Contact
g.leonidas@reading.ac.uk
+44 7775 850 003
Gerry Leonidas
Professor of typography, with particular focus on multiscript typeface design.
Active across research, supervision, mentoring, sponsorship, and teaching.
Engaging with institutions, companies, and public bodies to lead the
transformation of typeface design into a field of study in the humanities.
Current academic roles and responsibilities
Director of PGR Studies |
Responsible for policy and development of PhD programmes in Typography & Graphic Communication |
Programme Director |
MA by Research Typography & Graphic Communication Master of Research in Typeface Design |
Pathway Lead |
MA Communication Design / Typeface Design |
Course Director |
TDi professional development course for research in typeface design |
Internationalisation Lead Responsible for developing co-delivery partnerships and representing the School of Art & Communication Design in global engagement actions
Research Supervisor |
Overseeing PhD theses and MA/MRes dissertations To date 16 PhDs supervised to completion, and 8 in progress Over 180 MA/MRes dissertations supervised to completion |
Chair / Member |
Several Committees and Boards at School- and University-level |
Expertise and recognition
Research evaluation |
REF2029 sub-panel member for Art & Design (REF is the UK-wide periodic research evaluation which determines rankings and funding) Member of the international panel evaluating research of the VSUP on behalf of the Czech Ministry of Education (2025) |
Research leadership |
RAE2029 Impact Case Study lead EU Horizon2020 “TypoArabic” project (€340,000) Several University-internal bootstrapping projects Experience of multiple UK-based funding applications Advisory Board member for major research projects; currently on the Small performances: Baskerville punches project by the University of Cambridge and Birmingham City University (£840,000) Leading externally-funded projects between the University and commercial partners, including two Knowledge Transfer Projects, at c. £120,000 each |
QA review |
Member of teams evaluating programmes in communication design and typography (Cyprus, Finland, Israel, Thailand, UK) External Examiner: MA Graphic Design, Portsmouth University (2010-14) |
PhD Examination |
Universities in Australia, Egypt, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, and UK |
3
Reframing research-informed practice. In Titus Nemeth (Ed.), Arabic typography: history and practice. Niggli, 2022
Designing type revivals (Ed.), Michele Patane, Riccardo Olocco. Lazy Dog, 2022
Global type tour. In Eye 102, 2022
Type specimens as learning tools. In Marian Misiak (Ed.), Support independent type—the new culture of type specimens, Slanted Publishers, 2020
Enabling modernity: innovation and reflection in modulated Greek typefaces. In Tom Mullaney (Ed.), Philological Encounters, Brill, 2018.
[Designing Greek]. In Ben Wittner, Sascha Thoma, Timm Hartmann (eds.), Bi-Scriptual: Typography and Graphic Design with Multiple Script Systems. Niggli, 2018
Reflections about supervision in Communication Design Research. In Rafael Dietzsch (ed.). In De Maos Dadas: Uma reflexao sobre orientaqoes na pesquisa em Comunicaqao, Publicagoes da Faculdade de Comunicagao da Universidade de Brasilia - FAC/UnB, 2018
A reappraisal of Baskerville’s Greek types. In Caroline Archer & Malcolm Dick (Eds), John Baskerville: art, industry and culture in the Enlightenment. The University of Liverpool Press, 2017
Keynotes, presentations, and invited lectures (2016-)
Typeface design as an emerging global discipline. National Library of Portugal, 2025
Re-translations: amplifying discourse. Re-vision: On re-publishing & re-design, CBCP, 2025
The Balkan Gaze. TypeShayar, 2024
Self, place, texts and ways of looking. Brumen Biennale. Ljubljana, 2024
The building blocks of visible language. Design 360°. Beijing, 2024
Typeface design as a framework for design research. UK-China Humanities Alliance conference, Fudan University, 2022
Arabic typography: a paradigm for research-informed practice. ISType Mukaddeme, 2022
Towards a research framework for the South Slavic typographic heritage. ICTVC, Thessaloniki, 2022 (With Irma Puskarevic)
Collections and archives as spaces of ideas and knowledge. Museum of Architecture and Design, Ljubljana, 2022
Identifying genres and styles; The type market & career options; Studying typefaces. Three public talks at the International Summer School, Academy of Fine Arts and Design, University of Ljubljana, 2020
The current state of PhD research in Typography. ATypI Working Seminar, Amiens, 2020
Themes in the globalisation of typeface design. Future Graphic Language: New Directions in Verbal Communication, Warsaw, 2019
The decentralised mainstream. ICTVC, Patras; Tsinghua University, Beijing, 2019
Integrating research in practice. ATypI Working Seminar Colombo, University of Moratuwa, 2019
Typefaces, texts, and global documents. Oxford Brookes University, 2019
Heritage and creativity, productivity and innovation. Chinese Character Symposium, Beijing, 2018
Themes in the globalisation of typeface design. Script, print, and letterforms in global contexts, Birmingham, 2018
Giving form to Variable Fonts. TypoLabs, Berlin, 2018
Teaching with archives in practice-based disciplines. Chinese National Academy of Arts, 2018
Enabling modernity: innovation in modulated Greek typefaces. Granshan, Yerevan, 2017; and Face/Interface, Stanford University, 2017
The designer as social mentor. TGA symposium, Raabs; and BITS 8, Bangkok, 2017
Research-based design: integrating archives in a practice-based discipline. AEPM, Chania, 2017
Design education for the next twenty-five years. Tsinghua University, Beijing, 2017
Typography and diversity. Way of Type, Beijing, 2017
Typography and diversity. Typoday Sri Lanka, University of Moratuwa, 2017
Enlightened typography for a small world. Basel School of Design, 2016
Key ideas in typeface design. Font Forum, CAFA, Beijing, 2016
Employment
2019- Professor of Typography, University of Reading
2007-2019 Associate Professor of Typography, University of Reading
1998 -2007 Lecturer, University of Reading
1995 - Consultant in typography and typeface design
1986 -1994 Employed and freelance work in typographic design and production
Education
1995 PgDip Typography & Graphic Communication, The University of Reading
1994 BSc Business Administration, Economic University of Athens
1992 Diploma in Print Journalism, Professional Journalism Workshop, Athens
