Can I make your jellybean taste sweeter or sourer when I show you contrasting typefaces and other stimuli? Can I transform the sharpness of your wine or the fizziness of your beer? These are demonstrations based on my research that I do in my events and talks (chef Heston Blumenthal does a version with wine). I once did an experiment to make chocolate taste more expensive, but accidentally made it taste cheaper. I can show you the data that proves you know what different typefaces smell like, or what mood they evoke. I can tell you about your personality from your choice of font, or guess how you drink your coffee from the typeface you pick. And I haven’t yet mentioned the Wheel of Cheese, the Price of the Typeface is Right or Type Karaoke. 👀 You’re in the right place if you’re curious about typography and your senses. If you’re intrigued by the emotional impact of type. If you want to know more about your brain on fonts. If you want to be a part of a movement to make typography exciting for everybody, not just designers. This is the place for you. 👀 I’m Sarah Hyndman. I’m the founder of Type Tasting and the author of books including the bestselling Why Fonts Matter. I’ve been measuring your emotional and multisensory responses to typography since 2013 and sharing the results with you. 👀 You can book me to give a talk, run a workshop, create a public engagement event or to host a thought-provoking and surprising team-building session for your team or your clients. 👀 My research might sound bonkers but there are very practical reasons for doing it. 🔬 I want to start conversations with regular people by showing that you instinctively pair fonts with cheese or smells or personalities… 🔬 I gather data to prove (or disprove) what graphic designers like myself assume we know. 🔬 Sometimes I respond to topics in the news, like the Times New Roman vs Calibri debate. 🔬 I’ve also co-published real scientific studies with a professor from the University of Oxford. 👀 “A wacky take on typography” Creative Review 💥 “F*!*ing genius!” Adobe MAX 💥 “Oh come on that’s so weird” Time Travel with Heston Blumenthal 💥 “As bizarre as it sounds, my job is to match up the bottles and fonts using only my sense of smell” CNN 💥 “A question like ‘What does Times NR taste like?’ makes no sense at all” iNewspaper 💥 “It’s strange I know what cheese each font would be” Dallas Campbell 💥 “Suddenly, Franklin Gothic … was a visual metaphor for a potential lover” Wired 💥 “Typography, it doesn’t really matter does it?” BBC Radio 4 Today 💥 👀 Research to be shared (not hidden) Each year, I spend a great deal of time creating and running experiments. It costs me hundreds of pounds to use the survey platform and to take the Pop-up Typography Lab to events. I do not sell the results to companies. My research is not commissioned by companies. Being independent means that I’m able to share what I discover with you—it isn’t hidden behind a client confidentiality agreement. I have no staff, no interns, not even an assistant. This is a one-woman-initiative, which is also my life and my livelihood. 👀 Type Tasting I founded Type Tasting in 2013. Under this guise I create multisensory installations, immersive events and innovative workshops designed to challenge assumptions. I co-publish research studies with Professor Charles Spence of the University of Oxford and I’m chef Heston Blumenthal’s font science expert.I’ve given a TEDx talk and I’m a regular public speaker. I’ve appeared on BBC Radio 4 a number of times including Word of Mouth with Michael Rosen, Today and Saturday Live for BBC Radio 4. I’ve also been a guest on live TV including Sunday Brunch for Channel 4 television. I’m a judge for the D&AD Professional and New Blood Awards. This year I’m the Typography Jury President. I was awarded a Master of Arts Degree in Typo/Graphics (distinction) by the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, where I also taught the yearlong Experimental Typography evening course while running my design company.