Daring Forever (Find your Extraordinary)

Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic
daringcreativity.com |  desk@daringcreativity.com
Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFc
Free audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobook
Book bundles  https://novemberuniverse.co.uk

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Eleni Beveratou, creative director at the London type studio Dalton Maag, comes back to Daring Forever. ~

Her first conversation looked back at her origin story; this one looks ahead at what it means to be a type designer in 2026. Eleni explains why accessibility and multi-script design now lead client conversations, how variable fonts are bringing back craft that was lost in the early digital years, and why her team calls themselves font developers rather than type designers. 

She talks about the weight of designing letters that billions of people will read, the problem with outdated accessibility guidelines, and how growing up with Latinised Greek type shaped her sense of responsibility. Along the way, she makes the case that knowledge can’t be fast-tracked, that collaboration exposes our blind spots, and that bad kerning still gives the world plenty of stories.
Key takeaways
Type in 2026 is human. Accessibility and multi-script design are now what clients bring to the table, and Eleni sees both as type doing what it should.
Bad kerning is a gift. A world of perfect type would be boring. Every misplaced letter on a boat or shopfront carries a story.
Same typeface, different worlds. One font can look completely different depending on scale and context, so don’t be too prescriptive about how people use it.
Variable fonts revive old craft. Punch cutters adjusted design and spacing for different sizes. Early digital type lost that, and variable fonts are bringing it back.
Type can now move and respond. Variable fonts can react to sound, colour, and distance from the screen, opening type up to motion and interaction.
Design and engineering inform each other. Knowing a typeface’s technical capabilities shapes the design, and design ambition pushes the engineering further.
Test where the type will live. White text on black looks heavier because of a halo effect. Thorough testing across environments and operating systems shows what a shiny studio screen won’t.
Know when to stop. Deadlines are real, imperfection is human, and more eyes on the work (colleagues, clients, real users) is how you reach excellence.
Design for the eyes you serve. Most designers are 20 to 40, but many users are over 40, and eyesight changes.
There’s no single accessibility fix. Expressive type can create a feeling. Information type needs to be read fast and clearly. Different needs call for different solutions.
Question outdated guidelines. Many accessibility rules for type date from an era of five system fonts. Put real users in the decision-making.
Multi-script work is shared work. Native in-house knowledge, outside consultants and clients’ local teams all help shape each script.
Responsibility means doing the right thing slowly. Greek type was once heavily Latinised. Designers gradually corrected it, and in the process changed people’s habits.
Hire the person behind the talent. Skill has to be there, but soft skills, teamwork, and a company’s human side make the difference.
Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic
daringcreativity.com |  desk@daringcreativity.com
Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFc
Free audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobook
Book bundles  https://novemberuniverse.co.uk

Lux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/  (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)
November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

A short bonus episode showcasing a few standout moments from this week's guest interview with Seth Epstein from Los York ~
Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic
daringcreativity.com |  desk@daringcreativity.com
Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFc
Free audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobook
Book bundles  https://novemberuniverse.co.uk

Lux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/  (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)
November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

Seth Epstein is a creative entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Los York, a global creative company of self-described “global nomads of the arts.” In this conversation, Radim and Seth skip the business talk and follow the story behind it. ~
It starts with a furious client phone call in the mid-’90s, in the early days of Fuel, one of the first Mac-based motion design studios in LA. Inspired by the Zen parable “Emptying the Cup,” Seth asked to come in and simply listen. That meeting became the basis of how he listens, leads and wins work to this day.
Seth talks about growing up between a hippie philosopher father and a disciplined, self-improvement-driven mother. He sold Fuel to Razorfish at 31 and then spent nearly a decade lost, without purpose. At one low point, his family couldn’t afford groceries. 
A small passion film made with one camera, about his hero Shawn Stüssy, opened the door back into the industry. It led to taking over Stardust and eventually to Los York, whose name, ethos and clothing label all trace back to Stüssy’s International Tribe. The episode ends with a reflection on why creatives keep returning to their hands, and on the universal urge to grow towards the light.
Key takeaways
You can’t have a breakthrough without a breakdown. Breakdowns are a signal that growth is around the corner, so go looking for them.
Empty the cup. Let people say everything, don’t defend yourself, then repeat back what you heard so they feel fully heard.
There are three kinds of listening: distracted, listening to respond (the cocktail-party default) and listening to recreate. The last one wins work and builds relationships.
Write your own notes. Seth handwrites his and doesn’t let AI do it, because the quality of listening is the competitive edge.
Money without purpose leads to misery. The “someday my prince will come” story falls apart without community and meaning.
When everything is stripped away, go back to home base. Ask what you’re good at and what you’d do for free.
Constraints create great work. One camera, no crew and nothing to lose made a hero-level ask feel easy.
Comfort kills. Comfort is when we start trimming our dreams and ignoring the “wouldn’t it be cool if” urge.
One meeting can change your life. Stay open and available, because a throwaway comment can change your direction.
Find your North Star. Look for people living the life you want and let them pull you forward.
Be a multi-hyphenate. Keep finding new ways to create, including being bad at ceramics.
Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic
daringcreativity.com |  desk@daringcreativity.com
Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFc
Free audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobook
Book bundles  https://novemberuniverse.co.uk

Lux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/  (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)
November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

A short bonus episode showcasing a few standout moments from this week's guest interview with Amy Swift ~
Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic
daringcreativity.com |  desk@daringcreativity.com
Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFc
Free audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobook
Book bundles  https://novemberuniverse.co.uk

Lux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/  (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)
November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)