TYPE DESIGN INFORMATION PAGE last updated on Wed Sep 9 23:27:24 EDT 2015

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ABOUT

Jesse M. Ragan

Originally from North Carolina (b. 1979), Jesse Ragan studied type design at Rhode Island School of Design. After college, Jesse designed typefaces at Hoefler&Frere-Jones, where he had a hand in Gotham, Archer, and several other families. Since 2005, he has worked independently in Brooklyn, developing typefaces and lettering for a variety of clients. His work can be found at Font Bureau, House Industries, and Darden Studio. He also teaches typeface design at Pratt Institute and Cooper Union. He won an award at Bukvaraz 2001 for Gotham, co-designed with Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones.

His typefaces:

• Afri Sans (2011). A custom typeface for the Museum for African Art in Manhattan.
• Athenian Extended (2011). By Matteo Bologna and Jesse Ragan. This "playfully peculiar face" (their words) was custom designed for Typography 32, the annual of the Type Directors Club. A revival of the 19th century classic Athenian.
• Cedar. An angular typeface designed during his studies at RISD.
• Epiphany (2001). A hookish face.
• Export (2012). A vernacular typeface based on signage seen in New York's Chinatown.
• Hoefler & Frere-Jones, 2001-2005. Assistance with the production of several typefaces at HFJ: As a full-time typeface designer for Hoefler & Frere-Jones from 2001 to 2005, I designed a full type family for Smirnoff Vodka (art directed by J. Walter Thompson and H&FJ). Working closely with Tobias Frere-Jones and Jonathan Hoefler on a number of other typefaces, I designed bits and pieces such as hairline weights, Italics, and news grades. These include Mercury, Chronicle, Hoefler Titling, Sentinel, Surveyor (2014)), Gotham, and Archer (a type family done for Martha Stewart Living and designed with Hoefler and Frere-Jones).
• Omnes (2006). A monowidth rounded sans designed by Joshua Darden. Ragan assisted in the production and design process.
• Ruzicka Collection. Digital versions of the alphabets shown in Rudolf Ruzicka's 1968 portfolio Studies in Type Design.
• Showcard Stunt (2008). Lower case of a comic book/signage typeface originally drawn by Ken Barber, House Industries. Inspiration from Dom Casual (1950s, Peter Dombrezian).
• Smirnoff (2003). A custom typeface commissioned by J. Walter Thompson for Smirnoff.
• The Bruins (2006). An athletic lettering typeface commissioned by Reebok for The Boston Bruins in 2007-2008.
• USA Today Condensed (2012). He writes: I designed this headline typeface for the dramatic relaunch of USA TODAY, which was overseen by Wolff Olins. The condensed style complements the paper's proprietary version of Futura, but without resorting to the familiar elliptical shapes of Futura Condensed.
• V Magazine (2011). A condensed high-contrast fashion mag headline typeface done for V Magazine.
• Carlstedt Script (2013, with Ben Kiel: a custom signage typeface for Aldo Shoes based on the handwriting of Swedish illustrator Cecilia Carlstedt). Cortado Script (2014) was designed by Jesse Ragan and Ben Kiel. It too was inspired by Cecilia Carlstedt's hand-painted lettering and is quite close to Carlstedt Script.

Interview. Behance link.

EXTERNAL LINKS
Jesse M. Ragan
 [Designer info]
Behance page
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INTERNAL LINKS
Type designers ⦿ Type designers ⦿ Type scene in North Carolina ⦿ Comic/cartoon fonts ⦿ Athletic lettering faces ⦿ Signage typefaces ⦿ Type scene in New York ⦿ African fonts ⦿ Corporate typefaces ⦿