Does Typography Matter?
“What typefaces and typographies are preferred for reading on pages, screens and signage?” Often, what seem to be trivial design decisions make a deep cumulative impact on our everyday lives. Among these are the decisions graphic and typography designers make regarding the way we read. How do they affect our reading pleasure, efficiency and efficacy? Drawing from a small-scale empirical user study, four speakers, including design practitioners and academics, will share their insights on the effects of different types, and on how pages and messages are laid out. If you are interest in the designs behind the print, don’t miss this eye-opening dialogue!
HOST(S)
Keith Tam | HKDI
Typographer and Design Educator
Typographer, information designer, researcher and educator, Keith Tam is currently Head of Department of Communication Design and Director of the Centre for Communication Design at the Hong Kong Design Institute, as well as a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Type Lab of the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai University. Previously, Tam taught at the University of Reading (UK), Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Emily Carr University of Art and Design (Canada). His pedagogy, research and consultancy services focus on typography and information design, particularly in the context of multilingual communication.
SPEAKER(S)
Dr. Cheung Sing Hang | Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong
Psychologist
Dr. Cheung Sing Hang obtained his PhD at the University of Minnesota, United States, and is now an Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong. His early research focused on the operational role of the human visual system and the potentials of brain structure and function, while his recent research interest centres on positive psychology and the psychology of religion.
Katherine Tse | HKDI
Lecturer at the Department of Communication Design and a Researcher (Archive) at the Centre for Communication Design under HKDI
Katherine Tse is a lecturer at the Department of Communication Design and a Researcher (Archive) at the Centre for Communication Design under HKDI.
She is a communication designer with particular interests in the authenticity of an individual’s sense of self, gender and sexuality through fashion.
Mak Kai Hang | Makkaihang Design
Graphic Designer
Mak Kai Hang is a Hong Kong graphic designer and typographer focusing on the exploration of typography and printed matter. In 2018, he established design studio Makkaihang Design, which provides services spanning brand and visual identity, book and publishing design, exhibition spaces, websites and digital design.
Mak’s work has received international recognition, including D&AD Awards (UK), One Show Design Awards (US), Type Director Club Awards (US), Art Director Club Awards (US) and Type Director Club Awards (Tokyo). He is also a two-time winner of the Golden Pin Design Awards’ Best Design of the Year (Taiwan). His works have been exhibited internationally, including in the United States, Norway, Russia, Beijing, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In 2020, he received the DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award.