Redesigning the Streets of London

In this conversation, Toshi Omagari, a typeface designer, shares his journey into typography, discussing key projects such as the City of London street names and his work on arcade game typography. He explains essential terminology in typography, the significance of kerning, and the challenges of designing typefaces for non-Latin scripts. Toshi also reflects on his favorite letters and the future trends in typeface design, particularly the impact of AI and the importance of diverse writing systems.

View images of fonts and typefaces discussed in Toshi's epsiode.

To find out more about Toshi, visit: www.tosche.net or connect with him on Instagram @toshiomagari.

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Connect with Laura on Instagram @thelifeofletterspodcast to continue the conversation, share your own lettering journey or suggest topics you'd love to hear about in future episodes.

✍️ To discover more about Laura's calligraphy workshops and more, visit lauralletterslife.com or say hi on Instagram @lauraletterslife. ✨ Download Laura's free Calming Calligraphy workbook.

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Introduction
• (00:01:45) - Discovering Letterforms
• (00:05:10) - From Japan to Type Design
• (00:09:30) - What Type Designers Do
• (00:14:05) - Reviving Historical Scripts
• (00:19:10) - Designing Multilingual Type
• (00:24:40) - Writing Systems and Cultural Context
• (00:29:20) - Tools and the Future of Typography
• (00:33:45) - Advice for Those Interested in Type and Lettering