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Onur Yazıcıgil is an Istanbul-based typographer and design educator. Born in 1983, Onur spent his early years drawing letters in Dhahran and Ankara — early signs of a passion that led him to move to the States in 2006 to study the historical evolution of Latin sans-serif typefaces at Purdue University. After the completion of his MFA, he was recruited to teach at Sabancı University, where he designed his first text face, Duru Sans, which was acquired by Google Fonts. In addition to co-founding ISType in 2011, Onur served as a board member at ATypI from 2013-2019 and has lectured on numerous topics in the field of typography. In 2020 he completed his PhD in the history of Ottoman typography at Mimar Sinan University. His most recent type family, Kit was published by Darden Studio and made available via Adobe Fonts library in 2023.

Onur Yazıcıgil is an Istanbul-based typographer and design educator. Born in 1983, Onur spent his early years drawing letters in Dhahran and Ankara — early signs of a passion that led him to move to the States in 2006 to study the historical evolution of Latin sans-serif typefaces at Purdue University. After the completion of his MFA, he was recruited to teach at Sabancı University, where he designed his first text face, Duru Sans, which was acquired by Google Fonts. In addition to co-founding ISType in 2011, Onur served as a board member at ATypI from 2013-2019 and has lectured on numerous topics in the field of typography. In 2020 he completed his PhD in the history of Ottoman typography at Mimar Sinan University. His most recent type family, Kit was published by Darden Studio and made available via Adobe Fonts library in 2023.

Onur Yazıcıgil is an Istanbul-based typographer and design educator. Born in 1983, Onur spent his early years drawing letters in Dhahran and Ankara — early signs of a passion that led him to move to the States in 2006 to study the historical evolution of Latin sans-serif typefaces at Purdue University. After the completion of his MFA, he was recruited to teach at Sabancı University, where he designed his first text face, Duru Sans, which was acquired by Google Fonts. In addition to co-founding ISType in 2011, Onur served as a board member at ATypI from 2013-2019 and has lectured on numerous topics in the field of typography. In 2020 he completed his PhD in the history of Ottoman typography at Mimar Sinan University. His most recent type family, Kit was published by Darden Studio and made available via Adobe Fonts library in 2023.

Onur Yazıcıgil is an Istanbul-based typographer and design educator. Born in 1983, Onur spent his early years drawing letters in Dhahran and Ankara — early signs of a passion that led him to move to the States in 2006 to study the historical evolution of Latin sans-serif typefaces at Purdue University. After the completion of his MFA, he was recruited to teach at Sabancı University, where he designed his first text face, Duru Sans, which was acquired by Google Fonts. In addition to co-founding ISType in 2011, Onur served as a board member at ATypI from 2013-2019 and has lectured on numerous topics in the field of typography. In 2020 he completed his PhD in the history of Ottoman typography at Mimar Sinan University. His most recent type family, Kit was published by Darden Studio and made available via Adobe Fonts library in 2023.

Onur Yazıcıgil is an Istanbul based typographer and design educator. Born in 1983, Onur spent his early years drawing letters in Dhahran and Ankara — early signs of a passion that led him to move to the States in 2006 to study the historical evolution of Latin sans-serif typefaces at Purdue University. After the completion of his MFA, he was recruited to teach at Sabancı University, where he designed his first text face, Duru Sans, which was acquired by Google Fonts. In addition to co-founding ISType in 2011, Onur served as a board member at ATypI from 2013-2019 and has lectured on numerous topics in the field of typography. In 2020 he completed his PhD in the history of Ottoman typography at Mimar Sinan University. His most recent type family, Kit was published by Darden Studio and made available via Adobe Fonts library in 2023.

Education

Education

Jan 2020
Jan 2020
Jan 2020

PhD in Graphic Design / Ottoman Typography History 
Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul, Turkey

PhD in Graphic Design 
Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul, Turkey

Aug 2009
Aug 2009
Aug 2009

MFA in Visual Communication Design
Purdue University, West Lafayette IN, USA

MFA in Visual Communication Design
Purdue University, West Lafayette IN, USA

Jun 2006
Jun 2006
Jun 2006

BFA in Graphic Design
Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

Teaching Experience

Teaching Experience

Sep 2020 — Present
Sep 2020 — Present
Sep 2020 — Present

Assistant Professor, Visual Communication Design
Sabancı University, VAVCD Program, Istanbul, Turkey

