XX, XY: What Happens When We Gender Type? — Marie Boulanger
Channel: TypeCon
Date: 2021-02-01

Recorded during TypeCon2019: “Nice” in Minneapolis, Minnesota

If you are a type designer today, there is a great chance you will have come across articles and projects addressing the question of gender in typography. In terms of representation and equality, slowly but surely, things are shifting for the better.

However, there is one area where the question of gender remains largely unexplored: the letters themselves. The idea might seem a little odd at first, but any designer can probably recall comments about the gender of a design. Selling to women? Try to make things a little rounder! Appealing to men? Give your design a sturdier feel! We let stereotypical words and images dictate our perception of type.

Through work started in my MA thesis, I investigate the gendered identity of letters. Stemming from their shapes, but also considering typeface names, usage, and perception, I analyse the pervasive influence of gender stereotypes. Embark on a highly visual journey through centuries of art history and type design, and find out what to answer the next time someone asks for a “feminine font”.