Nick Shinn studied fine arts in college, but upon graduating he decided that he would rather be “a regular working guy” than a fine artist. Advertising design seemed to Shinn to be a career that allowed him to use his artistic talent and work a somewhat normal job. By the time he worked his way up to creative director at a national Canadian advertising agency, however, he decided it would be more fun to work for himself than someone else. In the late 1980s Shinn founded Nick Shinn & Associates and has been happy and busy ever since.

Of his typeface designs, Shinn says, “Beautiful letters aren’t enough to make a successful typeface; I also want to create faces that are design solutions.”