On 31 May 2025, the Now25 conference will take place in Paris. Join us, to listen a mix of inspiring speakers evoking topics as broad as graphic design, web design, motion design, publishing, visual identity, communication and type design. If not already done, register now to take advantage of the best rates.
It seemed interesting to us to make you discover the profiles of our guests. Discover Lucas Sharp, SharpType.
Biography Lucas Sharp, SharpType has been designing award-winning original typefaces for over a decade. In addition to designing his own typefaces, Sharp serves as the type director of the foundry, offering guidance, art direction, and mentorship to the type design team. Sharp has designed typefaces for major brands and organizations, including Samsung, Dropbox, and Pentagram. Sharp’s typefaces have been honored by the TDC, the European Design Awards, and more. He co-founded Sharp Type in 2015.
Interview
What is your favorite way to start a day?
Lucas Sharp I’m a big believer in circadian health, and these days I just like to feel great all the time, so typically I try and get to bed lights out before 10pm. So I usually wake up naturally around 6:30am. The first thing I do in the morning after getting up is pray to God. Next I eat 6 raw eggs with coffee and butter. Then I go outside to watch the sunrise. This is very important for your health and vitality. After some quiet time out on my deck, greeting the morning sun, I go inside and eat breakfast with my family. After my second breakfast, I usually do a five minute cold plunge, which usually happens right as the run is cresting over the adjacent hillside so I sun-gaze in the cold plunge.
What do you do to evade yourself from work?
Lucas Sharp I like to train in the gym and run in the mountains behind my house. I’m also getting into shooting and tennis. When I need to get away from my computer, sometimes I take a quick cold plunge or go in the sauna. I love to spend time at the beach without my phone and just being present with my family and friends. I also like to take my daughter to the park. Sometimes when I feel like I need to just turn off my brain I will let myself play a computer game, this is usually.
“I approach type design primarily from the perspective of the artist, but the other approaches are equally valid.”
– Lucas Sharp
What drives you to create new typefaces?
Lucas Sharp My typeface design practice is a continual exploration of form and my inspiration comes from many places. Sometimes, I just have an idea, but often It comes from seeing some kind of reference somewhere in the world that moves me to draw it. In these instances, it's almost of covetousness that drives me, like I need to experience that form in some way, like beholding anything beautiful, something drives me to want to possess it. My best work, however, comes from something deeper. The path I am on now involves meditation and I think there is a faculty of visualization one can tap into, where they are almost channeling rather than creating (I wonder if all “creating” is just this). Maybe what people call creativity is just sensitivity and discernment.
Are you rather one of those who draw or redraw type classics, or those who seek to totally invent new forms?
Lucas Sharp In practice, going through old type specimens and illuminated manuscripts hunting for unique and beautiful letterforms is one of my favorite things to do. It’s just a wonderfully sensuous experience and it's also exciting like a treasure hunt. I’m a truffle pig for beauty and I’m willing to go wherever I need to go to find it.
I used to pride myself on my originality, and I still feel like this is a virtue we should strive for, but I’ve come to regard this topic with a bit less zealousness lately. Of course just copying artwork is a lowly and dishonorable practice insofar as one tells the lie of originality, but it is also true that art happens in movements. I believe that ideas exist outside of us, and that we are just channels for them. The older I get the more I internalize the reality that all good things come from God, not me — my ability to manifest goodness is a measure of my ability to be an effective vessel for spirit.
Type designers don’t neatly fit into the distinct categories of artists, craftsmen, or technicians, and indeed we need to be a bit of all these things, but some people in the field gravitate more to one of these approaches. I approach type design primarily from the perspective of the artist, but the other approaches are equally valid. On the subject of originality in type: we are all working within a cultural context with established genres/styles/historical conventions, so what we do in response to this catalyst is really the magic of the artform. It’s important to view the idea of “originality” within this context, but as artists our job is to move the culture forward.
The typefaces published at SharpType reflect a strong interest in the history of typography and in particular the calligraphic canons that you irreverently revisit sometimes. Is it a very personal will, or the reflection of today’s society that would demand a cultural enrichment that brings a sort of “truth”?
Lucas Sharp I love the way you framed this question! Truth and beauty are the same. I am just a humble beauty enjoyer.
Do you sketch?
Lucas Sharp I used to sketch things on paper but now I just sketch in my brain and go right to digitizing in vectors. Visualization is easier or harder for different people, but everyone can do it with practice.
“If your letterforms are more beautiful than your competitors, you will win.”
– Lucas Sharp
What can you tell us about the state of the font market today?
Lucas Sharp The rate of cultural production continues to be very rapid in all areas which will only increase. This creates a lot of turnover and the need to increase output to stay competitive, but there has also never been more of widespread awareness around the importance of typography in the design and branding space, so opportunities still abound even though competition is intense. If your letterforms are more beautiful than your competitors, you will win.
Monotype is making moves to shift the entire industry into a subscription model rather than a perpetual licensing model, which makes sense if you look at the rest of the software industry. I will be curious to see if the smaller independent foundries and distributors can keep up with this.
What do you think of this trend of free fonts?
Lucas Sharp I don't really think about it. There have always been free fonts. Our unique value is still our ability to draw beautiful things. I do not think of open source fonts as an existential threat to the industry or anything. If clients want the best they still have to come to someone like me for the best typefaces.
What will be the message you would like to convey during your Now25 talk?
Lucas Sharp If I had one goal for my talk, it would be to help people maintain a connection with the things that got them excited about type and creative pursuits in the first place. We have a lot working against us as creatives these days, and I have enough experience falling face-first into these many pitfalls that I can offer some helpful advice.
Thank you very much Lucas!
– Interview by Lia Porquet
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