Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Categories
- 3.3K All Categories
- 9 Introductions
- 2.7K Typeface Design
- 462 Font Technology
- 845 Technique and Theory
- 363 Type Business
- 328 Type Design Critiques
- 436 Type Design Software
- 29 Punchcutting
- 71 Lettering and Calligraphy
- 43 Technique and Theory
- 28 Lettering Critiques
- 280 Typography
- 193 History of Typography
- 81 Education
- 6 Resources
- 372 Announcements
- 60 Events
- 78 Job Postings
- 111 Type Releases
- 122 Miscellaneous News
- 194 About TypeDrawers
- 44 TypeDrawers Announcements
- 82 Suggestions and Bug Reports
Type Network
Dave Crossland
Posts: 1,051
http://www.fontbureau.com is now redirecting to http://www.typenetwork.com
0
Comments
I'm curious to hear more about how this represents "a new model for type design, development, licensing, and use."
Thanks Ray! Over the years a great group of people worked on the opportunity, first as FB 3.0, and then after some industry changes, it became Nick Sherman's to name, as you see he did well. Nick, Chris Lewis, Indra, the Mr. Coles, and this forum, made outstanding contributions to the foundation. It is a fundation that took a few turns to the larger as more foundries spoke, causing us to go into several overtime periods.
But thanks to everyone around here who worked on it near and far, past and present.
I should also say, as far as I know, that most of the marketing material written by TN, is not intended to impress foundry or type design ears, so I won't apologize for it not answering all of your questions. Thanks.
I have long respected Font Bureau and your designers, and support any endeavour that empowers independent type design, but I’ve found this marketing language rather opaque and unclear. Not just on the “new model” hyperbole side, but also on a basic “I like it, what is it?” side. I had to read through that main introductory paragraph several times, and I still don’t truly understand what TypeNetwork actually is.
I’m surprised by this dismissive tone, apparently both towards type designers (“not for you, you don’t need to know what this is and how it works”) AND of, I presume, graphic designers and typographers (“here’s some bold type and bright colours, don’t worry your pretty little heads about how this all works!”). I think that anyone who admires and respects a type foundry (or in this case, a network) also wants to understand how it works and, when grand statements are made, what they really mean.
I wouldn’t expect their marketing material to be directed at other type designers. As it stands now, both their marketing and business strategy are more informative and open than a few other well-known online type shops.
I think it speaks to what I've been saying for a while now: for type designers, ownership model is going to be the single most important aspect of any new type business. So when a new company launches with publicity mentioning a new ownership model, people are impatient to know what it is and how it works.
James Goggin, you must have had a good teacher somewhere. So, I'm interested in your views on launch marketing and what would like to have seen written about the launch of your foundry. Or, do you think my explanation and apology above is dissmissive?
James II, thank you. TN has founder partners via Webtype who are not associated with FB. FB has no more jurisdiction over TN partnerships than any other one foundry. No TN foundry has veto power over inclusion. The process of developing the process is ongoing, and ultimately evolutionary. Contact [email protected] for the proper potion.
James III, agreed. You'd think independents would grant a little independence to a fellow independent, but such is the independent mind, eh. I've had normally great folk jumping out from behind the kerning bush to tell me they are too independent for TN on one hand, and then flaying me like a May hare for FB's independent moves.
John I, TN was building of real and proposed infrastructure and dummy content for over three years. Late last month, we decided we were safe. I think when we started, there were a lot fewer conferences. I suppose the time it has taken has changed that, so any launch will hit some type conference, no?
Are you in nyc for that?
I'm very excited about Type Network, and apologise if I came across too harshly.
I was referring to the above part of your comment, which felt dismissive to both type designers and whomever the actual intended audience is for the marketing material.
And that marketing material itself sounding a bit too corporate and, well, “marketing”, to my ears, coming from a network of independent foundries and designers that is, as I understand it, set up in part to counter the prevailing corporatisation/monopolisation of type foundries. Admittedly I'm mostly talking about just the main intro on the homepage part of what is ultimately a fantastic website that of course displays the foundries and typefaces beautifully.
I have broad issues with branding- and corporate-speak spreading into the cultural sphere (and I definitely count type design as “culture”!), so perhaps this is more my problem than yours!
Alas, no. I was hoping to be, but June being end-of-financial-year for a major client means that it is always my busiest month trying to wrap up projects.
I could wonder whether the "founder partners via Webtype who are not associated with FB" are actual designers, or investors. But frankly that's secondary to what I see as the upcoming litmus test: will non-FB designers be allowed to sell on Type Network, and under what conditions? That's what will reveal how designer-at-large–centric TN really is.
What I didn't understood is that does each foundry/designer now use TN as official website or they will keep their personal websites active (which imply also will TN website also keep all rights of selling their fonts only on TN and not on personal website of each foundry/designer)?
GUESSWORK ALERT
It's possible FB actually "divested" its designers, but hopefully –and seemingly– giving them a handsome severance package of sorts via a share in Type Network. Which is all totally kosher. However the fate of non–formerly-FB designers will most likely involve the small matter of a royalty cut...
Network: Any thing reticulated or decussated, at equal distances, with interstices between the intersections.
* Assuming that ever happens.