💬 Student Reviews

Jake Giltsoff - UX Design Manager at Adobe, New York, NY
Troy’s class is a great intro for those who are interested in learning more about the world of type design. Starting with the history of how letterforms as we know them came to be through handwriting methods, Troy takes you through multiple different styles and helps you to pick out any gems of what you are lettering to start building out your own digital typeface. By the end of the class you’ll have a solid foundation for a font, and an eagerness to keep tweaking those bézier control points!

Elyanna Blaser-Gould - Senior Designer at Pentagram, Brooklyn, NY
I always highly recommend Troy’s class to anyone who’s just curious about type design or even to someone who has already had some experience with designing type. For beginners, he makes type design understandable and accessible. For more advanced students, he sharpens your skills by offering the experience and perspective of a professional working type designer.

Kevin Smith - Product Design at Facebook, New York, NY
It is rare to find someone who is an accomplished typeface designer and an exceptional teacher at the same time. Simply because someone is knowledgeable about a subject doesn't mean they will be successful in a classroom. Craft and instruction are two different skills. Troy is one of those truly unique people who have both. Working in one of the most well-known and respected foundries in the world, Troy delivers type theory, fun, and an extensive amount of on-the-job experience to the classroom. Cooper Union is very lucky to have him teaching. I am fortunate to have had the chance to be Troy's student. Through the work I did in his course, I dared to apply and be excepted to Type@Cooper and graduate in 2020.

Liam Spradlin - Interaction Designer at Google, New York, NY
I was a part of Troy’s Principles of Typeface Design course at the Cooper Union in New York City. Within ten weeks, my classmates and I had each created a unique typeface, from paper to pixels. Troy’s class was compelling in its uncovering of the methods involved in creating a typeface. It gave me a working understanding of calligraphic influence on modern type design, methods for conceptualizing and sketching new ideas, and the tools and logic needed to translate those ideas into a working digital font. His careful and thoughtful critique and guidance in each session helped each of us realize the potential of our creations. What I was able to create during Troy’s course also contributed to my desire to continue learning about type design, and populated my application for Type@Cooper with work I could be proud of, ultimately resulting in a certificate in type design from the Cooper Union, and typefaces on Google Fonts and in the Updike Collection in Rhode Island.

Lacey Hamann - Graphic Design Student, Chattanooga, TN
This course was the perfect experience to get started designing type. I am a student, and the plan is to create a typeface for my upcoming undergraduate thesis. I was hoping to get some knowledge under my belt before the approaching semester. This class certainly achieved that goal– and more. I am most grateful for the weekly individual feedback from Troy. Every refinement he suggested elevated my type proof, and with every mistake, I learned how to advance my type skills. Bonus: the last project is developing a type specimen, which I can now add to my portfolio for graduation!

Jesse Reed - Order / Standards Manual / Standards / Chip Slip, Brooklyn, NY
My background in brand / identity design has always kept me interested and envious of the process involved to design type. I often use, modify, or commission custom typefaces for my clients, but I wanted to personally investigate the act of creation—if not to put into practice myself, at the very least appreciate the skill and craft that’s required. Troy’s class started from the basics, but quickly and methodically got us into a technical space of seeing our sketches becoming a working reality. My experience was therapeutic, informative, and immensely gratifying.

Michelle Webster - Design / UX / Development / Typography Minneapolis, MN
I had high expectations for Principles of Typeface Design, and the class exceeded them! The material was well-paced, with a logical sequence. The assignments were challenging and exciting to take on. I learned so much from the one-on-one reviews of my type with my instructor, Troy Leinster. Initially, I wondered how a hands-on topic like type design would fare in an online format. However, I felt fully supported as I worked through the challenges of my type, without being pushed in any particular direction. Support for technical questions and advice on troublesome letterforms was readily available from Troy and the very excellent, knowledgeable teaching assistants between classes. For me, there were three key takeaways. I made a font I'm very proud of. I now feel confident in my general understanding of how type is made, from concept to construction. I have a good grasp of font making software. Overall, Principles of Typeface Design was one of the best educational experiences I've had, in a classroom or online.


❱ Typemasters: Type Design Coaching
❱ Type Design Intensive
❱ Typeface Ideation
❱ Type Sketching

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