 Warsaw, Poland

Consumerism Workshop

Posted on by lars

The task: create a poster in just two hours—without knowing the tools, without prepared content, and without even a headline. The only starting point: CONSUMERISM.

Under the guidance of Prof. Lars Harmsen, this intense short workshop took place at the Design Department of National Taiwan Normal University.

Before the hands-on session, Marian Misiak and Lars Harmsen gave a lecture introducing different strategies in type design and shared selected works from their portfolios, offering valuable insights into their creative approaches.

Armed with nothing but curiosity and pressure, students were invited to explore new visual languages using the tools such as the Space Type Generator by Kiel Danger Mutschelknaus and Avocado Ibuprofen Paint.

A special thank you goes to Professor Sophia Ling-hung SHIH for the invitation and for making this workshop possible. And of course, a big thank you to all participating students for embracing the challenge and diving into the process with such energy.

Oberflächlich mit Tiefgang

Posted on by Franziska Müller

Bremen, 2000. Ingo Krepinsky and Stefan Krömer launch Die Typonauten. Desktop publishing is coming of age. QuarkXPress dominates layouts. Apple computers are standard. Digital workflows replace montages and traditional typesetting. Designers finally control the entire production process. The stage is set for a new generation of creatives. Fast forward 25 years. The industry is shifting again. AI is reshaping workflows, strategies, and communication. Die Typonauten are right in the middle of it—only now with a bit more calm than back then.

To mark their 25th anniversary, they release the book Oberflächlich mit Tiefgang: over 300 pages packed with projects, design know-how, typographic passion, and personal stories. The idea came from digging through old archives. The book shows the agency’s evolution. Early days were all about print, books, classic layouts. Then came websites, complex communication projects, strategy, and consulting. Today, Die Typonauten focus heavily on the energy and utilities sector—corporate design, campaign communications, document management. Every project is thoughtful, functional, and visually strong.

Typography remains at the heart. The “type virus” caught them in college and never left. Fonts like Oklahoma, Witchfinder, Jonas carry their signature into the world. Even if self-designed typefaces are less frequent nowadays, their love for typography runs through every project.

Design is never just “making things pretty.” Krepinsky says: “It’s always about solving problems. Communication is our core task, centered on people, regardless of medium.” Krömer adds: “Buzzwords come and go. What stays is a critical distance to the industry and the ability to not take yourself too seriously.”

Oberflächlich mit Tiefgang speaks to designers, clients, communication managers, and anyone fascinated by design history and branding. It inspires, tells visual stories, and shows what drives Die Typonauten: passion for design, typography, complex challenges—with humor and clarity all the way.

Oberflächlich mit Tiefgang

Editors: Ingo Krepinsky, Stefan Krömer (Die Typonauten GmbH)
Editorial: Antje Dohmann
First Edition: Limited and hand-numbered (300 copies)
Publication Date: February 2026
Pages: 304; over 900 illustrations
Language: German
Dimensions and Weight: 20.5 × 25.5 × 3 cm, approx. 1,250 g
Binding and Printing: Hardcover with half-cloth, fourfold hot foil stamping and perforation
Six-color printing (CMYK + 2 Pantone spot colors), uncoated fine paper (Icon Classic smooth matt white 120 g; Design Offset natural white 160 g; acid-free, archival quality), thread-sewn binding, headband, three-sided color edge
Proofreading: Textgärtnerei, Bremen
Printing Company: Mundschenk Druck + Medien GmbH & Co. KG, Lutherstadt Wittenberg
Bookbinding: Müller Buchbinderei GmbH, Gerichshain
Price: 105 €
ISBN: 978-3-00-085447-7

Available for order here or via mail at [email protected]

Recap: see-Conference 2026

Posted on by Samira Niedermayer

For the first time, the see-Conference took place under the guiding question: What does design have to do with democracy? On Saturday, April 25, the 20th edition of the conference once again transformed the grounds of the Schlachthof Wiesbaden into a dense field of ideas, images, and discussions. Designers, artists, architects, filmmakers, and theorists came together to explore how deeply visual culture shapes participation, public space, and social processes. The conference was initiated by Michael Volkmer and moderated by Claudia Brüninghaus. For the first time, Slanted was present with its own booth—books, conversations, and a continuous exchange between audience and contributors accompanied the day.