Assistant Professor, Visual Communication Design
Sabancı University, VAVCD Program, Istanbul, Turkey

Assistant Professor
Visual Communication Design
Sabancı University, Istanbul, Turkey

Sep 2009 — 2020
Sep 2009 — 2020
Sep 2009 — 2020

Instructor, Visual Communication Design
Sabancı University, VAVCD Program, Istanbul, Turkey

Instructor, Visual Communication Design
Sabancı University, VAVCD Program, Istanbul, Turkey

Instructor
Visual Communication Design
Sabancı University, Istanbul, Turkey

Aug 2006 — 2009
Aug 2006 — 2009
Aug 2006 — 2009

Instructor, Visual Communication Design
Purdue University, West Lafayette IN, USA

Instructor, Visual Communication Design
Purdue University, West Lafayette IN, USA

Instructor
Visual Communication Design
Purdue University, West Lafayette IN, USA

Selected Publications

Selected Publications

Jan 2024
Jan 2024
Dec 2024

Yazıcıgil O., Önduygu, C. Deniz, Visualizing the Genealogy of Ottoman Naskh Types, manifold.press.

Yazıcıgil O., Önduygu, C. Deniz, Visualizing the Genealogy of Ottoman Naskh Types, manifold.press.

Yazıcıgil O., Önduygu, C. Deniz, Visualizing the Genealogy of Ottoman Naskh Types, manifold.press.

Yazıcıgil O., Önduygu, C. Deniz, Visualizing the Genealogy of Ottoman Naskh Types, manifold.press.

Yazıcıgil O., Önduygu, C. Deniz, Visualizing the Genealogy of Ottoman Naskh Types, manifold.press.

Jan 2024
Jan 2024
Dec 2024

Yazıcıgil O., Önduygu C. Deniz, Osmanlı Nesih Hurufatının Soyağacını Görselleştirmek, manifold.press.

Yazıcıgil O., Önduygu C. Deniz, Osmanlı Nesih Hurufatının Soyağacını Görselleştirmek, manifold.press.

Yazıcıgil O., Önduygu C. Deniz, Osmanlı Nesih Hurufatının Soyağacını Görselleştirmek, manifold.press.

Yazıcıgil O., Önduygu C. Deniz, Osmanlı Nesih Hurufatının Soyağacını Görselleştirmek, manifold.press.

Yazıcıgil O., Önduygu C. Deniz, Osmanlı Nesih Hurufatının Soyağacını Görselleştirmek, manifold.press.

Dec 2022
Dec 2022
Dec 2022

Yazıcıgil O., ‘The Genealogy of Ottoman naskh printing types (1729-1928)’, in Nemeth T. (ed.) Arabic Typography: History and Practice, Salenstein, Niggli.

Yazıcıgil O., ‘The Genealogy of Ottoman naskh printing types (1729-1928)’, in Nemeth T. (ed.) Arabic Typography: History and Practice, Salenstein, Niggli.

Yazıcıgil O., ‘The Genealogy of Ottoman naskh printing types (1729-1928)’, in Nemeth T. (ed.) Arabic Typography: History and Practice, Salenstein, Niggli.

Yazıcıgil O., ‘The Genealogy of Ottoman naskh printing types (1729-1928)’, in Nemeth T. (ed.) Arabic Typography: History and Practice, Salenstein, Niggli.

Yazıcıgil O., ‘The Genealogy of Ottoman naskh printing types (1729-1928)’, in Nemeth T. (ed.) Arabic Typography: History and Practice, Salenstein, Niggli.

Dec 2022
Dec 2022
Dec 2022

Yazıcıgil O., Arap Harfli Tipografi Üzerine Yeni Bir Kitap, manifold.press.

Yazıcıgil O., Arap Harfli Tipografi Üzerine Yeni Bir Kitap, manifold.press.

Yazıcıgil O., Arap Harfli Tipografi Üzerine Yeni Bir Kitap, manifold.press.

Yazıcıgil O., Arap Harfli Tipografi Üzerine Yeni Bir Kitap, manifold.press.

Yazıcıgil O., Arap Harfli Tipografi Üzerine Yeni Bir Kitap, manifold.press.

Selected Presentations

Selected Presentations

Selected Presentations

 Feb 03, 2024
Feb 03, 2024
Feb 03, 2024
Feb 03, 2024
Feb 03, 2024

Harmonizing the dichotomy of writing and printing: Armenian printers and type-makers in the Ottoman Empire | Symposium on Armenians in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire. Ibn Haldun University, İstanbul.

