Tables are set up in the Foyer, but no one will sit here and listen. The aim is particularly not to learn, but actively engage and endeavor. Therefore some objects are needed and the participants start their first explorations in their handbags and backpacks, searching for whatever they can find. Among a collection of random stuff, Mars bars, a basil pot, matches, postcards are placed on one of the tables to be picked and chosen to work with.

Doing this, the participants – young designers and students from various backgrounds and nationalities – start to get in touch and begin chatting over their decisions. Strangers pair up, find and evaluate their first ideas, which they will be merging into a mutual draft later on.

On one of the tables in the Foyer Andrea Weissenbuehler and Jordan Golembeski, two communication design graduate students from the Texas State University in Austin, are facing a box of matches, a postcard with an abstract red motive, an espresso cup and a nailfile. It is their first time at TYPO Berlin and they are visibly having a great time. Their brainstorming has filled two pages with associated words. “Mischievous” wins the race.
“With matches, people sometimes burn stuff, they are not supposed to. Or remember when you were a kid? I loved to play around with them. That’s how we came up with mischievous” Jordan explains. His team-partner Andrea laughs and comments with a winking eye: “See, that way I’ve already learned about my teammate’s childhood and character.” With a happy playfulness the two continue to frolic around their ideas how to connect the objects into a storytelling, that integrates typography and animation.

Thinking outside the template

For Barış Atiker, who teaches as a professor for Typography, 2/3D Animation und Interaction Design at the University Beykent in Istanbul, this is not just occupational therapy, but a true encouragement to be creative. His aim is to reactivate creative potential, which is currently often limited by the permanent use of computers, template orientated processes and the thinking routines, that derive from that. With very simple means and by collaborating with each other, he wants to make withered creativity flourish again. What he teaches are strategies to create and think outside the box, respectively the template.

About an hour later Andrea and Jordan have created some paper props and are concentrated, bending over at their selfmade set. With their mobile phones they bring a bears claw into action.

While people are already lining up for the next workshop with Drury Brennan, the two open-minded Americans seem like they do not want to stop trying out new ideas popping up while in the flow. By accident, water is being spilled over their beautiful ink writing, making the letters distort. “It dripped on our project and now it’s actually even better.” Andrea announces her discovery to the passing-by Barış Atiker, who has only one thing to say: “Great.”

 

AB