This Year's Jury Presidents Are:

  • Communication Design: Lisa Smith, Global Chief Design Officer, Uncommon Creative Studio, New York.
  • Lettering: Mary Kate McDevitt, Illustrator, Hand-Letterer, and Designer, Philadelphia.
  • Type Design: Aleksandra Samulenkova, Type Designer, Haarlem.

The role of Jury Presidents is to lead judging for their discipline, guide discussion and facilitate the voting process.

The full TDC72 jury will be announced shortly. Across the three juries, the competition has native experts spanning a range of writing systems including Arabic, Cyrillic, Indic, CJK and Thai, aiming to reflect TDC's commitment to have a greater number of appropriate experts judging work for which they have a deep knowledge, says the organisation.

"TDC doesn't grant recognition lightly. We select judges for their specific expertise across a range of type-related disciplines," says Joe Newton, Executive Director of TDC. "Jury Presidents are the guiding lights of the jury process, bringing a wealth of real-world experience to buttress our rigorous judging process. We're honoured to have Lisa, Mary Kate, and Aleksandra lead this year's juries, and help us identify the world's best typography."

About TDC72

Digital and physical entries are being accepted via the TDC72 entry website. Early bird deadline for entry is November 14, with entry fees increasing for the regular deadline of January 23, 2026, and final deadline on February 27, 2026, says the organisation.

For the first time in its nearly 80-year history, TDC now presents physical Gold, Silver and Bronze awards starting this year, adds the organisation.

The new Type-High award, designed and named by longtime TDC collaborator, life member and organisation Chairman Emeritus Graham Clifford, can now be displayed on desks and bookshelves, representing achievement of creative excellence and serving as a constant visual inspiration for typographers, type designers and lettering artists, says the organisation.

The TDC competition regularly receives entries from more than 60 countries. With the aim to make TDC72 as accessible as possible on a global level, the organisation is offering significant regional discounts on entry fees, adds the organisation. 

In addition to receiving Type-High awards or Merit certificates, winners get a digital seal certifying their work is among the world's best of the year. Winning work will also be featured in the TDC Annual, The World's Best Typography®, and showcased in a number of exhibitions that travel to museums, schools and design organisations around the world, says the organisation.

TDC72 Best of Show, Best of Discipline, and Judges' Choice winners are awarded in May 2026 during Creative Week in New York, adds the organisation.

TDC72 winners are also part of The One Club's 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, design firms, ad agencies, production companies and brands, concludes the agency.

Please visit the TDC72 entry site for more information and to enter this year's competition.

For more information, visit www.oneclub.org. You can also follow The One Club on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, or on TikTok.

*Image courtesy of the contributor