TypeClub Goes South: A Hub for Design & Impact in Peckham and Deptford
TypeClub, now two years old, offers students a vital space to experiment, take risks, and play, providing invaluable lessons for the workplace. This spirit of deep dive into a niche passion, especially in typography, feels perfectly at home in South London’s thriving creative ecosystem – particularly when viewed as a laboratory for broader cultural and social projects.
When Jamie Johnstone first started out as a junior designer, he judged his work by one simple benchmark: “Would my mum understand this?” But these days, he runs an “obscure club” for 94 voluntary attendees, all united by a shared love for typography. “There’s absolutely no way she’d understand that,” he quips. For anyone outside the intricate world of the creative industry, it’s tough to grasp the complexities involved in creating a typeface: optical alignments, overshoot, ink traps, hinting, kerning pairs… not to mention variable fonts. It’s truly challenging – you can craft all the characters with identical DNA, then type with it, and it just looks ‘odd’. Type design is technical. It’s mathematical. And it’s undeniably beautiful.
The initial spark for TypeClub ignited in Jamie’s mind while at Typecon in Portland, Oregon. Up until that point, he thought he was serious about type. “I was not,” he admits. Stepping into the cool, air-conditioned ambiance of that trendy Portland bar, and introducing himself to the Monotype team behind Helvetica Now, he had a sudden realisation: he was merely a hobbyist.
From Hobbyist to Humanitarian: TypeClub as a South London Incubator
This journey from hobbyist to running a dedicated club deeply resonates with the DIY, grassroots spirit often found in South London. Imagine a similar TypeClub not just as an academic pursuit, but as a dynamic community workshop and project incubator in the heart of Peckham or Deptford. These areas, known for their independent galleries, artist studios, and collaborative spaces, are ripe for blending design expertise with social impact.
In a Peckham or Deptford TypeClub, students and local designers could go beyond aesthetic exploration. They could engage in projects that address real-world needs, leveraging typographic skills for humanitarian and inclusion initiatives. Think about:
- Designing accessible typefaces for public information campaigns or educational materials for diverse communities.
- Developing visual identities for local charities, social enterprises, or support networks that might lack professional design resources.
- Creating impactful signage and wayfinding systems for community events, making them more inclusive and navigable for everyone.
- Exploring ‘data visualisation’ through typography for local research projects on social issues, transforming complex information into understandable and engaging visuals for policy makers or residents.
South London is a melting pot of independent presses, small design studios, and vibrant street art that relies heavily on impactful typography. A community-focused TypeClub would not just be an academic exercise; it would be a direct pipeline for talent, feeding into and enriching the visual landscape of areas like Rye Lane or Deptford High Street. It would serve as a hub where the precision, the mathematics, and the sheer beauty of type design are harnessed for good, cultivating the next generation of creatives who are not only skilled but also socially conscious.
This kind of deep, focused learning, coupled with a commitment to humanitarian principles and inclusion, is how we transform a passion into a force for positive change. It’s about building a digital and traditional cultural ferment, a true laboratory for project incubation, right here in the beating heart of South London.
