Design is at a critical inflection point as a practice, thought process and force for change. "Pivot," this year's AIGA Design Conference, in Phoenix (October 13-16) will explore the shifts prompting this change – and help prepare its more than 1,500 attendees for the complexities of the future.

Three intensive days of inspiring speakers, practical workshops and in-depth discussions, will provide perspective on the changing design industry and actionable insights on how to increase value to clients and how to improve business prospects. Monotype Imaging is proud to be part of what should be an extraordinary experience.

We will be one of the major sponsors of Linotype® Originals OpenType Library (valued at $12,000) will be one of the main prizes.

Allan Haley, director of words and letters at Monotype Imaging will deliver a presentation titled Bach, Fonts and Rock 'n' Roll on Friday afternoon.

Typography is often inspired by great music – from Bach to Springsteen and scores of musicians in between. Both typography and music can be classical, improvisational, raucous, lyrical, offbeat, soothing or loud. They also share some basic concepts: counterpoint, rhythm, syncopation, dissonance and harmony. Haley's presentation will pair the work of Charlie Parker, Green Day, Mozart, Buddy Guy and more, with award-winning typography their music could have inspired. Great typography that has roots in music will be analyzed, scrutinized and decoded. Attendees will learn why, and how, music can be the perfect catalyst for creating typography that sings with magnetism and verve.

Later that evening, Haley will also deliver his Linotype® Originals OpenType Library of more than 1,700 fonts and "Typophile of the Year" bragging rights. In addition, over 60 other cool prizes – from t-shirts to books, to type pillows, to complete typeface families – will be given out to just about anyone who knows Bodoni from second-base.

On Saturday morning, Eli Wilkie and Carl Crossgrove, of Monotype Imaging, will lead the Building Brand in the Digital Age: Web Font Services workshop.

Technology brings collective challenges of building, maintaining, growing and delivering a unified customer experience. A task made increasingly more complex and demanding by real-time advances and multi-channel interactions. Building and maintaining brand awareness has never been more difficult and complex.

This workshop will show attendees how to deliver richer communications with Web typography using Web fonts, including how to select fonts and manage layout across different platforms and browsers.

Johnathan Zsittnik is the eCommerce Marketing Manager at Monotype Imaging. Johnathan holds both a bachelor's degree in marketing and a master's degree in business administration from Bentley University.