Harmonizing the dichotomy of writing and printing: Armenian printers and type-makers in the Ottoman Empire | Symposium on Armenians in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire, Ibn Haldun University, İstanbul.

Harmonizing the dichotomy of writing and printing: Armenian printers and type-makers in the Ottoman Empire | Symposium on Armenians in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire, 
Ibn Haldun University, İstanbul.

Harmonizing the dichotomy of writing and printing: Armenian printers and type-makers in the Ottoman Empire | Symposium on Armenians in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire, Ibn Haldun University, İstanbul.

Harmonizing the dichotomy of writing and printing 
Symposium on Armenians in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire, Ibn Haldun University, İstanbul

Dec 14, 2023
Dec 14, 2023
Dec 14, 2023

İstanbul’un Ötesinde: Osmanlı Matbu Hurufatının İstanbul Dışındaki Kullanımı
Tarih Vakfı 2023 | ANAMED, İstanbul.

İstanbul’un Ötesinde: Osmanlı Matbu Hurufatının İstanbul Dışındaki Kullanımı
Tarih Vakfı 2023 | ANAMED, İstanbul.

İstanbul’un Ötesinde: Osmanlı Matbu Hurufatının İstanbul Dışındaki Kullanımı
Tarih Vakfı 2023 | ANAMED, İstanbul

İstanbul’un Ötesinde: Osmanlı Matbu Hurufatının İstanbul Dışındaki Kullanımı
Tarih Vakfı 2023 | ANAMED, İstanbul

İstanbul’un Ötesinde: Osmanlı Matbu Hurufatının İstanbul Dışındaki Kullanımı 
Tarih Vakfı 2023 | ANAMED, İstanbul

Sep 02, 2023
Sep 02, 2023
Sep 02, 2023

History of Graphic Design in Turkey (19th—21st centuries)
FEED 2023 | Nowy Teatr, Warsaw, Poland

History of Graphic Design in Turkey (19th—21st centuries)
FEED 2023 | Nowy Teatr, Warsaw, Poland

History of Graphic Design in Turkey (19th—21st centuries)
FEED 2023 | Nowy Teatr, Warsaw, Poland

History of Graphic Design in Turkey 
FEED 2023 | Nowy Teatr, Warsaw, Poland

May 11, 2023
May 11, 2023
May 11, 2023

The Pergamon Project: A Greek Type Revivalism Project
ATypI 2023 | Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

The Pergamon Project: A Greek Type Revivalism Project
ATypI 2023 | Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

The Pergamon Project: A Greek Type Revivalism Project
ATypI 2023 | Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

The Pergamon Project: A Greek Type Revivalism Project
ATypI 2023 | Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

The Pergamon Project, ATypI 2023 | Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

Nov 05, 2022
Nov 05, 2022
Nov 05, 2022

The Ottoman Printer’s 8 pt Naskh type, ISType 2022 | Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

Oct 21, 2022
Oct 21, 2022
Oct 21, 2022

Transcending Istanbul Ottoman: Naskh types beyond the city’s borders
Mashq 2022 | American University of Beirut , Beirut, Lebanon

Transcending Istanbul Ottoman: Naskh types beyond the city’s borders
Mashq 2022 | American University of Beirut , Beirut, Lebanon

Transcending Istanbul Ottoman: Naskh types beyond the city’s borders, Mashq 2022 | American University of Beirut , Beirut, Lebanon

Feb 29, 2020
Feb 29, 2020
Feb 29, 2020

The Typographic Evolution of Ottoman Naskh Typefaces
Typoday 2020 | Applied Science University , Amman, Jordan

The Typographic Evolution of Ottoman
Naskh Typefaces, Typoday Applied Science University , Amman, Jordan

Jun 21, 2019
Jun 21, 2019
Jun 21, 2019

How simplified is simplified Arabic type? A 19th century attempt to challenge the conventions of Ottoman Naskh, presentation w/ Özlem Özkal | ICTVC 2019, Patras, Greece 

Nov 16, 2018
Nov 16, 2018
Nov 16, 2018

Hakkâk ve Matbaacı Ohannes Mühendisyan presentation & Sound Composition w/ Candaş Şişman | Hrant Dink Foundation, Istanbul, Turkey

