Speaking
Hi, I’m Richard Rutter. I talk about digital design at conferences and events all over the world.
I’m particularly passionate about service design and web typography (which I’ve been evangelising since 2005).
If you’re interested in having me speak at your event please get in touch. I’m equally happy at grassroots meet-ups as I am at global conferences.
Upcoming appearances
- What’s new in web typography?
Web Day Out · 12 March 2026, Brighton, UK 🇬🇧
I'm available to talk at your meetup or conference. Current topics include fluid web typography and its role in design systems, internal service design (improving the employee experience), and creating professional development frameworks for designers and beyond.
About me
I'm a designer living in Brighton, UK. In 2005, I co-founded Clearleft, now one of the world’s leading digital design consultancies. Clearleft has given the me the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most iconic organisations, including the Natural History Museum, Virgin Atlantic, the United Nations, University College London (UCL), Penguin Random House, J.P. Morgan, the BBC, and the Wellcome Trust.
I love to combine my fascination for typography with my belief in the Web as a force for good. As a self-appointed web typography evangelist, I am chief organiser of Clearleft’s Ampersand web typography conferences. I also cofounded Fontdeck, a pioneering web font service. A few years ago I realised a dream and published my book Web Typography to much acclaim.
A few years ago I was named as one of Wired UK’s top 100 people shaping the digital world, which was nice.
When not at work, I can be found enjoying life with my family in Brighton, scouring local record shops for vinyl, or riding bicycles up and down hills.
Contact
Drop an email to rich@clearleft.com or toot @[email protected]. I’m also on Bluesky @clagnut.com.
I’m around every Friday morning or afternoon for a 30 minute chat about anything you like. You can book a time slot that works for you.
Selected speaking highlights
2024
- c’t <webdev> · November 2024, Cologne, Germany 🇩🇪
- State of the Browser · September 2024, London, UK 🇬🇧
- Patterns Day · March, Brighton, UK 🇬🇧
2022
- Leading Design · March, New York, USA 🇺🇸
2019
- Typographic Society of Austria (tga) · February, Vienna, Austria 🇦🇹
2018
- Service Design Fringe Festival · November, London, UK 🇬🇧
- Generate Conference · September, London, UK 🇬🇧
- CSS Day · June, Amsterdam, Netherlands 🇳🇱
2017
- Web Directions Summit · November, Sydney, Australia 🇦🇺
2016
- UX Brighton · November, Brighton, UK 🇬🇧
- Kerning · June, Faenza, Italy 🇮🇹
2013
- Kerning · May, Faenza, Italy 🇮🇹
2011
- An Event Apart · August, Minneapolis, USA 🇺🇸
2010
- ATypI · September, Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪
2008
- Spletne Urice · May, Llubljana, Slovenia 🇸🇮
2007
- South by South West Interactive · March, Austin, Texas, USA 🇺🇸
No AI content or training
Unless stated, everything on this website has been written without the use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) or any large language models (LLM). I do not give consent for any content on this website to be used to train LLMs.