HOW Conference : Boston 2012

In June 2012, I was invited to give a typography workshop at the HOW Conference in Boston. This was my second time at HOW and I was thrilled to be asked back after an awesome time at their Denver 2010 event. Type Camp was in the exhibitors hall, just across from the (awesome people at ) Monadnock Paper. We had loads of visitors, one of whom was at the Typography Department at the University of Reading  when I was there in 1999.

2012 How booth

We had around 80 people in attendance, all of whom were eager to try new things with type. One of the projects that we did as a warm-up involved the participants simply writing (lettering) their name. Then, they traded with another person at the table and did someone else’s name, and so on, each time getting crazier and more abstract, with legibility not being a priority! This was an opportunity for them to remind themselves that they can draw and they can use their hands and that even if it’s only 5 minutes with a sharpie, you can be creative and keep stretching your ability.

The attendees were awesome – asking questions and even laughing at the right places (if you’ve ever seen my ‘Cake Wrecks’ slides, you had better giggle, too!). I think that some of their lettering cards were really creative – pretty good for a morning workshop, I’d say.

My trusty sidekick and budding famous filmmaker, Daria Lanz, joined me at the workshop so that we could create a film from the results of the 3 hours. I still can’t believe that she was able to photograph and assemble this film in just 90 minutes, but she did! Rock star!

street type in Boston 1Since we were in Boston, we also celebrated the area by wearing lobster bibs (you mean everyone doesn’t wear them in Boston?). I think they were my favourite piece of ephemera there. They’re red, they have big claws, and they have little beady eyes – perfect. Did I ever actually EAT lobster? Nope. But I fully intend to have Dyana show me how to do it when I get back there sometime soon.