Looking Back: Voices in Type Assembly

On Tuesday, March 31 2026, the Voices in Type Assembly brought together designers, students, educators and cultural professionals at the Chassé Theater in Breda. Organised by Graphic Matters in collaboration with the Wim Crouwel Instituut, the event also marked the closing of Graphic Matters’ Characters: Voices in Type project—a research-driven initiative exploring how typography operates as a cultural, social, and political force. In the course of the day, eleven international designers took the stage, each presenting their own perspective on the role of type and design in today’s world.

Right from the start, it was clear that this would not be a conventional conference. Before a single speaker had taken the stage, the space already felt charged: a diverse audience filled the venue, ranging from young students to established graphic designers, many of them clearly engaged with the themes at hand. That sense of urgency was amplified by the opening performance by Guido de Boer (NL).

“All for one, kill silence, enough is enough, I am! Am I?” Three large rolls of paper descended from the ceiling, each covered in handwritten messages, stretching vertically across the space. Live on stage, De Boer completed the central banner with the words “Hell no.” It was a striking and confrontational start—one that from the outset framed typography not as decoration, but as protest, as voice, as action. When the banners were lifted, a new landscape of black-and-white posters bearing bold statements such as “If not us, who? If not now, when?” was revealed.

The opening extended beyond a visual gesture—it framed the day conceptually. This was a space where letters carried weight, where design intersected with politics, and where urgency was not abstract but deeply felt.

Can design make a difference? Throughout the day, this question kept resurfacing—sometimes directly, more often through the work itself. What role can typography play in a world shaped by conflict, inequality, and rapid change? And what responsibility do graphic designers carry within that context? 

Type as a Carrier of Meaning
The first block of presentations made a compelling case for typography as a medium that holds—and communicates—far more than form alone.

Michael Ellsworth (US) and Raya Leary (US/PT) of Civilization opened with insights into their practice, which operates at the intersection of design and advocacy. Working closely with activists and organisations, their projects demonstrate how visual identities can function as tools for political and social engagement—from campaigns surrounding abortion rights to broad cultural initiatives. In this context, design becomes a way to translate complex social issues into visual language, making them visible, accessible and actionable for a wider audience. 

This perspective was further expanded in the panel that followed, bringing together Ellsworth and Leary with Tré Seals (US), Mark Baker-Sanchez (US) and Kaleena Sales (US). Together, they reflected on their collaboration within the Characters: Voices in Type project, offering a layered view on how typography can carry historical, cultural and political meaning. The conversation also touched on questions of authorship, publishing and visibility within contemporary design practice.

Seals, founder of Vocal Type, emphasised the importance of research as a starting point. In his practice, typefaces are rooted in specific historical contexts and narratives. Rather than designing purely aesthetic forms, he develops type that carries the weight of the stories it represents. This approach was also evident in the VTC WIJ typeface, created as part of the project—drawing inspiration from Dutch protest culture of the 1970s and 80s, and translating collective voices, including that of anti-colonial author and resistance fighter Anton de Kom, into contemporary form.

The main takeaway of the discussion panel and talks was, beside their content, the level of personal investment in important world issues. A shared understanding emerged: typography is not simply a tool for communication, but a carrier of meaning, shaped by history, context and intention.

Responsibility & Representation
Where the first block established the power of type, the second block deepened the conversation by focusing on responsibility—both cultural and social.

Golnar Kat Rahmani (IR/DE), from Type & Politics, addressed the complex relationship between typography and perception. Drawing from her practice and research, she examined how Persian-Arabic scripts are often burdened with negative connotations, shaped by media narratives and geopolitical contexts. In Western contexts, these scripts are frequently and unconsciously associated with fear, conflict, or extremism—associations shaped not by the scripts themselves, but by the imagery and narratives circulated through the media. 

Her presentation felt deeply personal. Speaking as an Iranian designer in a time of ongoing political tension and conflict, her work carries an urgency that extends beyond design alone. By recontextualising these scripts—towards expressions that are playful, contemporary, and multifaceted—she actively challenges dominant narratives and opens space for new associations. In doing so, she framed typography as a cultural connector: something that can foster coexistence rather than division.

