Serif or sans serif? Studying Ladislas Mandel's typefaces for telephone directories

French designer Ladislas Mandel created an impressive number of typefaces for telephone directories between the late 1970s and the 1990s, including Galfra (Italy, Belgium), Clottes (France) and Colorado (US). Looking closely at his atypical working method, from original drawings to printed phone books, it is sometimes difficult to assess whether these designs should be considered as sans or serif typefaces, many of them sitting on the fence between the two genres. These commissions provided a fertile ground for Mandel to experiment and develop his theories on cultural differences in type design. In an attempt to better understand his approach and illustrate his ambiguous relationship with sans-serif typefaces, this presentation will chiefly provide an excuse to delve into Mandel's archives and his design process for the singular reading space of telephone directories - Research "Ladislas Mandel: la création typographique du quotidien à la croisée des technologies et des cultures" - Esad'Reseach Unit: De-Sign-e