Professor's Lifelong Love for Letters Shapes Global Typefaces

Steve Matteson '88 (printing) has become one of the world's prominent typeface designers, creating recognizable brand fonts for major companies.

Feb. 24, 2026 at 7:47am

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Steve Matteson, a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology, has had a lifelong passion for letterforms and typography. After studying printing at RIT, he went on to become a prominent typeface designer, creating recognizable brand fonts for companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Toyota, and Unilever. Matteson is now sharing his industry experience with students as the Melbert B. Cary Professor in RIT's School of Design.

Why it matters

Matteson's work has had a significant impact on the visual identities of some of the world's biggest brands and the everyday experiences of countless people. His ability to design typefaces that capture the essence of a brand and evoke specific emotions or impressions highlights the power of typography in shaping our perceptions and interactions with technology, products, and services.

The details

Matteson's interest in letterforms began in childhood when he was captivated by a piece of finely crafted calligraphy. This early fascination led him to RIT, where he worked with hot metal and wood typefaces that were being digitized. After graduating, Matteson went on to design typefaces for major tech companies, automakers, and consumer brands, translating physical typefaces to function in a digital environment. His work on the original Xbox and Xbox 360 user interfaces, as well as the new default font for Microsoft Outlook's Aptos, demonstrate his ability to create typefaces that align with a brand's identity and ethos.

  • Matteson began a two-year appointment as the Melbert B. Cary Professor in RIT's School of Design this academic year.
  • The Goudy Award, which Matteson is helping to coordinate, will be accepted on campus in April by Georg Seifert and Rainer Erich Scheichelbauer, authors of the Glyphs font editing software.
  • Matteson designed the new default font of the Outlook email app, Aptos, which began replacing Calibri in 2023.

The players

Steve Matteson

A professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology and one of the world's prominent typeface designers, responsible for creating recognizable brand fonts for major companies.

Georg Seifert and Rainer Erich Scheichelbauer

The authors of the pioneering Glyphs font editing software, who will be accepting the Frederic W. Goudy Award at RIT in April.

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What they’re saying

“I thought, 'A human could actually write this way?' It was mind-blowing.”

— Steve Matteson

“Coming to RIT where you're working with the latest technologies and seeing the transition of technology from photo type to digital type, that was happening while I was in school. It was an exciting time.”

— Steve Matteson

“For the Toyota designs, I wanted to import a bit of motion and humanity to them. My calligraphy background at RIT helped design letterforms that flowed much more nicely from one to the other, rather than being static letter shapes.”

— Steve Matteson

What’s next

The Goudy Award, which recognizes outstanding practitioners in type design and related fields, will be accepted on campus in April by Georg Seifert and Rainer Erich Scheichelbauer, authors of the pioneering Glyphs font editing software.

The takeaway

Matteson's lifelong passion for letterforms and typography has enabled him to create typefaces that have become integral to the visual identities of some of the world's most recognizable brands, demonstrating the profound impact that thoughtful type design can have on our daily interactions with technology, products, and services.