Creative Characters

What happens to creativity when designers are expected to work faster? In this episode, host Phil Garnham speaks with Barcelona-based designer and typographer Marta Cerdà Alimbau about the growing tension between speed, technology, and creating meaningful design work. Known for blending typography and illustration into expressive visual systems for global brands like Vogue, Nike, and The New York Times, Marta reflects on why doubt, memory, craft, and process still matter in an era shaped by automation and AI. You can find blog posts for this and other episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

What happens when your creative partner is also your identical twin? In this episode, The Stone Twins—Garech and Declan Stone—share how a lifelong relationship built on trust, honesty, and a bit of friction fuels their work. From their upbringing in Dublin to building a studio in Amsterdam, they reflect on why competing ideas often lead to stronger outcomes and why, in a fast-moving industry, original thinking and human perspective matter more than ever. The Stone Twins also unpack their unique approach to branding, from shaping the identity of Amsterdam's A'DAM Tower to turning an Irish postage stamp into a storytelling platform, all while making the case for craft, clarity, and creating work people talk about. You can find blog posts for this and other episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

This week we're joined by the dynamic duo of Ilana Griffo and Katie Johnson. They're creatives, co-owners of Goodtype, and co-authors of a new book, Follow Your Art: Uncover and Unleash Your Creative Voice. With a community of 1 million on Instagram — as well as digital courses and events IRL — Goodtype is a resource for type lovers, artists, and designers to connect and learn. Katie and Ilana are obsessed with helping creatives find their unique voice. In this episode, they open up about their own creative voices and share strategies to help you find yours. Follow Your Art: Uncover and Unleash Your Creative Voice comes out March 17. You can pre-order it here: https://goodtype.us/follow-your-art-book To explore the Goodtype community, or to check out Ilana and Katie's work, head to goodtype.us or follow them on Instagram at goodtype. You can find blog posts for this and past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

New York-born Max Phillips has been drawing letters for money since he was a teenager. But his path to full-time type design was a bit circuitous — and even involves a stint as a novelist. Join us as Max, founder of Dublin-based Signal Type, waxes poetically about designing typefaces. He shares the creative process behind his diverse library; how Hermann Zapf has influenced him; and the delicate balance between crafting bold faces to amuse yourself and making versatile fonts for the design world. Check out the newly expanded version of Max's Reckham family from Signal Type on MyFonts and Monotype Fonts. You can find blog posts for this and past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

Step into the world of Malcolm Garrett, an iconic British graphic designer whose career is grounded in punk rock and new technology.In this episode, Malcolm talks about designing record sleeves for bands like Buzzcocks, Duran Duran, and Simple Minds, as well as his enthusiasm for adopting new digital design tools. From the DIY spirit of London's Shoreditch neighborhood in the '80s to learning how to design on Apple IIe computers and early iterations of Adobe Illustrator, Malcolm's reflections offer a glimpse into the evolution of graphic design over the past five decades. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

Tune in for an inside scoop on Adobe Max 2025, a hub for creativity and design. In this episode, hosts Carl Unger, Kadley Gosselin, and Livia Halltari guide participants through an interactive Find the Font game and reveal which font they'd send in their place to a job interview. We also trade notes about MAX's vibrant artist marketplace; talk to Monotype Executive Creative Director, Sara Soskolne, about her work expanding the iconic Gotham typeface for the Obama Foundation; and catch up with John Roshell of Comicraft. You can find blog posts for this and past episodes at monotype.com/podcast

In this episode, Joy Nazzari chats about her corner of the design world—place branding—with host Marie Boulanger. Joy is the Founder and Executive Chair of DNCO, an agency that's done branding for neighborhoods in London, New York, and Vancouver as well as the city of San Francisco. From her early days in finance and tech to building an agency that centers both creativity and business strategy, Joy shares her perspective on design leadership, the power of discomfort, and how to connect people to places in meaningful ways. To see Joy's work, visit dnco.com. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast

Host Livia Halltari chats with Cihan Tamti, a graphic designer based in Bochum, Germany. Cihan designs for clients like Nike, Calvin Klein, and Ms. Lauryn Hill. Yet he's passionate about designing in his community, spending time each year on the identity for a local film festival called DOXS RUHR and on pro bono work for local coffee shops and restaurants. In this episode, Livia talks to Cihan about his creative process, his early interest in graffiti, the magic of having an art teacher who encouraged him, and designing the identity for the world's largest sailing event. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast

This week we sit down with Kristy Campbell, the founder of Pink Pony Creative, a New Zealand-based design agency known for its bold style: think hot pink, variable fonts, and playful patterns. We originally met Kristy at Adobe Max, where she's spoken about crafting sticky brand identities and the power of personal branding. In this episode, Kristy shares how she turned her passion for personality-driven design into a thriving agency that's known for pushing boundaries. And she doesn't hold back. Kristy opens up about the highs and lows of owning an agency — handling failures, navigating imposter syndrome, and challenges around being a public-facing creative. She also gets real about balancing her role as a new mom with running a business. Listen in for practical advice on how to break through the digital noise and establish your own unique brand or creative business. To see Kristy's work, check out @kristy.thepinkpony or @pinkponycreative on Instagram. You can find blog posts for this and all out past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

This week, we sit down with designer David Jon Walker and talk about his journey from Nashville to Yale. We explore how David's roots, family inspirations (his quilting grandmother!), and a persistent drive to learn have shaped his style and career in typography and design. David candidly shares the sacrifices, risks, and leaps of faith that brought him to where he is today, including starting a new MFA mid-life and juggling fatherhood. Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with insights and a reminder that the creative process is full of unexpected turns — and endless possibilities. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

Alex Swatridge is the kind of creative you wish you could just sit down and brainstorm with. In this episode, host Graham Sturt talks to Alex about co-founding DutchScot, her London-based design agency that's making waves with bold, award-winning work. Preferring to gain inspiration from physical books and museum visits instead of scrolling, Alex shares her approach to design and how she stays true to her ideas while avoiding trends. Plus, hear Alex's thoughts on AI in design and how DutchScot keeps their work collaborative and human-centered. Whether you're a designer or just curious about the creative process, this episode is full of insights that'll leave you inspired to step away from your screen and find meaning in the physical world. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast Check out DutchScot's work at dutch.scot

We're ready for summer here at Creative Characters, so we decided to dig into the archives and explore the seasonal rhythms that influence art and life. From the ephemeral art of beach calligraphy by South Africa's Andrew van der Merwe, to photographer Tyler Haughey's striking portraits of off-season beach towns, to Justin Burns' reflections on the magic of the British seaside, this episode explores how the summer season shapes creativity, placemaking, and memory. Tune in and get ready for summer with this collection of stories that dive deep into the relationship between art and the ever-changing shoreline. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast Revisit the full episodes below: Andrew van der Merwe: Ephemeral calligraphy from the beaches of South Africa. Searching for signs of the British seaside with Justin Burns. Tyler Haughey: Neon and nostalgia down on the unseen Jersey Shore.