Insight
Gathering Voices
We were curious about the perspectives of those who use fonts. What kinds of challenges they face in their day-to-day work, and how fonts help address those challenges. We wanted to hear from experts across different fields whether fonts are truly changing the world—and to share those insights in their own, authentic voices. For this reason, a key goal in shaping this year’s program was to bring together professionals from a wide range of design disciplines, including UX, BX, graphic design, advertising, and editorial. Thanks to the many voices who responded to Sandoll’s call, we were able to share these conversations with you.
Following Part 1 (Link), we would like to briefly introduce the lectures from [2024 Saisiot] for those who were unable to join us on site.
New Environments Call for New Fonts: 「SD Minburi」
Speakers: Everyday Practice – Kim Gyungcheol, Kwon Junho, Sandoll – Lee Youbin
Moderator: Lee Suhyun
「SD Minburi」 (Link) is Sandoll’s new text typeface that continues the lineage of the Sandoll Gothic Neo series. In this opening session, the speakers explored the background, research, and testing process in depth.
The environments surrounding type have evolved over time. Sandoll divided these changes into production, display technology, and user preferences, putting forth the premise that “new environments call for new fonts.”
Sandoll covered the hypothesis testing and development story behind 「SD Minburi」, while Everyday Practice applied the typeface to existing design work for comparison. Junho Kwon explored its application in offline media such as catalogues, posters, and covers. Gyungcheol Kim led tests applying 「SD Minburi」 within the “Design+” website environment.
Brand + Fonts! Fonts? Fonts!
Speakers: Interbrand – Jang Junho
Moderator: Kang Minjae
This session demonstrated the impact of typography in brand identity building through a series of case studies. Using the example of E-pyeonhansesang’s “Sincerity Builds Homes,” the speaker showed how typography can define an emotional brand voice.
He emphasized that a custom font becomes both a part of the brand and the entire brand itself, outlining the considerations needed when designing one. It was a session filled with hands-on insights from the field. When the phrase “God is in the detail” appeared on screen, it was a reminder of how typography—the atomic element of design—changes the way a brand is perceived.
Fonts That Pay the Bills
Speakers: BAEMIN (Woowa Brothers) – Han Myungsoo
Moderator: Bae Seongwoo
BAEMIN’s fonts have moved beyond corporate branding to establish themselves as a form of visual culture that reflects the sensibilities of our time. The lecture offered an unfiltered look at why BAEMIN chose fonts as a core branding tool, as well as the process behind that decision and the outcomes it produced. BAEMIN has long treated fonts as a primary means of communication. Positioned on the fine line between uniformity and monotony, the talk explored how fonts contribute to shaping “BAEMIN-ness” and how the brand approaches consistency through typography. A more detailed account can also be found in the book Fonts That Pay the Bills, which shares the same title as the lecture. If you have an interest in fonts, you will likely find it an engaging read.
Emojis Start to Breathe
Speakers: Toss – Ko Hyunseon
Moderator: Bae Seongwoo
The lecture introduced the background and production process of 「TossFace」, an emoji font designed with Toss’s graphic style. Toss explored ways to improve work efficiency by turning emojis—one of the brand’s key visual assets—into a font. Beyond visual consistency, the talk shared how this approach fundamentally addressed issues such as development inefficiencies and problems caused by OS updates. In particular, when using OS-provided emoji fonts, it was impossible to control variations caused by different OS versions. With 「TossFace」, Toss was able to deliver a consistent experience regardless of OS version. The lecture examined new possibilities for fonts as problem-solving tools that drive meaningful gains in efficiency.
What Fonts Did I Use—and See—Today?
Speakers: Sandoll – Kim Chorong
Panel: Formula – Shin Gunmo, Studio Joh – Song Jaewon, Ham Jieun
This lecture analyzed and shared extensive font usage trends across different design fields. Participants were able to review a wide range of statistics based on criteria such as font categories, letterform construction, stroke contrast, and usage. Building on the shared data, the discussion examined real-world applications with industry professionals from graphic design (Gunmo Shin), advertising and video (Jaewon Song), and book and publishing (Jieun Ham). The lecture offered candid insights into the factors that influence font selection and the fonts most frequently used in practice. It also explored recent and notable design directions across the industry, including trends that diverge from established patterns, to trace broader shifts and changes in font usage. Finally, referencing the theme of [2024 Saisiot], the panelists shared their perspectives on whether fonts can change the world.
Can Fonts Change the World?
Ham Jieun, Book Designer
In publishing, we can feel the shift. Cloud-based type services have improved usability and created more freedom around licensing. Fonts, I believe, shape the visual landscape of everyday life. Small things accumulate—and together, they can change the world.
Song Jaewon - Studio Joh
Fonts alone can’t stop a war—so in that sense, no. But if you redefine what “the world” means, then yes, absolutely. Fonts sharpen the resolution of communication. Most conflicts begin with miscommunication. If the subtlety of typography expands into other communication fields, it affects outcomes. The difference may be only 1 millimeter, invisible to most—yet deeply significant to us. Over time, that greater clarity can change the world.
Shin Gunmo - Formula
Typography has already helped drive change. Ten or twenty years ago, designers had limited options. Today, far more possibilities exist, enabling greater variety and experimentation not only for designers but also for the general public. Fonts have played a major role in that expansion.
WE SUPPROT FREE EXPRESSION
[2024 Saisiot] was a space that went beyond the font industry to explore the potential of fonts and share their possibilities. By examining how fonts, as tools, can influence not only design but also culture, technology, and everyday life, we discussed the world that fonts can help transform. It was a meaningful opportunity to reaffirm both collaboration within the industry and the potential for growth beyond it. We hope that [Saisiot] served as a foundation for you to move toward the future as well. Going forward, Sandoll will continue to open spaces for diverse discussions centered on fonts, guided by our own philosophy. We are already preparing [2025 Saisiot], so please look forward to it. See you again next year!
Insight
Gathering Voices
We were curious about the perspectives of those who use fonts. What kinds of challenges they face in their day-to-day work, and how fonts help address those challenges. We wanted to hear from experts across different fields whether fonts are truly changing the world—and to share those insights in their own, authentic voices. For this reason, a key goal in shaping this year’s program was to bring together professionals from a wide range of design disciplines, including UX, BX, graphic design, advertising, and editorial. Thanks to the many voices who responded to Sandoll’s call, we were able to share these conversations with you.
Following Part 1 (Link), we would like to briefly introduce the lectures from [2024 Saisiot] for those who were unable to join us on site.
WE SUPPROT FREE EXPRESSION
[2024 Saisiot] was a space that went beyond the font industry to explore the potential of fonts and share their possibilities. By examining how fonts, as tools, can influence not only design but also culture, technology, and everyday life, we discussed the world that fonts can help transform. It was a meaningful opportunity to reaffirm both collaboration within the industry and the potential for growth beyond it. We hope that [Saisiot] served as a foundation for you to move toward the future as well. Going forward, Sandoll will continue to open spaces for diverse discussions centered on fonts, guided by our own philosophy. We are already preparing [2025 Saisiot], so please look forward to it. See you again next year!