Adobe Systems South Africa teams up with a top UK team from the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) to host the 3rd annual ISTD student evaluation and professional designer workshop series to be held in Johannesburg between the 1st and 5th September 2003. The event will comprise a week-long workshop series with students from design colleges throughout the country culminating in a lecture on 2nd September 2003 aimed at the professional designer.
The ISTD team coming to South Africa will be headed up by chair Freda Sack, partner in award-winning type firm The Foundry. Other members of the team visiting South Africa is world-renowned letterpress typographer and printmaker Alan Kitching. John McMillan, a senior lecturer with the University of Ulster and Education Officer for ISTD will join Kitching in presenting a three hour workshop on that fine art, typography and the technological challenges designers face. The UK team is rounded off with Johnathan Doney, Head of Graphic Design at the Somerset College of Arts and Technology.
Brian Palmer, the only South African ISTD fellow and organiser of the event said "For the first time we've seen strong backing for this exciting initiative from virtually every interest group in our industry. This promises to be our finest event yet." The initiative has seen support from Herdbouys McCann-Ericsonn, South African Graphic Design Council (think), Design South Africa (DSA), Cross Media Training Centre, Ultra Litho, and Design Center as well as commitment from training centres and professionals alike.
A press conference and interview session will be held on Tuesday 02 September 2003, 2pm at the Cross Media Training Centre main boardroom, 1050 Printech Ave, Laser Park Honeydew. The student workshop series is fully subscribed.
The lecture costs R200.00 per delegate and will take place at the Cross Media Training Centre auditorium, 1050 Printech Ave, Laser Park Honeydew, commencing at 3pm. Students, DSA and think members enjoy a 25% discount. Tickets and additional information can be sourced from Brian Palmer on 083 415 1477 or .
"It is a great privilege to 'experience' design from all round the world, both professional and from the various ISTD student assessment schemes. We have been greatly impressed over the last two years with South Africa's enthusiastic involvement with ISTD, both from industry and education, and we look foward to meeting with a record number of designers in South Africa this year." said Freda Sack, chair of the ISTD.
Adobe will be showcasing its Opentype fonts in the context of technology working for design. "We are honoured to be working alongside the ISTD in making the fine calibre of designer coming to the country accessible to the South African designer. We are equally buoyed by the fantastic support we have received by our various partners who have thrown their weight behind this initiative," said Andrew Lindstrom, Adobe Regional Manager, Africa and Indian Ocean Islands.
Alan Kitching (UK)
Alan Kitching is widely respected as one of the world's foremost practitioners and teachers of letterpress typographic design and printmaking. He is internationally renowned for his original and expressive use of wood and metal letterforms in creating typographic images for advertising, publishing and for his own limited edition prints. Kitching has conducted his workshops, exhibited his work and given talks to industry, art schools and design conventions in UK, Europe and Australia. An award-winning member of British Design & Art Direction, he has served as jury member many times. He has been profiled and his work widely published in UK and International design publications.
John McMillan (Ireland)
Design education, often criticised by practising designers for not producing the quality of graduate they need is changing faster than the profession its graduates enter. John will be talking about the ISTD's role in Design education globally and how it provides a benefit to students, educators and employers.
Mohammed Jogie (SA)
Digital fonts have been a 'grey' area for as long as we've had Apples - truetype fonts, postscript fonts, suitcases, etc. Nothing has provided working designers with the ideal solution. Recent developments have led to the evolution of opentype – cross platform, full character sets, easy use. Mohammed will be talking about how opentype will be changing typography in a digital environment.
The International Society of Typographic Designers, ISTD (www.istd.org.uk), is a professional body run by and for typographers, graphic designers and educators. The Society has an international membership, and its aims are to establish and maintain standards of typography and to provide a forum for debate.
Tickets and additional information can be sourced from Brian Palmer on 083 415 1477 or .
