We asked Clare to tell us everything ATypI members could ever want to know about her. She had a great deal to share.
Please provide us with your bio.
Clare Bell is a practicing designer, researcher, and lecturer on the BA Visual Communication degree course. A graduate of Central Saint Martins (BA Hons Graphic Design), Clare worked for a number of years as an editorial designer at The Guardian newspaper, working on design across the daily broadsheet, G2 features supplement, and Weekend magazine. Prior to this, she was a senior designer at Radio Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ).
Clare is co-coordinator and founder member of Typography Ireland monthly seminar group (and practice-based meeting group TypeClub) at GradCAM, and represents Ireland both as country delegate and as a past board member of Association Typographique Internationale (ATypI). She was co-organizer and co-programmer of ATypI: The Word 2010, the organization’s annual conference hosted by DIT in Dublin, and co-founder, co-organizer, and co-programmer of Face Forward International Typography Conference 2015, also hosted by DIT in Dublin. She is an assessor on the annual Assessment Scheme of the International Society of Typographic Designers.
Clare is currently undertaking PhD research entitled Typography, culture, and society: The visual representation of the Irish language in Northern Ireland at DIT. As a practicing designer, her recent clients include Numbered Editions, This Being, Face Forward International Typography Conference, The Joinery, IMRAM Irish Language Literature Festival, In Print journal, Typography Ireland, NCAD/GradCAM (Object Matters: Making 1916), and ATypI (The Word 2010).
Give us a sentence that perfectly describes your love for type.
My love for type is rooted in words.
Before this year, were you a member of ATypI? If so, when?
2005–present day.
Were you previously a member of the ATypI board, or a country delegate? If so, when?
2005–2010.
Describe your experience/involvement with ATypI activities.
Country delegate Ireland (2005–2010); Communications Committee (Social Media lead) 2012–2015; member of Education/Research Committee; author/researcher of Code of Conduct for ATypI; co-lead Governance Committee 2021-2022; Governance Committee member currently; proofreading on conference Program 2010–2020; proofreading on conference program 2010–2020; conference program reviewer: 2010-2020; co-organizer, with Mary Ann Bolger, of ATypI annual conference in Dublin, 2010.
Tell us about your current and past involvement with other type and design organizations.
Typography Ireland: Co-founder and organizer, 2005–present with Mary Ann Bolger; assessor for International Society of Typographic Designers Student Assessment Scheme 2004–present.
Describe your leadership experience with other nonprofits and work with conferences, workshops, publications, teaching, or other activities in the type, design, tech, and related communities.
See above.
Why should ATypI members elect you to represent them on the board of directors?
Hi. I’ve been on the board before for a number of years and contributed to the Governance Committee, researching and writing the Code of Conduct. I’ve also co-organized the annual conference in the past. My commitment to the organization is long-standing and clear.
Answers and materials were provided by the candidate as part of their self-nomination for the ATypI board election. Candidate is a paid ATypI member in good standing and agrees to remain so if they are elected.