Calligraphy and Methodology

Based on my own positive experiences, I still consider handwriting to be an indispensable part of typography education. However, under pressure to keep pace with software development, some experts tend to view traditional methods as a waste of time. That’s why I was skeptical when the Munich Montessori Technical College (MOS for short) expressed interest in calligraphy instruction for its design program. Isn’t this topic really a thing of the past?

As part of the internal internship weeks, only two weeks were available per class. I thought that was unrealistic, since we spent years in college working on one typeface per semester.

Yet it is precisely this brief and concise approach that is now proving to be highly efficient. Very compact, with short, focused tasks but also quiet practice phases, the lessons are based primarily on humanistic cursive and quickly move into experimentation. The results are worth seeing. Especially since we’re dealing with “digital natives” whom one hardly expects to have any ambition regarding handwriting. Just look at everything that emerges from our shared cultural memory!

A brief glimpse into the workshop: