Emily Lucas Challenges Convention with Her ISTD 2025 Submission: A Type Specimen for the Future

Emily Lucas’s submission for the ISTD 2025 brief, A Type Specimen for the Future, offers a bold rethinking of the traditional type specimen format. Awarded a Merit by the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD), her project redefines how typography can be experienced, pushing beyond standard expectations to deliver a culturally rich, internationally minded design.

Rather than presenting type within the constraints of uniform layouts and predictable structures, Lucas employs varied paper sizes and intricate fold-outs to interrupt passive viewing. This deliberate disruption slows down the interaction, encouraging readers to engage more intentionally with the content. Each paper format becomes an extension of its linguistic and cultural context, celebrating diversity through form.

Driven by the lack of representation for non-English languages in most type specimens, Lucas intentionally shifts the focus away from English. Her specimen champions inclusivity, engaging bilingual designers and placing multilingual content at the forefront. By doing so, she challenges the common practice of relegating language support lists to the end and instead advocates for a more globally conscious approach to type marketing.

Design choices throughout the piece are both thoughtful and evocative. Vibrant colors paired with textured off-white paper introduce cultural nuance, while minimal layouts and experimental letterforms underscore tone and meaning. Captions are placed predictably and respectfully, allowing idioms and typography to take center stage. Even the stitching—both functional and decorative—aligns with the geometry and rhythm of the Avant Garde typeface featured in the central spread.

Emily Lucas, a recent Graphic Design graduate from the University for the Creative Arts, brings a global perspective to her work, informed by time spent living in California, Switzerland, and the UK. With a strong foundation in typography, editorial design, 2D animation, web, and design theory, she has a particular passion for type and motion graphics.

Emily Lucas Challenges Convention with Her ISTD 2025 Submission: A Type Specimen for the Future

Emily Lucas’s submission for the ISTD 2025 brief, A Type Specimen for the Future, offers a bold rethinking of the traditional type specimen format. Awarded a Merit by the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD), her project redefines how typography can be experienced, pushing beyond standard expectations to deliver a culturally rich, internationally minded design.

Rather than presenting type within the constraints of uniform layouts and predictable structures, Lucas employs varied paper sizes and intricate fold-outs to interrupt passive viewing. This deliberate disruption slows down the interaction, encouraging readers to engage more intentionally with the content. Each paper format becomes an extension of its linguistic and cultural context, celebrating diversity through form.

Driven by the lack of representation for non-English languages in most type specimens, Lucas intentionally shifts the focus away from English. Her specimen champions inclusivity, engaging bilingual designers and placing multilingual content at the forefront. By doing so, she challenges the common practice of relegating language support lists to the end and instead advocates for a more globally conscious approach to type marketing.

Design choices throughout the piece are both thoughtful and evocative. Vibrant colors paired with textured off-white paper introduce cultural nuance, while minimal layouts and experimental letterforms underscore tone and meaning. Captions are placed predictably and respectfully, allowing idioms and typography to take center stage. Even the stitching—both functional and decorative—aligns with the geometry and rhythm of the Avant Garde typeface featured in the central spread.

Emily Lucas, a recent Graphic Design graduate from the University for the Creative Arts, brings a global perspective to her work, informed by time spent living in California, Switzerland, and the UK. With a strong foundation in typography, editorial design, 2D animation, web, and design theory, she has a particular passion for type and motion graphics.