LAURA FRANZ: Biography

Laura Franz is Associate Professor of Design and Chair of the Design Department at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She teaches a wide range of type classes, including Typography 1: History and Structure of Letterforms with an Introduction to Type on the Page; Typography 2: Type as Information; Typography 3: Type in Context, Print and Web; and Typography 4: Undergraduate Research Projects in Typeface Design. She works with graduate students focusing on typography, and is responsible for organizing the type curriculum.

She holds an MDes in Communication Planning and Design from Carnegie Mellon University, and a BFA in Graphic Design from Western Michigan University. Professionally, she designs for both print and the web. Her current research is related to how visible words (letters and type) “live” in society: their role in context of time and place. She is also interested in how we teach future typographers the art and responsibilities of our craft.

Laura's current project is building HistoricType.com, an image database and online journal dedicated to documenting and contextualizing letters and type on historic signs and buildings -- exploring their role in history, design, and society.