6.

Developing type from social environments:

Fer Cozzi on the educational mission of Rubén Fontana

Type design first appeared as a university-taught profession in Argentina, circa 1997, and Rubén Fontana developed one of its first syllabuses.

Almost a decade later, Fer Cozzi, a graffiti teen who drew on the streets as her canvas, enrolled in graphic design at the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA). In 2012, she went to study under Fontana in a specialized typography course.

Today, it has transformed into a Masters in Type Design at UBA and its syllabus is widely referred to as the educational standard across Latin America. Cozzi is an independent type designer, author of award-winning fonts and Professor in the Masters of Typeface Design course at her Alma Mater. In 2019, she was named among the ten Ascenders—outstanding type designers under 35, according to Type Directors Club. In this piece, she recalls Fontana’s classes and the most important things he taught.