HONG KONG, Nov. 24, 2023 – Monotype, a leading type and technology specialist, co-hosted the TypeMeet Hong Kong event on November 15th, 2023 alongside Hong Kong Design Institute and Joint Publishing. During the event, Monotype Creative Type Director, Akira Kobayashi, shared his typographic expertise with over 300 attendees from the design community including corporate brands, designers, students and font enthusiasts. The global industry leading expert promises to inspire the next generation of designers in Hong Kong.
Akira Kobayashi is one of the industry’s foremost experts and a recipient of the 2022 TDC Medal and Keinosuke Sato Award. Throughout his career, Kobayashi has designed over 50 font families, including DIN Next, Akko Pro and Neue Frutiger. His presence at the event provided a significant boost for Hong Kong designers to gain insights from his experience with corporate type, design and branding.
During his presentation, Kobayashi emphasized the importance of corporate type that aligns with a brand’s purpose and identity. He then showcased his impressive portfolio of works created for global brands such as UBS, Bridgestone, Mondphase, Sony, Alibaba and Mazda. He also highlighted that a good typeface is one that serves its intended purpose effectively.
“Designing a typeface goes beyond its mere outline; the internal shape plays an equally important role,” explained Akira Kobayashi. “It was a pleasure to share my type design journey with the enthusiastic audience at TypeMeet Hong Kong.”
“It was an absolute delight to have Mr. Akira Kobayashi as our honored speaker at the 7th TypeMeet event. It’s particularly meaningful that he was also a guest speaker at our first-ever TypeMeet event back in 2015. Akira’s wealth of knowledge and skills in Latin and CJK typefaces captivated the 300-strong audience. Hong Kong Design Institute is honored to work with Monotype to host TypeMeet since the very beginning. Together with Monotype, we are on a mission to foster the development of typeface design and typography in the region,” says Keith Tam, Vice Principal of the Hong Kong Design Institute.
On the same day, Monotype Chief Typographer and Production Manager, Robin Hui led an engaging workshop. Hui was a recipient of the Wood Pencil in the D&AD Awards 2022 for his outstanding work with Nike and as a member of the development team for the famous Monotype Hei, Sung, and Kai font families. The workshop focused on exploring the traditional techniques used in crafting Chinese typefaces, aiming to foster a deeper appreciation for the artistry behind Chinese typeface design, which was a highlight for younger design students who were present.
Monotype continues to lead the way in type and technology, empowering designers and brands worldwide with innovative font solutions. By sharing their expertise and nurturing the next generation of designers, Monotype reinforces its commitment to preserving the artistry and cultural significance of typeface design, both in Hong Kong and across the globe.
SOURCE PRNewswire
