Speaker Rathna Ramanathan

Rathna Ramanathan is a typographer and Reader in Intercultural Communication, known for her expertise in working with marginalized communities and contexts using alternative publishing practices. She works in international cross-disciplinary teams and takes a decolonial, cooperative approach to leading the research, design, and delivery of communication on projects for BBC World (Hindi and Bangla), British Council, UNICEF India, and World Bank, as well as publishers Tara Books and Harvard University Press.

Themes of urban and cultural heritage resonate in Ramanathan’s work, including the relevance of tangible (archives) and intangible (oral texts) heritages in multiple languages and contemporary design (Murty Classical Library of India). Some of her other projects are centered around cities envisioned through rural/indigenous creative imaginations (The London Jungle Book with Bhajju Shyam and Tara Books), dialogs of people, politics, and place (BBC’s Voice of the People campaign), and working with endangered Indian heritages (archives, texts, and marginalized and indigenous community rituals).

Ramanathan is interested in the role of the communicator/designer in addressing critical human and non-human challenges. She believes that communication should be a fundamental human right. It is a radical and meaningful tool that can create lasting positive change in how we describe, interact, and connect with each other. Ramanathan is Dean of Academic Strategy at Central St. Martins, London, UK. She serves as ATypI’s delegate for India and is also on the organization’s board of directors.