The publication “Typography & Power” takes as its starting point US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s December 2025 decision to replace Calibri with Times New Roman in official State Department documents. Calibri had been introduced in 2023 to improve accessibility, while Rubio described the change as a wasteful DEIA programme that had degraded official correspondence. The decision formed part of the Donald Trump administration’s broader opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

The publication demonstrates that the politicisation of seemingly “ordinary” typefaces is far from exceptional. Through an analysis of three typefaces, it explores the political and ideological meanings they have accumulated throughout history, from modernist optimism and ideas of progress to global standardisation and corporate communication.

A typeface is presented not as a fixed sign, but as a changing carrier of meaning activated by its context. Pull-out timelines guide the reader chronologically through the ideologies and policies associated with each typeface. The project highlights the often-overlooked political, cultural and semiotic dimensions of typography, presenting it as a layered system of meaning rather than a neutral communication tool.