Eiichi Kono came to the UK from Japan, as a mature student in 1974, to the then London College of Printing, and on to the Royal College of Art researching optical letter spacing for Japanese/Latin type design and typesetting systems. At Banks and Miles he redesigned Johnston Underground Sans,ensuring the perpetuation of the iconic identity of London Transport.

His graphic design work in corporate identity, exhibition and publishing design has included consultancies for The Economist, WH Smith, Monotype, Arts Council, and Montblanc. He has taught at Middlesex Polytechnic and briefly at Brighton and Reading. Eiichi’s major interests have centred around typographic design in mixed languages and in the new technological demands on type design. He has recently led a team developing Japanese/Latin Open Type fonts with optimal on-screen legibility for Microsoft Windows. He is currently working on digital typefaces for Toyota’s vehicle navigations systems. As a senior research fellow, Eiichi worked with Gerald Fleuss of the Edward Johnston Foundation on a Centre for Teaching and Learning through Design (CETLD) project, ‘The Legacy of Edward Johnston’.

"My friendship with the Faculty of Arts and Architecture at Brighton is founded on my very long friendship with Bruce Brown, and through visits, exhibitions, and the hallmark hospitality of the Graduate shows, bringing together tutors and students from Japan and Korea. I have become more directly involved in the faculty’s relationship with Japan, accompanying Brighton professors carrying out external assessments and attending design conferences at Japanese universities. Interpreting exchanges and forging friendships has revealed interests and opinions from both sides, giving me fresh insight into the potential for graphic communication in international conversations and academic exchanges. I was glad to have been instrumental in encouraging ATypI to hold their annual conference at the Faculty in 2007.

"CETLD has given me the opportunity to bring the Edward Johnston Foundation at Ditchling into the Faculty, and this research has introduced lettering workshops for graphic design students. Having direct working relationships with students and faculty tutors at Brighton has re-ignited my own interest in perceptions of writing, typography and type design, and Gerry (Fleuss) and I are taking our CETLD workshop to Japanese art and design faculties, which will have a dynamic impact on our research!"