TypeThursday: Mark, thank you for being here for TypeThursday.

Mark Rossi: Thank you, I’m really happy to be here!

TT: I attended Typographics last summer and loved the branding/ graphics from the event. I later discovered you were the art director behind all that great work! But before we get into that project, could you share with us more about yourself? How did you come to be an art director?

MR: My intro into design and typography really started in my teenage years. I was a graffiti artist with a strong focus on lettering. I didn’t realize it at the time that I had already developed such a keen interest in typography. I then went to college in Philly for graphic design and straight from there I started my own clothing company. The designs were inspired by graffiti. I ran that for a couple of years while also working at different design agencies in the city before landing my current position at The Cooper Union, creator of the Typographics festival.

TT: Did you do tags with your graffiti? Forgive my ignorance on graffiti culture if I am mistaken.

MR: Yes, so there are two main parts to graffiti. First being taggers/bombers doing quick hand styles and bubble letters that are 1–2 color signatures, and then there are piecers who do very colorful intricate ornate letter designs. Think murals. People usually lean towards one or the other, but they’re not mutually exclusive. I really focused on exploring the mural aspect of it.

In the months coming up to the event you are doing so much, it’s really rewarding to see it all come together.

Mark’s Role at Typographics

TT: Awesome, thanks for informing me! Tell me more about your role in the Typographics festival. You just referenced being the creator of it. Sounds like you played a big role in its existence.

MR: The festival was created by two alumns and professors at The Cooper Union in 2015, Alexander Tochilovsky and Cara Di Edwardo. I worked on some of the supporting material for the first event, mostly doing advertising and event graphics. In 2016, I was invited to create the identity and branding for the festival. This includes conceptualizing and producing the creative for print and digital promotional campaigns, onsite graphics, exhibition design and supporting materials. We are in the middle of organizing our third year — my second year as art director for the festival.

TT: Very cool. There’s a lot of moving parts! For you, what is your favorite part of the project?

MR: Yes, there are a lot of moving parts and you’re always challenged to make sure the identity is consistent across all components. My favorite part of the project to work on so far was last year, when we for the first time, created a huge advertisement, half a block long, across the colonnade of the building. I can’t tell you how excited it made me seeing that every day when I stepped off the subway on my way to work. I also love being there during the festival and seeing how people respond. In the months coming up to the event you are doing so much, it’s really rewarding to see it all come together.

TT: Yes! I recall the advert across the colonnade of the building! I really enjoyed the scale of the letters as I would walk by it. You reference making sure the identity was consistency across all the components. Is consistency the main challenge as the Typographic Art Director?

I start thinking about the shapes of the fonts, how do I see the letters connect through shapes? Because establishing that is really what drives the aesthetic for the festival.

The Role of Fonts in Branding

MR: I think the biggest challenge each year is coming up with the identity and choosing the typefaces. The font helps maintain consistency across the different mediums and channels.

But you also need to find that font that works well across all mediums, and it needs to be beautiful yet practical to engage prospective attendees from the design community.

TT: Do you have a specific process in making your font choices?

MR: Well usually The Typographics festival creators and contributors each find a select number of fonts they think could work, then we come together and evaluate them. We then narrow it down to a handful with the best potential. We also think about how we want the conference to look and feel. I start some preliminary designs to see how these fonts would translate over the various festival elements. I start thinking about the shapes of the fonts, how do I see the letters connect through shapes? Because establishing that is really what drives the aesthetic for the festival.

David Jonathan Ross and Nick Sherman worked together to create the script that made the borders and names change. I loved their idea, and impressively as a result, no two of the 600+ names tags were the same.

Collaboration

TT: That’s really great how you collaborate with other contributors to create the design directions. How was it working with David Jonathan Ross and Nick Sherman on the badges last year?

MR: It was great working with them both on this. I came up with the design for the name badges. David Jonathan Ross and Nick Sherman worked together to create the script that made the borders and names change. I loved their idea, and impressively as a result, no two of the 600+ names tags were the same. I’m looking forward to working with them again this year.

TT: To summarize, working as an art director, you need to consider how type can create a cohesive branding message while collaborating with many other people skilled in other areas like programing. Is that a fair summary?

MR: Yes, absolutely. Technology and design do go hand in hand. That’s why at Typographics, we have TypeLab, a series of workshops, demos and experiments where attendees come together to learn about coding, typography and how technology is impacting the modern type world.

TT: Mark, it’s been a pleasure speaking with you. Thank you so much for being here for TypeThursday.

MR: Anytime! Thank you so much for inviting me.