Giulia Boggio

Do you know many women designers? Designers in general, a lot. Type, it’s a whole new world for me. I’ve been finding it out especially since I got involved with Femme Type and Amber Weaver, which opened my eyes to a super creative world I didn’t know much about. I love Charlotte Rohde’s work, I see myself in her, both as a style and as a way of communicating. In Milan, I like a lot what Alice Zani does, I find it very strong!

When and how did you become interested in typography? There has always been interest, let’s say that the dive I did during the first lockdown was a bit out of boredom and also because it was an important moment for many people, where you no longer have excuses. I feel comfortable in the corners where I put myself. It gives me the push I need. So I started to learn how to use Fontlab and I tried to build a typeface with the letters I had drawn for a crappy project at school. What did you study? Graphic Design & Art Direction at NABA.

What are the last 3 typefaces that you used? Faust by Bouk Ra, T1 Korum by Valerio Monopoli, G2 Ciao by Gruppo Due.

Do you consider yourself a feminist? Yes, absolutely.

Is there a figure you’re particularly inspired by in type design? Do you think there are too few women in the role of leader in the field of type design? I think there are too few women everywhere, but I seem to see a big change happening and I like it. There are many projects related to the theme, in design and more (see ALT Type, Soli Type, Femme Type, Futuress, Diet Paratha, Kern the Gap etc), and I think it has been understood how important it is to be represented. I don’t know if there’s one person in particular I’m inspired by, and I don’t generally like to name such vague statements. This week I was inspired by Vivien Hoffmann and Samara Keller.

Do you know examples of women who have not been given credit for their work or who have been forgotten in the history of design? I’ll leave you a story I liked when I read it:

Do you think it’s important to talk about the gender gap in type design? Do you think the type industry is dominated by men? All industries are, if we remove those related to health and cosmetics. Which says everything there is to say taking into account that we are in 2022. Things change, maybe not fast enough. I think the design field is quite accessible to everyone, especially considering the availability of softwares, information etc online. I’m a bit sorry to see a large part of women in the industry doing very standardized and “feminine” things, I wonder if it is intentional or if they are a little pushed in that direction.

In universities where you study graphic design, students usually don’t notice a lot of gender gap, but when they graduate, it’s inevitable to see it in the work world. Have you ever noticed this? Why do you think it happens? No because I actively chose not to work in studios, I took my corner and I have always more or less worked serenely with clients of various types. I notice some “bigger” (older) customers who tend to talk to you a little bit like I’m the secretary, which always makes me laugh. I’m always pretty straightforward, and if I feel frustration, I’ve learned to talk about it and confront myself instead of burning my liver. It’s a privilege to be able to do that, but I think it has revolutionized the way I work, for the better.