May 26, 2018
May 26, 2018
May 26, 2018

Ottoman Naskh Typefaces: Origins, Development and European Counterparts
Typofest 2018 | Plovdiv Drama Theatre, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Jul 25, 2017
Jul 25, 2017
Jul 25, 2017

Bridging Between Arabic Script & Type, panel w/ Lara Captan and Kristyan Sarkis
Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Culture, Beirut, Lebanon

Nov 23, 2016
Nov 23, 2016
Nov 23, 2016

Osmanlı Tipografi ve Font Kültürü
İkinci Uluslararası Basev Kongresi, İstanbul, Türkiye

Oct 28, 2016
Oct 28, 2016
Oct 28, 2016

The Genealogy of the Ottoman Naskh Typefaces
Granshan 2016 | Navigating Communities, Cairo, Egypt

Jul 09, 2016
Jul 09, 2016
Jul 09, 2016

Rethinking Typography as a Field in Turkey, presentation w/ Özlem Özkal
ICTVC 2016 | Thessaloniki, Greece

Jun 06, 2016
Jun 06, 2016
Jun 06, 2016

The Pivotal Role of Arabic Script Grammar in the Transition From
Manual to Mechanized Text reproduction, presentation w/ Thomas Milo
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

The Pivotal Role of Arabic Script Grammar in the Transition From
Manual to Mechanized Text reproduction, presentation w/ Thomas Milo
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

The Pivotal Role of Arabic Script Grammar in the Transition From Manual to Mechanized Text reproduction, presentation w/ Thomas Milo
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

Dec 12, 2015
Dec 12, 2015
Dec 12, 2015

Ottoman Typography Towards Modernisation, w/ Özlem Özkal
FaceForward | Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland

Jul 24, 2015
Jul 24, 2015
Jul 24, 2015

The Pivotal Role of Arabic Script Grammar in the Transition From
Manual to Mechanized Text reproduction, presentation w/ Thomas Milo
Granshan 2015 | University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom

The Pivotal Role of Arabic Script Grammar in the Transition From Manual to Mechanized Text reproduction, presentation w/ Thomas Milo
Granshan 2015 | University of Reading, UK

May 22, 2015
May 22, 2015
May 22, 2015

Text typefaces versus display typefaces in the Ottoman Empire
TYPO Berlin | Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany

Text typefaces versus display typefaces in the Ottoman Empire, TYPO Berlin | Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany

Sep 20, 2014
Sep 20, 2014
Sep 20, 2014

Setting up Latin Typography in Turkey, presentation w/ Özlem Özkal
ATypI 2014 | Museu del Disseny de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Feb 20, 2014
Feb 20, 2014
Feb 20, 2014

Turkish Script Reform and Typography, Presentation
Let’s Type Conference, École Supérieure d’Art de Lorraine, Metz, France

Turkish Script Reform and Typography, Presentation
Let’s Type Conference, École Supérieure d’Art de Lorraine, Metz, France

Turkish Script Reform and Typography, Presentation
Let’s Type Conference, École Supérieure d’Art de Lorraine, Metz, France

Aug 22, 2013
Aug 22, 2013
Aug 22, 2013

A Graphic Interference on Semantic Flow, Presentation
TypeCon 2013 | Design Education Forum, Portland, OR, USA

A Graphic Interference on Semantic Flow, Presentation
TypeCon 2013 | Design Education Forum, Portland, OR, USA

Apr 02, 2013
Apr 02, 2013
Apr 02, 2013

A Graphic Interference on Semantic Flow, Presentation w/ Elif Ayiter
DI-EGY-FEST | Consciousness Reframed 13, Cairo, Egypt

Dec 07, 2011
Dec 07, 2011
Dec 07, 2011

A Graphic Interference on Semantic Flow, Presentation w/ Elif Ayiter
International Conference on Arts and Technology 2011, Esbjerg, Denmark

Sep 17, 2011
Sep 17, 2011
Sep 17, 2011

The Lack of Latin Typographic Heritage and Type Design in Turkey
ATypI 2011 | Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik, Iceland

The Lack of Latin Typographic Heritage and Type Design in Turkey, ATypI 2011 | Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik, Iceland

Jul 10, 2011
Jul 10, 2011
Jul 10, 2011

The Lack of Latin Typographic Heritage and Type Design in Turkey
TypeCon 2011 | New Orleans, LA, USA

Sabancı University
Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul

All Rights Reserved ©2024 Onur Yazıcıgil