The conference opened with philosopher and author Eva von Redecker, known for her books „Revolution für das Leben“ and „Dieser Drang nach Härte” As a free author and critical thinker, she is known for clearly and precisely contextualizing the pressing issues of our time. She began her talk with the words: “We think in language – words that allow us to see many things at once.” At the center of her reflection were concepts such as ownership, freedom to remain, and the idea of a shared world.

With Deveroe, the energy shifted into something more intense and visually wild. His approach “heart over head” runs consistently through his work: mixed media, a strong DIY spirit, and a playful combination of analog and digital processes. His statement stays with you: Creativity means being able to deal with uncertainty. And in a world where so much starts to look the same, your own quirks become the greatest advantage. Daniel Chatard, documentary photographer, brought a quieter and more observational perspective. His work explores power structures, collective identity, and trauma through photography as a research-based medium. Trained in Hannover and at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, he understands images as a tool for critically mapping social conditions.

Afterwards came the midday break on the festival grounds: food trucks, sunshine, conversations, and a moment to breathe between intense inputs.

Tobias Trübenbacher, industrial designer and architect, brought a perspective on sustainable design and material research. As initiator and author of his projects, he works at the intersection of product design, architecture, and ecological systems. He presented “Salt Water Clay,” “Papilio 2.0,” and “Shadow Transitions,” among many more projects, addressing different layers of material innovation, landscape transformation, and urban climate challenges. A more political tone followed with Tobias von Laubenthal from the Center for Political Beauty. His position was clear: design can and should be used against the far right. His actions are deliberately simple, often humorous, sometimes playful—but always with a serious political core, designed to provoke reflection while still allowing space for a smile. Digital artist David Szauder showed how AI can be meaningfully integrated into creative workflows. His work blends glitch aesthetics, machine intelligence, and human creativity. A key takeaway: embracing imperfection as a creative force. His project “Glitches & Glory” demonstrates how errors can become expression—and how technology reshapes authorship and perception.

Sophie Doula offered a short but inspiring insight into her practice, ranging from experimental color studies to her Risograph workshop—always exploring identity, emotion, and visual language.

In between, the familiar rhythm of the see unfolded: coffee queues, ice cream stands, and outdoor presentations from Hessen Design, World Design Capital initiatives, and projects from the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences.

With Jette Cathrin Hopp (Snøhetta), the focus shifted to architecture: rethinking public space, increasing accessibility, and making cities more livable. Projects such as the Norwegian National Opera or the redesign of Times Square demonstrate how design can directly shape democratic participation. A recurring idea: “Use the ground twice.” Lois Hechenblaiker brought a critical and sometimes satirical perspective on tourism and event culture. His work shows what remains—visually striking, often humorous in presentation, yet carrying a clear sense of underlying discomfort.

The day closed with Holy Motors from Tbilisi—loud, bold, entertaining, and politically charged. Between chaos, humor, and design, they demonstrate how creativity persists under unstable conditions and why making marginalized voices visible is essential. The evening naturally flowed into drinks and conversations, ending the day with a shared toast and continued exchange. On Sunday, the see-Camp shifted into a more hands-on format: workshops, dialogue, and practical approaches toward a democratic and future-oriented way of living together.

A dense, intense, and deeply inspiring edition of the see-Conference. A special thank-you goes out to all our visitors who actively supported us by purchasing Slanted publications throughout the day. We truly appreciate the exchange and the interest, and we’re already looking forward to seeing you again next year.

Words at Fingertips — Film Poster

Posted on by slanted-api

Created for the 100 Films 100 Posters project at the Jeonju International Film Festival, this film poster explores the possibility of extending perception beyond the screen. Rather than merely representing the film, it engages with what emerges after viewing. Inspired by a deaf protagonist seeking connection through language, the poster functions as an added layer, expanding sensory experience and thought.

The Mallangcholy Club

Posted on by slanted-api

The poster for Mallangcholy Club visualizes cuteness as an atmospheric and sensory condition rather than a fixed image. “Mallangcholy” is a portmanteau combining mallang, a Korean word meaning “soft,” and melancholy. Conceived as a workshop project at Werkplaats Typografie in 2019, Mallangcholy Club stages a fictional club setting to expand interpretations of cuteness into visual and auditory experiences through a gustatory metaphor.

Untitled

Posted on by slanted-api

The image series visualizes META MASCOT as a semi-linguistic structure, where its soft, ambiguous letterforms are arranged in sequences resembling teeth. Repeated and tightly aligned, the forms evoke a mouth-like system that hovers between articulation and obstruction. Rather than producing clear language, the composition suggests a threshold—where meaning is chewed, withheld, or partially formed.

