In December the type community was deeply saddened by the early passing of Jan Middendorp. Jan contributed to the success of numerous ATypI conferences, not only by giving talks but also by organizing Type Crit sessions, helping young designers get their foot in the door, and his skills on the dance floor.
On this April 9th – Jan’s birthday – we share an unpublished talk of him from 2015 ATypI São Paulo. Jan speaks freely and provocatively on the state of type design and the font business — and how he has been trying to improve things. The talk is a testament to Jan’s outlook and achievements, all in his inimitably wide-ranging and irreverent style.
Jan Middendorp died on December 7, 2023. Earlier that year, ATypI was honored to be the venue where Jan was awarded the prestigious TDC Medal for his major contributions to typography.
To read more about Jan, below are some of the tributes that were written on the occasion of the TDC Medal – and some obituaries.
TDC Medal – Jan Middendorp,
by John L. Walters
A celebration of life and work of Jan Middendorp
(Dutch Design Daily)
RIP Jan Middendorp,
by Rob Keller
Jan Middendorp (1956–2023),
by Julia Kahl/Slanted
‘Letterman’ Jan Middendorp (1956-2023) maakte met zijn heldere schrijfstijl duidelijk hoe belangrijk de vormgeving van tekst is
Bob Witman in De Volkskrant