Ted is typecast

… when you find yourself overwhelmed for choice or in unfamiliar territory do you choose a product by its packaging, or like me, a wine by a label you find appealing … in this era of social media do you still judge a book by its cover? Apparently we do, and we're not really aware of many of the factors in play that are influencing and manipulating our cerebral cortex and its arsenal of senses and functions.

How do you know this Ted? … I’m glad you’ve asked that (yes you did I heard you) because it gives me the perfect opportunity to tell you about an event that I’m sure will be a huge hit at the upcoming London Design Festival. Type Tasting founder Sarah Hyndman is in her own words “on a mission to make typography accessible and exciting for everybody, not just designers”. She is teaming up with my favourite wine store Laithwaite’s in Borough Market for a brand new activity pairing wine with type to create a unique tasting experience. It’s called “The Typing Project – Label Design & Wine” and I dear reader was lucky enough to be invited along to the press launch this week.

When I arrived I was asked to pick a “Hello” name badge from piles with different fonts – just pick one that most appeals was the request and do not over think it (no danger there then Ted). Then we started on what Sarah aptly describes as a unique and enlightening wine and type tasting experience, a journey of discovery through a selection of superb wines, exploring what the design of the label tells you about what you drink. How much does a bottle cost? If it looks expensive will you enjoy it more? What does the type tell you about its provenance?

I am sworn to a #nospoilers about the evening and the highly enlightening reveal demonstrations. I can tell you that at the end we were given a sealed piece of paper that corresponded to the font on the name badge we had chosen and it revealed some interesting personality factors. Sarah has done a shed load of research and is a recognised expert in her field … so I reckon her assessment was far more accurate than any Chinese fortune cookie I’ve ever opened. Seriously, I haven’t learnt so much while having fun and enjoying some delicious wines in ages. If you'd like to know more about Sarah's work and her recently published book check out her website here.

The London Design Festival kicks off on 17 September and the Typing Project events are at Laithwaites on 22 and 27 September – get in quick and book here – you fon’t regret it (ouch sorry) …