Mascot Micrographia

Posted on by slanted-api

The poster visualizes a speculative micro-ecosystem of mascots generated through AI face learning and morphing. Familiar mascot features are extracted, recombined, and proliferated into a series of unstable, hybrid faces that oscillate between identity and mutation. By compressing these variations into a dense visual field, the poster reflects the project’s interest in cuteness as both a trivial and subversive aesthetic.

GUM #14—Digital Edition

Posted on by Dirk Fuetterer

Published at irregular intervals since 1997 by the Department of Design and Art at Hochschule Bielefeld, GUM is a magazine dedicated to conceptual design. Its first digital edition addresses the future of design practice through a question that is both formal and conceptual: How can an analog magazine be translated into a digital editorial form?

GUM #14 presents itself as both laboratory and discursive space. Drawing on a carefully curated selection of outstanding student projects and degree work, it examines the intersections of transdisciplinary design pedagogy and asks how experimental practice might be documented, reframed and extended through editorial means. Structured as a seemingly endless spread, the issue tests the spatial, temporal and typographic conditions of digital reading while reflecting on the design culture that has shaped the department over the past five years.

For the first time, GUM appears not in print, but as a hybrid of magazine and platform. The premise was to transfer the logic of a classic editorial layout into a digital environment while exploiting specifically digital affordances: vertical scrolling, motion, sound, interaction and moving image. Deliberately, the publication is not optimized for mobile. This refusal is programmatic. Rather than submitting to the functional defaults of contemporary interface culture, GUM #14 insists on the screen as a site for formal invention, editorial pacing and typographic articulation.

Contributions from digital media, photography, communication design and fashion are brought into a shared framework in which design practice and theoretical reflection are closely interwoven. Text and image do not simply coexist; they intersect, overlap and generate new readings. In this way, the issue proposes digital publishing not as the remediation of print, nor as the reproduction of familiar patterns of use, but as a medium capable of producing its own visual rhetoric and editorial syntax.

Emerging from a laboratory context, GUM #14 does not claim to offer a universal model. Its emphasis lies on experiment, on testing the limits of format, and on developing a distinctly digital typography that resists standardized web aesthetics. The result is both a reflection on contemporary design education and a proposition about where editorial design might move next.

Read it for free here.

GUM #14

Art Direction: Johannes Nathow
Editorial and Layout: Johannes Nathow, Nina Michler, Lars Vieth
Development: Malte Michels
Editorial Assistance: Aliya Amangeldi, Marius Gieske, Laura Kolik, Juyeon Ko, Lars Vieth, Samuel Wiebe
Concept: Juyeon Ko, Lars Vieth
Texts: Rafael Dernbach, Nina Michler, Claudia Rohrmoser, Samuel Wiebe
Design Contributions: Students and alumni of the Department of Design and Art, Hochschule Bielefeld:
Julia Autz, Darius Bange, Madlin Bentlage, Paul Düstersiek, Sandra Eden, Sarah Fyrguth, Daniel Götz, Roman Girsikorn, Fritz Grögel, Ronja Hempel, Hanno Hlacer, Mirko Israel, Janice Jensen, Kaan Kanbur, Lovis Knechtel, Karsten Kronas, Alina Lutz, Kati Lübeck, Sonja Mense, Fabia Meyer, Isabel Pallas, Patrick Pollmeier, Karina Reich, Katrin Ribbe, Samuel Cerqueira da Rocha, Tim Rodenbröcker, Raphael Helmut Schmitt, Maik Symann, Luisa Summe, Tilman Kunkel, Paulina Zoe Tillmann, Sihyun Woo, Anke Warlies
Publisher: Dirk Fütterer

Institute for Book Design | Hochschule Bielefeld

© 2025 text and image contributors
© 2025 Institute for Book Design | Hochschule Bielefeld

The Past, The Present

Posted on by slanted-api

“The Past, The Present” aims to revisit our lives as they transform over time, and to socially share and expand the artistic value inherent in individual memories and experiences. This poster visualizes the project as a layered accumulation of time. Past, present, and future are not treated as separate moments, but as overlapping strata that continuously shape one another. Through transparent stacking, slight misalignment, and shifts in clarity, the design reflects how personal memory is built.