Design Talk: Paul Sych & Claire Dawson

Creating a new visual literacy fuels typographer, art/creative director and designer Paul Sych's identity. His design works are rooted in exploration and innovation. Paul launched his practice "Faith" in 1990 to focus solely on design where his appetite as a typographer is continually pushed, broadening the boundaries of experimentation and using his firm as a platform for creative imagination and discovery. Paul's unique eye has also lent his vision and strategy by designing and creating brand identities, complete books and notable magazine titles, while incorporating custom typography and the art of hand lettering. This is an unconventional pairing of both image and narrative that is bold and flamboyant. He manipulates the way one reads, looks and understands concepts and ideas in a page. In true modernist fashion he is always adding varying dimensions and layers in his groundbreaking typographic illustrations. Paul's innovative design, creative direction and typography has been published in over 100+ books and publications. Highlights from his career include winning more than 100+ international design, art direction and typography awards since his appointment as Associate Professor in 2010 as part of his research at York University. Paul has also been honoured by being selected to judge the world's most prestigious typography competition in New York City by the New York Type Directors Club. In 2013, as part of Paul's sabbatical research, he launched, directed and designed the large format glossy fashion, art and design magazine "Fshnunlimited". Fshnunlimited was created as a signature showcase to feature the rich talent in contemporary Canadian fashion, art and design. Fshnunlimited's first issue received the coveted Canadian National Magazine Award for best art direction for an entire issue. It's an accolade second only to magazine of the year in terms of prestige and a remarkable honour for an independent project up against every major publisher nationally. Fshnunlimited also won numerous awards from the Art Directors Club of Canada (ADCC). In addition, Fshnunlimited was awarded the Platinum Award for design and art direction from Graphis in New York and was selected as the "Best in Show" from the Society of Typographic Arts (SOTA) in Chicago by the legendary British designer Neville Brody. In 2018, one of the largest cosmetic brand globally "Covergirl" had embarked on their biggest reinvention in their 60-year history. Paul was commissioned by Covergirl's ad agency to design the logotype which appears on all areas of the brand identity from broadcast and packaging to print. Later in 2018, Paul's typographic work was featured by the international design journal Graphis which named him one of the "Ten Masters of Typography" globally. In 2016, Paul was honoured by York University as one of its distinguished Research Leaders which led to his election into the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and was bestowed a Fellow for his contributions to research by his peers globally in 2020. In addition, Paul is the first Graphic Designer in Canada to be awarded this prestigious fellowship award. Other notable RSC recipients are Margaret Atwood and David Cronenberg. Paul Sych cements his position in the design community by having his work stand alongside international power players and some of the industry's most celebrated designers, art/creative directors and typographers.