Ligatures Talk Series #4 (Re-scheduled)

Jay Wall is a creative director dedicated to inclusive cities. With over 15 years of experience at the intersection of graphic design and social change, he was the founder of design studio RallyRally. Now at O2 Planning and Design, Jay leads the creation of communication strategies, visual identities, and education materials that support public participation in shaping communities. His work has been recognized with the RGD UltraBold Award—honouring designers making a positive impact in the design community and beyond—as well as several So(cial) Good Design Awards. Jay is also a design educator at George Brown Polytechnic, a dad, and a cyclist. jaywall.com

Typography is often framed as neutral and objectively functional, yet it always carries messages and shapes meaning. Jay’s talk explores how typography, lettering, and communication design can serve a social purpose—from public awareness to inclusion to resistance. Drawing from his experience across non-profit branding, activism, placemaking, and urban planning, Jay shares work from his own portfolio alongside examples from wider design culture. He looks at type in context: where it lives, who it’s for, and what it enables or excludes, inviting designers to consider how typographic choices reflect values and exercise power.

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Sean Martindale is an internationally recognized interdisciplinary artist and designer based in Canada. His interventions activate public spaces to encourage engagement, and often focus on ecological and social issues. His playful works suggest alternate possibilities for existing spaces, infrastructures, and materials found in urban environments. Frequently, Martindale uses non-traditional art media such as post-consumer waste and live plants. His wider practice includes large scale community-based projects and collaborations with organizations dedicated to addressing concerns such as climate change, human rights, and accessibility in public space from Neurodiverse/Deaf/Disabled perspectives. seanmartindale.com

Exploring the use of text in public art and activism, Martindale shares examples of typography and lettering in his work, ranging from small ephemeral interventions to massive installations, murals, and permanent artwork. His talk also highlights ways that materials, structures, and environments can shape site specific typographic designs and letterforms in public space.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Heidelberg Building, TMU, 125 Bond Street, Toronto, Canada

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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