Case Study: Vocal Type brings typography, history, and social change to life with Civilization

Vocal Type’s Characters exhibition spans 3 venues with Civilization

Vocal Type, a foundry focused on typography with historical and social significance, collaborated with the design studio Civilization on an evolving exhibition called "Characters." The challenge was to create a flexible, impactful exhibition that could be adapted to different museum spaces to illuminate how struggles for equality and the contributions of Black designers have profoundly shaped typography and the world.

Civilization developed the "Characters" exhibition in collaboration with Vocal Type founder Tré Seals. The solution was an adaptable showcase of typefaces from the Vocal Type catalog, re-envisioned for each host museum's unique history and space. The results were highly successful; the exhibition won First Place in Citizen Design at the 2025 Print Awards, its accompanying publication won Third Place, and it was featured in major media outlets. The project expanded to include a large community mural and installations in multiple cities, significantly broadening the audience for these critical histories.

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