Legendary Designer and Typographer Erik Spiekermann is joining Hatch Conference in Berlin

This year's Hatch Conference explores the relationship between strategy and craft, so we thought the best way to close it was having on stage someone who is not only one of the most important names in modern design, but also has gone through a similar transformation.

Erik was a pioneer and early adopter in typography's digital revolution, being the first to sell font families online (and even the first owner of a Mac computer in Germany!). Back in the day where print and type design were still manual labour, he was one of the first people to embrace new technology as a media for the evolution of a designer's craft.

Years later, he decided to go back to the roots and founded Hacking Gutenberg, a letterpress workshop with an impressive collection of vintage machines that still print fantastic pieces. The workshop keeps receiving students from all over the world to immerse into printing by "getting your hands dirty" and enjoying the creation of expressive pieces.

So we are very happy to have Erik giving not only the closing Keynote at Hatch Conference on September 6th this year, but also offering an exclusive workshop for only 10 lucky participants at Hacking Gutenberg on September 4th as part of our Design Craft Day.

Don't miss out and get tickets for the Conference or the Workshop applying for an invitation here.

Who is Erik Spiekermann?

If you come from Graphic Design or even if you've used design software before 2010 we feel we shouldn't have to tell you. But just in case:

Prof. Erik Spiekermann is a renowned German typographer and type designer who has created many popular typefaces such as ITC Officina, FF Meta, and the corporate typefaces for Nokia, Volkswagen, and Deutsche Bahn (German Railways). He co-founded the influential design firm MetaDesign in 1979, which did pioneering work in information design and corporate branding for major clients like BVG (Berlin Transit), Audi, and Volkswagen.

In 1989, he co-founded FontShop, the first mail-order distributor for digital fonts, which helped popularize desktop publishing and digital typography.

He designed the iconic passenger information system and branding for the reunified Berlin Transit (BVG) after the fall of the Berlin Wall, helping symbolize the reunification of the city. He has received numerous honors, including being the first designer inducted into the European Design Awards Hall of Fame in 2007, and honorary doctorates from the Art Center College of Design and University of the Arts Bremen.

He still blogs often in his Spiekerblog and every now and then does an appearance in design events around the world.

The p98a Letterpress Workshop "Hacking Gutenberg"

Hacking Gutenberg (p98a_ is an experimental letterpress workshop in Berlin dedicated to letters, printing and paper that explores how letterpress can be redefined in the 21st century through research, printing, collecting, publishing and making things.

The workshop is located in central Berlin and currently offers workshops for small groups into the craft of Letterpress. As part of his participation at Hatch, the Hacking Gutenberg Team together with Erik will offer a limited 10 person workshop on September 4th during our Craft Day. Tickets are already on sale (and very limited!).

The workshop is a unique place – they have a collection of historic materials like a printing museum, but no “hands-off” signs: everything is available for hands-on work. They do not stop at collecting, but develop new methods and techniques to bring letterpress printing and physical type into the digital age. We call it postdigital printing.

Unfortunately since a few years the workshop struggles to finance itself and its employees, and we want to help. So we are giving 100% of the profits of the Design Craft Day workshop at Hacking Gutenberg to them to help out.

Be a part of the Letterpress workshop together with a small group of Hatch attendees!

If you are visiting Berlin and are looking to make Hatch even more memorable, we recommend you don't miss out on booking a Ticket for the Workshop at Hacking Gutenberg on September 4th. You may also combine it together with a 2 or 3 day ticket and make the most of your Hatch Conference experience (while saving some money).

The workshop includes breakfast and lunch, as well as the delivery of the piece you create to wherever in Europe you want us to ship it. Erik will be present for a part of it, and then the friendly team at Hacking Gutenberg will take over.

More information available here and you can book your ticket directly here.