Type Directors Club launches global TDC71 competition: Early bird entry deadline Fri Nov 1

The Type Directors Club, the world’s leading typography organisation, 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.  Physical entries will once again be accepted, details on each are available on the entry website.

For the first time in its more than seven decades of existence, the competition will utilise 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. 

To be eligible, work must have been produced or published in the 2024 calendar year.  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.

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.  

Says Joanne Lefebvre, president, Paprika: “This deliberate obscurity is meant to draw viewers in, creating a sense of curiosity and engagement. 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 judges will be announced shortly.  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.

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.  

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. 

Please visit the TDC71 entry site for more information and to enter this year’s competition.

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