Cyrus Highsmith

Senior Critic - Graphic Design
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RISD faculty member Cyrus Highsmith
BFA, Rhode Island School of Design

In 1997, immediately after graduating with honors from RISD, Cyrus Highsmith joined Font Bureau where he continues to work as a senior designer developing new typefaces. He has taught letter drawing in the Graphic Design department since 2000 and also leads workshops and lectures frequently in the US, Mexico, Europe and Japan.

Highsmith is known for his original approach to drawing letterforms. His designs have been specified for diverse platforms including Rolling Stone, starwars.com and the Ford Motor Company. He has also created custom typefaces for clients such as The Wall Street Journal, Martha Stewart Living, La Prensa Gráfica, ESPN, Men’s Health and El Universal.

In addition to working as a type designer, Highsmith is an illustrator and author. In 2012 when Font Bureau published his first book, Inside Paragraphs: Typographic Fundamentals, Matthew Carter wrote, “There is nothing you need to understand about using type that’s not in this book.”

Courses

Spring 2025 Courses

GRAPH 318G-01 - GRADUATE TYPE DESIGN
Level Graduate
Unit Graphic Design
Subject Graphic Design
Period Spring 2025
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

GRAPH 318G-01

GRADUATE TYPE DESIGN

Level Graduate
Unit Graphic Design
Subject Graphic Design
Period Spring 2025
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2025-02-13 to 2025-05-23
Times: M | 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM Instructor(s): Cyrus Highsmith Location(s): Center for Integrative Technologies, Room 502 Enrolled / Capacity: 12 Status: Open

SECTION DESCRIPTION

This course is an overview of the basic principles of type design. The focus is on negative space, words, and readability. Students will gain a deeper understanding of typography and increased insight into existing typefaces.

Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Enrollment is limited to Graduate Graphic Design Students.

Major Requirement | MFA Graphic Design (3yr)

Image
RISD faculty member Cyrus Highsmith
BFA, Rhode Island School of Design