Meet the mentor
DESIGN
Guido de Boer
Co-Founder, High on Type
Guido defines himself as an artist, a graphic designer, a calligrapher – and above all, a skilled practitioner of hand-drawn letter work. He commissions for clients internationally and his work can be seen in agencies, museums and hotspots across Europe. When he’s not leading the Writing & Letters course at the Royal Academy of the Arts in The Hague, he’s producing his infamous High On Type festival.
01. Did you always want to work in design?
I've been 'busy with letters' ever since I was 11 years old (though in the beginning it was more like drawing Tupac and Wu-Tang Clan logos). What compels me now, however, is the interplay between the abstract form that letters take, and their function as communication media.
02. If you couldn't do this job, what would your Plan B be?
There's no plan B - there are no other options. I just have to do this. To elaborate - when you live your passion, every day is filled with an urgency to put your everything into what you do.
So, I made a 'rule' for myself: I just want to be working with letters all day. Within this 'rule' there's still a lot of flexibility. So for me, it can range from graphic design assignments for clients, to organising a typo- and calligraphy festival, and from creating collabs to producing autonomous work, and so on.
03. What's the best advice you were ever given?
"The most precious thing you have is your attention." So I always try to be careful with where and on what I focus my concentration, especially in modern society where we're bombarded with screens, sounds, calls and e-mails, screaming for attention all around us.
04. Who's been your biggest influence, and how?
I always try to create a certain environment around me which is filled with inspirational people., because I really believe that you will always be a 'product' of your surroundings. So to answer the question: the High On Type team, my colleagues at the different art academies I work at, my clients, and of course, my friends.
05. Sum up a typical working day in 5 words.
Music, surprise, try, lunch, laugh
Ahh man, you missed it!
The competition is over for this year.
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By entering this competition, you agree to be contacted by email with communications relating to the Hox How To events as well as the monthly event programming at your local Hoxton.
- The competition dates are as follows: Amsterdam/Design 19 February-22 March, Holborn/Fashion 23 March-22 April, Shoreditch/Music 23 April-31 July, Paris/Tech TBC.
- We will select one winner per competition. The winners will be notified by email no later than 4 weeks after the competition close date.
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