Presented by SOTA (Society of Typographic Aficionados), the protoType Typeface Design Competition is calling for the most experimental and innovative type designs.

The contest aims to promote not only innovative fonts but essentially the speculative ideas behind them, in order to amplify their relevance to future design efforts, enriching the cultural landscape. The selected typefaces will not necessarily be finished products; for the purposes of protoType they essentially serve as vehicles for ideas.

Typeface design is living culture. As such it cannot limit itself to being a reliable tool for others to create ground-breaking compositions, it must also mark its own cultural progress in order to stay relevant. A tool must evolve for others to continuously make truly new things with it.

A submitted design does not necessarily have to be an installable font, although the practical usability of a typeface may be taken into consideration by the jurors.

There is a limit of three submissions per party.

There is no entry fee.

Eligibility

Open to anyone worldwide.

Prize

The typefaces selected for inclusion in protoType will be exhibited during TypeCon 2016 and have specimens published online, with the further possibility of being part of a traveling exhibition.

In addition TypeCon will publish an explanatory video of one overall winner chosen by the jury.