The Type Directors Club, the global typography organization, has opened the global call for entries for its prestigious TDC71 competition.
The annual program is a single competition under the TDC71 umbrella consisting of three disciplines: Communication Design, Lettering, and Type Design.
For the first time in its more than seven decades of existence, the competition will utilize Jury Presidents. These top creatives from around the world, to be announced shortly, will lead judging for each discipline, guide discussion, and have a vote on the work.
Across the three juries, the competition will have native experts for writing systems spanning Arabic, Cyrillic, Indic, CJK, Thai, and African scripts, reflecting TDC’s commitment to have a greater number of the most appropriate experts judging work for which they have a deep knowledge.
To be eligible, work must have been produced or published in the 2024 calendar year. Physical entries will once again be accepted.
The TDC competition regularly receives entries from more than 60 countries.
To make TDC71 as accessible as possible on a global level, the organization is offering significant regional discounts on entry fees. Also, early bird deadline for entry is November 1, 2024, with entry fees increasing for the regular deadline of January 31, 2025, and final deadline on February 28, 2025.
Winners of TDC71 receive a Certificate of Typographic Excellence and digital seal certifying their work is among the world’s best of the year. Winning work will also be featured in the highly respected TDC Annual, The World’s Best Typography, and showcased in eight exhibitions that travel to museums, schools and design organizations around the world.
Branding for this year’s competition was created by Paprika, based in Montréal, with fonts generously donated by Klim Type Foundry, in Wellington, NZ.
The design concept features intricate patterns using the letters and numbers “TDC71” as a visual motif, transforming them into a cohesive design where traditional readability is reshaped to achieve a striking visual impact.
“This deliberate obscurity is meant to draw viewers in, creating a sense of curiosity and engagement,” said Joanne Lefebvre, Paprika president. “The resulting patterns, while abstract, carry a distinct identity that is unmistakable and instantly recognizable. Throughout the campaign, the patterns are applied at various scales and paired with a diverse palette of background colors, introducing a sense of freshness and variability within the system.”
By exploring unexpected letter connections, the design evokes other scripts beyond the Latin alphabet, hinting at a universal language of typography. The choice to have the patterns bleed and extend beyond their frames symbolizes TDC’s mission of reaching out, knitting together different typographic traditions, innovations, and communities.
TDC71 winners are also part of The One Club’s prestigious Global Creative Rankings, earning points alongside winners in The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Art Director Club of Europe (ADCE), and ONE Asia Creative Awards to chart the world’s leading independent creatives, ad agencies, production companies, and brands.
CREDITS:
Agency: Paprika, Montréal
President, Project Manager: Joanne Lefebvre
VP, Creation: Louis Gagnon
Creative Director, Designer: Daniel Robitaille
Art Director, Designer: Raymond Lanctot, Arthur Grivel
Project Manager: Virginie Thiou
Fonts: Klim Type Foundry, Wellington
