Darden Studio on rooting the foundry’s rebrand in their rebellious spirit and pursuit of continuity

It’s safe to say that change has been a constant at Darden Studio. The foundry was first established in 2004 by Joshua Darden, an acclaimed designer with many feathers in his cap – he created Freight, a workhorse superfamily with a sweeping set of styles and cuts, used by W Magazine and Medium, and crafted the typeface which was used by Bernie Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns. After more than a decade at the helm, Darden sold the company to his long-time business collaborator and now CEO, Joyce Ketterer, who has since steered the ship to newer waters, while always anchoring it in its history. Hot off the heels of a rebrand – with a fresh identity and website – Darden Studio is ready to hold a mirror to its own journey, reflecting an honest image of the foundry. Here, Ketterer, along with Chief Designer Eben Sorkin, takes us through the rebrand, their web-first attitude, and reveals how a certain sense of irreverence laced with their pursuit of continuity makes their secret sauce. RB: Hi Joyce and Eben, how has this month been treating you? JK: We’re a good kind of tired.