Typography and type design have become some of the most effective tools used by a diverse group of people to express their political messages both online and offline during Thailand’s political conflict from 2020 to 2022. Subsequently, the recent BKK governor election held for the first time in the past 9 years involved an interesting example of typographic design used in Thailand’s political canvassing. The remarkable political phenomenon includes an intriguing type design implementation that we’d like to share with the international typographic community.
Date
Friday, May 12th 2023
Venue
Salle 106
Type Design in Thai Politics
Speaker
Potch Auacherdkul
Potch Auacherdkul is a typeface designer based in Bangkok. He worked as a graphic designer in Thailand before obtaining an MFA in Graphic Design from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Within two years at MICA, he became more passionate about typeface design. His works have been recognized and featured in STA Chicago, Type Directors Club, and Print Magazine. Currently, Potch is drawing typefaces for Positype.
Instagram @p_tch
Twitter @PAuacherdkul
Speaker
Śirin Gunkloy
A typeface designer specializing in Thai & Latin. Sirin's experience encompasses research methodology and data collection, empirical engagement, and unconventional script designs. She has constantly been developing her capabilities as a university guest lecturer, which allows her to delve profoundly into type design knowledge, pass on practical experience, and exchange perspectives with the younger generations. She voluntarily dedicates her time to disseminating type design significance, raising awareness of its influence, and inspiring public appreciation. While a former member of Cadson Demak, she actively contributed to the success of various corporate projects, particularly "Thai Font Classification," where she transformed the traditional classification into a contemporary perspective presented at the Bangkok International Typographic Symposium. She was honored to be a workshop leader nationwide by the Typographic Association of Bangkok and the Thailand Creative and Design Center. Her knowledge-seeking nature ignited her eagerness to pursue the EsadType program at the École supérieure d'art et de design d'Amiens, where she embarked on Thai-Latin typeface family design research to help designers deal with complex typographic challenges. Her specific interests lie in multi-script usage, socio-cultural influence on and public awareness of type design, shapes and roots of languages, ways of writing type, and relevant tools or methodologies.
Instagram @sirinletterform
Twitter @siringunkloyk
Speaker
Wee Viraporn
Wee Viraporn is a lover of pixel art and pixel type. His large-scale Post-it art has appeared in office buildings, malls, restaurants, and art galleries around Bangkok.
He received a master’s degree in Typo/Graphic Studies from London College of Communication before founding “conscious,” a visual communication design studio specialized in environmental graphic design. The studio has designed signage and way-finding systems for major corporations in both public and private sectors, luxury residential projects and one of Bangkok’s largest public parks.
Believing that design should serve the society and improve quality of life, he enjoys working for social, educational and cultural organizations. His work includes designing books on architectural heritage conservation for UNESCO and making a contemporary version of Thai classical literature book for The Royal Society. He also participates in many community-driven design projects such as redesigning bus stop signage systems in Bangkok. Since 2020, when mass protests in Thailand began, he has become an observer who collects and studies typography in protest sites.
Instagram @weeviraporn
Twitter @weeviraporn