Kelsey Elder

Kelsey Elder is an educator, typographer, and type-technology enthusiast based in Providence. He teaches graphic design, critical studies, and typeface design and history at RISD. He previously taught at Carnegie Mellon University, Purchase College of the State University of New York, and Virginia Commonwealth University. He received his BFA in graphic design from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and his MFA in graphic design from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, and he is a graduate of the Typeface Design Intensive at the University of Reading and the Expert Type Design Class at the Plantin Institute of Typography. He regularly gives workshops on type design (including variable and color fonts) in academic and professional settings, most recently at ATypI Brisbane (Association Typographique Internationale). His research on the socio-cultural impact of typographic technology and pedagogical approaches to teaching the subject has been shared through venues such as TypeCon, LAABF, the Herb Lubalin Center at Cooper Union, Museum Plantin-Moretus, The New School, Mercedes-Benz, Boston University, and the University of Texas. In addition to teaching, he runs a small studio with his partner, Kelsey Dusenka, titled Addition Projects. Their clients include Carnegie Mellon University Press, Coterie Baby, Cranbrook Art Museum, CrossFit, Open Road Tuning, Rhymesayers Entertainment, and the Swiss Institute.