vortrag
octavio pardo
„legibility in black and white, a new paradigm of typographic experimentation”
datum_mittwoch, 22. april 2026
zeit_19:00 uhr
ort_designforum | mq wien
eintritt_8 € / ermäßigt 3 € / tga mitglieder frei
bitte nur barzahlung » info
legibility is a recurring concern in typography, yet the relationship between scientific research and type design remains uneasy. it is surprisingly rare to find studies that genuinely grasp the essence of type design as a discipline while also addressing questions that matter to practicing designers.
in this talk, i will examine why this disconnect persists, unpack some of the most significant methodological and conceptual problems in legibility research, and revisit both well-established principles of visual perception and lesser-known mechanisms that shape how we read. building on this analysis, i will propose a new research paradigm grounded in an exploratory artificial intelligence algorithm and a radically different approach to type design based on parametric font systems.
octavio pardo is a graphic designer specializing in typography. in 2010, he graduated with a master’s degree in type design from the university of reading, uk. since then, he has collaborated with some of the world’s leading typographers and designers, and developed projects for brands and agencies such as leftloft, porcelanosa, cabify and metadesign germany. he regularly works for google, where he is responsible of the project forthe new corporate typeface, google sans flex.
he has been a visiting professor at the university of gjøvik, norway. he teaches courses and gives lectures on design and typography worldwide, including in mexico, singapore, boston, chicago, toronto, and kyiv. his work has been recognized by the type directors club of new york, communication arts magazine, the adg laus awards, and the red dot awards.
in 2023, he earned his phd from the royal danish academy of architecture, design and conservation in copenhagen with a dissertation exploring the possibilities of ultra-flexible variable fonts and artificial intelligence applied to legibility for people with visual impairments. he recently opened his own type foundry, pathfinders, to market his own typefaces.
» octaviopardo.com
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*vorband*
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strategic support for the world of type