José Solé
Pronouns: He/him
Email: type@jmsole.cl
Nationality: Chilean
Languages: Spanish and English
Font Development Technical Manager at Dalton Maag
Overseeing the technical strategy for font development at Dalton Maag by collaborating with the Software Development team to streamline and improve font development workflow; planning the training scheme for all font development, including initial training of new hires in design, technical, and hinting processes; leading the development of the internal documentation strategy as well as the consolidation and ongoing improvement of the internal knowledge base; developing a new approach for planning and estimating font modification projects; developing a new vertical metrics strategy; liaising with retailers of Dalton Maag fonts.
Team Manager at Dalton Maag
Led a team of six Font Developers by managing their work streams both within the team and across the company, and providing guidance and support to them on how to best approach different projects; navigating team members on how to expand their careers; training new team members on internal processes.
Font Developer at Dalton Maag
Led the design and development of font projects for various companies including Canonical, Magic Leap, City of Westminster, Agoda, and Netflix. Reached Senior Font Developer level, which involved taking the lead on complex projects and providing guidance to less experienced colleagues. Contributed to the development of an automated font build process, as well as a font development strategy for using git as a tool for version control.
Font Engineer at Dalton Maag
Researched and developed new techniques for projects with complex technical requirements, including the creation of a custom hinting process for fonts used on ebook readers; provided technical support to designers for a variety of projects; contributed to the development of the internal web font generation workflow.
Freelance Type Designer
Designed Noticia Text, a font family for digital newspapers, and Alfa Slab, a contemporary take on the Six-lines Pica Egyptian created by Robert Thorne for the Thorowgood Foundry in 1821. Both projects were later open sourced with funding from Google Fonts.
Graphic Designer at Larrea Diseñadores
TA for Typography and Typesetting cours
Teaching Assistant for Typography and Typesetting course at Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile.
TA for Portfolio Workshop course
Teaching Assistant for Portfolio Workshop course at Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile.
BA in Graphic Design
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Graphic Design from Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile.
Reviewer for HTTP Archive’s 2022 Web Almanac
Technical reviewer for the Fonts chapter of the 2022 Web Almanac. Provided ideas for queries, and helped contextualise results and ensure their technical accuracy.
Jury member for ADC Young Guns 19 Design Awards
Variable font axis proposal and presentation
Developed proposal for a glyph extension axis (GEXT) together with Sahar Afshar. Presented the axis proposal and the development process at TypoLab 2018, Berlin, Germany.
Email: type@jmsole.cl
Nationality: Chilean
Languages: Spanish and English
Professional Experience
Font Development Technical Manager at Dalton Maag
May 2021 – present
Overseeing the technical strategy for font development at Dalton Maag by collaborating with the Software Development team to streamline and improve font development workflow; planning the training scheme for all font development, including initial training of new hires in design, technical, and hinting processes; leading the development of the internal documentation strategy as well as the consolidation and ongoing improvement of the internal knowledge base; developing a new approach for planning and estimating font modification projects; developing a new vertical metrics strategy; liaising with retailers of Dalton Maag fonts.
Team Manager at Dalton Maag
January 2018 – May 2021
Led a team of six Font Developers by managing their work streams both within the team and across the company, and providing guidance and support to them on how to best approach different projects; navigating team members on how to expand their careers; training new team members on internal processes.
Font Developer at Dalton Maag
August 2014 – January 2018
Led the design and development of font projects for various companies including Canonical, Magic Leap, City of Westminster, Agoda, and Netflix. Reached Senior Font Developer level, which involved taking the lead on complex projects and providing guidance to less experienced colleagues. Contributed to the development of an automated font build process, as well as a font development strategy for using git as a tool for version control.
Font Engineer at Dalton Maag
March 2013 – August 2014,
Researched and developed new techniques for projects with complex technical requirements, including the creation of a custom hinting process for fonts used on ebook readers; provided technical support to designers for a variety of projects; contributed to the development of the internal web font generation workflow.
Freelance Type Designer
2011 – 2012
Designed Noticia Text, a font family for digital newspapers, and Alfa Slab, a contemporary take on the Six-lines Pica Egyptian created by Robert Thorne for the Thorowgood Foundry in 1821. Both projects were later open sourced with funding from Google Fonts.
Graphic Designer at Larrea Diseñadores
2008 – 2009
TA for Typography and Typesetting cours
2010
Teaching Assistant for Typography and Typesetting course at Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile.
TA for Portfolio Workshop course
2007 – 2008
Teaching Assistant for Portfolio Workshop course at Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile.
Education
BA in Graphic Design
2006 – 2011
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Graphic Design from Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile.
Other Activities
Reviewer for HTTP Archive’s 2022 Web Almanac
2022
Technical reviewer for the Fonts chapter of the 2022 Web Almanac. Provided ideas for queries, and helped contextualise results and ensure their technical accuracy.
Jury member for ADC Young Guns 19 Design Awards
2021
Variable font axis proposal and presentation
2018
Developed proposal for a glyph extension axis (GEXT) together with Sahar Afshar. Presented the axis proposal and the development process at TypoLab 2018, Berlin, Germany.