Speaker Simon Charwey

Simon Charwey is an African script researcher, type designer, and co-founder at Ubani, where he develops motion-assisted type technology, interactive documentation, and video documentaries to resolve language digitization bottlenecks for the digital future of African writing systems. An MFA alumnus of the Yale School of Art, Charwey serves on the Advisory Board of the UNESCO Chair in Digital Futures at Stanford, directs the African Design Matters Initiative, and consults for global foundries.

A 2024–2025 Stanford SILICON Practitioners Fellow, his ongoing work bridges African language institutions with global industry counterparts. Collaborating with Font Bureau on the Yobo typeface and the KorataSet “Truth Source” database, his research integrates ductus grammar, OpenType features, and cross-platform workflows connecting tools like TypeMo with industry-standard UFO environments. As he quietly defines his practice, Charwey’s research data has supported Google’s training of African type designers, leading to his founding of the “African Type Designers” community—a growing platform activated by members confronting his foundational prompt: “Ungubani (Who are you), African type designer?”