Saki Mafundikwa (ZW) approached the topic from a different angle, focusing on heritage, education, and the importance of recognising and preserving diverse writing systems. As the founder of the Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts (ZIVA), and author of Afrikan Alphabets: The Story of Writing in Africa, he has long advocated for the inclusion and preservation of African scripts. Rather than focusing on his own achievements, Mafundikwa spoke with visible pride about his students and their work, emphasising the importance of passing knowledge forward. In a room where multiple generations of designers were present, this emphasis on education and cross-generational continuity felt especially relevant.

Perhaps the most immediate and emotionally charged example of design’s impact came from Beatriz Lozano (MX/US). Her presentation, Type as a Tool for Community Power, demonstrated how design can operate as a form of direct intervention. One project—centred around a man detained by ICE and the urgent effort to reunite him with his family through an online designed campaign—showed how typography and graphic design can function under pressure, prioritising clarity, speed and emotional resonance over formal perfection.

As she emphasised, type can be more than communication: it can help keep communities safe, provide refuge, offer aid, and reunite families. It shows that the distance between design and reality can be remarkably small. Here, design was not about refinement, but about swift action—about making something visible, mobilising support, and contributing to tangible change.

Political Conviction & Design as Advocacy
The role of design as a direct political tool became even more explicit in the afternoon sessions. Aneesh Bhoopathy (US) offered insight into his work on the campaign for Zohran Mamdani in New York City. His presentation traced the design process from initial sketches to final outputs, highlighting the importance of trust between designer and client, as well as the role of experimentation and play.

Through hand lettering, typographic references, and elements drawn from local culture, Bhoopathy demonstrated how design can build not only recognition, but conviction—shaping how a campaign is perceived and experienced. How much design contributed to the campaign’s success is difficult to quantify, but a clear, engaging and human visual language was undeniably shaped.

Design Within the System
As the day reached its conclusion, a different tone emerged.
Ruben Pater’s (NL/ES) lecture, Design under Fascism, introduced a critical perspective—one that contrasted with the optimistic, action-driven narratives of earlier presentations.

Drawing from his research, Pater argued that design does not exist outside the economic and political structures within it operates. Instead, it is often embedded in—and complicit with—systems of capitalism and power. Using familiar examples, he showed how design can shape perception and assign value: even something as simple as a bottle of water can be sold for vastly different prices through branding alone. In this sense, design does not just communicate value—it actively constructs it.

This perspective complicated the message that had carried through much of the day. If design has the power to mobilise and connect, it also plays a role in maintaining the systems that shape how value, attention, and influence are distributed.

At the same time, Pater did not leave the audience without direction. Alongside his critique, he pointed towards alternative approaches: designers working with open-source systems, low-tech methods, and community-driven initiatives that attempt to move beyond purely commercial logics.

Placed at the end of the programme, his contribution grounded the day’s overall optimism—shifting the focus from what design can do to the conditions under which it operates.

Conclusion: Connection, Agency, and the Role of Design
Looking back, what remained most striking about the Voices in Type Assembly was not a single project or presentation, but the collective energy of the room. Across different perspectives, geographies, and practices, a shared belief emerged: that design—and typography in particular—can definitely play a meaningful role in shaping the world around us.

This belief was not naive. It was informed by urgency, by lived experience, and by a deep awareness of the complexities at play. Yet it was also unmistakably hopeful. 

Throughout the day, designers demonstrated that they are not merely responding to the world, but actively engaging with it—questioning, reframing, and contributing where they can. Whether through historical research, community-driven projects, political campaigns, or educational initiatives, design becomes a way of participating in important conversations.

So, can design make a difference?

If anything, this day suggested that it can. Not as a singular solution, nor with a guaranteed outcome, but as a tool—one that, when used with intention, awareness and determination, has the potential to connect people, amplify voices, and create space for change.

And perhaps that is where its true strength lies: not as a universal problem solver, but in its ability to make things visible, to unite people, and to keep conversations—however complex—moving forward.

Text: Marnie van Dyck
Photos: Chantal van den Berg