FOUNDER, TYPETHURSDAY, NEW YORK NY
Thomas Jockin is the founder of TypeThursday. TypeThursday is a global superfamily that converges monthly to help one another improve our letterforms over drinks. Thomas is also an adjunct lecturer at CUNY Queens College, City College and SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology. Thomas is a practicing typeface designer. Previous clients include Google, Express, Footlocker, and Michael Kors. Thomas’s fonts are on Google Fonts, Adobe Fonts, and other distributors.
WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW?
Long Island NY and I am currently back on Long Island.
DID YOU GO TO DESIGN SCHOOL?
Parsons School of Design for undergrad and Type@Cooper Extended for postgraduate.
LEFTY OR RIGHTY?
Righty
MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
Morning Person, usually up by 5 am
FICTIONAL OR HISTORICAL CHARACTER YOU IDENTIFY WITH?
Socrates
ARE YOU MUSICAL AND/OR PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?
No, not at all. I have always wished I was musically inclined.
FAVORITE BOOK?
Nicomachean Ethics.
FAVORITE MOVIE?
Spiderman: Enter the Spider-verse
FAVORITE TV BINGE WATCH?
The last show I binge watched was Bojack Horseman.
FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM?
Twitter
FAVORITE PODCAST?
Partially Examined Life
FAVORITE FINE ARTIST?
Cézanne
FAVORITE CHARITY OR CAUSE?
TypeThursday is the cause I believe in the most.
FAVORITE FREE TIME ACTIVITY?
Reflecting on life with friends.
COLLECT ANYTHING?
Books. So many books.
WHICH AREA OF GRAPHIC DESIGN IS GROWING THE MOST?
Letterforms may seem a niche aspect of the world of design, but they are a constant unifying the diverse branches of our discipline. Whether one’s medium is pixels or paper, understanding how to use type is crucial to every designer’s ability to effectively communicate. And designers seem to be acknowledging this: there’s been an explosion of interest in the art of lettering, and also in the growth of programs and communities that afford designers a type-specific education.
DESIGN MENTOR/INSPIRATION/HERO?
Joshua Darden
GREATEST STRENGTH/WEAKNESS AS A DESIGNER?
Both my greatest strength and weakness is my faith in the potential in others.
ADVICE TO A YOUNG DESIGNER JUST STARTING OUT?
Power comes to those who honor principle over expediency.
IF YOU WERE NOT A DESIGNER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE?
Sociologist.
A MANTRA OR SAYING YOU LIVE BY?
“Be the strength for others to act.”
