💬 Coaching Reviews
Chris Caldwell - Type Designer, New York, NY
When it comes to type design the knowledge to gain experience is slow and at times frustrating. Even after taking the Type@Cooper Extended Program I still felt like I only scratched the surface of what goes into making a typeface of quality. Not to say that the program didn't give me a great foundation to work from, but I knew there was more to learn. Overwhelmed and not thinking I would ever finish a font that I would be proud of there was Troy Leinster. Troy's weekly coaching classes gave me the tools to feel more confident when it comes to building out my typefaces and held me accountable for making progress on them. I think one of the biggest takeaways from his coaching was how he structured the proof documents. Instead of tackling the entire typeface at once, Troy’s proof documents were tailored to test everything in small chunks along the way. Similar principles as “measure twice cut once.” This process allowed me to solve really big decisions about how my typeface will look and behave early on, rather than at the finish line, realizing I made a mistake and have to start over. In addition, whether you are starting out or have experience and want to sharpen your skills further, I highly recommend you take Troy's Coaching classes.
Cristina Lopes - Designer & Futurist, Portugal
It was a huge privilege to be Troy Leinster’s student. Typemasters is a differentiated customized learning experience in what concerns type design, being a good fit to its complex process. The one-on-one sessions allow to progress at our own pace and, as Troy really breaks down the process into manageable stages, things end up falling into place naturally, it was such a breakthrough for me. Typemasters is about how Troy teaches, motivates and is supportive, how he deconstructs misconceptions, and also about his precision and attention to detail.
Laura Chessin - Associate Professor of Graphic Design VCUarts, Richmond, VA
Working with Troy has opened doors to my understanding type on a more profound level, even after my teaching typography classes for a few decades. Troy shares a master’s attention to the most critical aspects of type design from the specific details of glyph construction to the construction of a unified system. He brings a kind, patient and clear mentoring to the discipline and is encouraging and supportive. Did I say patient and kind? He is both open to new ideas, and able to provide critical guidance to the conventions and technical foundations of good type design practices. It’s a privilege to be a student of Troy Leinster.
Kevin Foley - Art Director/Graphic Designer, Takasaki, Japan
Working with Troy has been a great experience, plain and simple. I initially took the Type Design Intensive, enjoyed Troy’s easy-going manner, and decided to continue with one-on-one coaching to complete my typeface. Troy’s comprehensive critiques forced me to zero in on details I had overlooked and were essential in refining my designs—ultimately raising them to a higher level. In addition, the regularly scheduled coaching sessions kept me accountable and pushed me to progress each time. I also found the Typemasters’ Slack group invaluable—with links to resources, interactions with fellow members and direct access to Troy for questions. Highly recommended.
TienMin Liao - Typeface Designer, New York, NY
I was working on a typeface on my own for a while, but there were some problematic letterforms that I was not so sure about, so I joined Troy’s coaching sessions. Sometimes it’s hard to see problems when starring at it for too long. It is really helpful to have a second set of trained eyes at high professional level like Troy to help look at the design. His guidance helped me solve the issues that I struggled with and we are both very happy with the final result. I finished both weights of the typeface and released it.
Dave Wilson - Graphic Designer & Copywriter, Morristown, NJ
Feedback in type design is especially critical. And feedback from someone with Troy’s level of expertise comes with insights and an eye for detail that have significantly expanded my understanding of type and type design. Troy’s guidance has enabled me to fully complete a display typeface I initially began in his type design course at Cooper Union, and then immediately start on two weights for a new serif face. Without Troy, I’d still be looking at a sketchbook of never-finished type ideas.
❱ Typemasters: Type Design Coaching
❱ Type Design Intensive
❱ Typeface Ideation
❱ Type Sketching