Ashley grew up taking things apart to see how they worked.
This innate curiosity and self-determination led him to his first career in commercial graphic/web design during the early years of the internet. Since then, his love of typography, technology, and creative process has manifested in many ways. He applies his engineering mindset to understanding human creativity, language, and meaning through researching, designing, printing, and teaching typography.
Over the last thirty years, Ashley has experimented with various technologies, including physical computing, electro-mechanics, robotics, and many types of software. He has used these technologies to create experiences for people, including drawing machines, a portable CNC router for custom wood type workshops, and other gallery-based artworks.
Today, in addition to continuing his research, design, production, and printing of his own wood forms on the letterpress, he applies user-centered design methods and his technical skills to create assistive devices for children with disabilities.
Ashley is a professor in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Delaware, where he helps young creatives learn the fundamentals of typography and design through an understanding of the psychology of meaning and the relationship between typography, production, and society over time. He challenges students to embrace their unique points of view and establish their own way of contributing to the world.
He has recently established his own letterpress studio, Ol’ Possum Press, at his home, as well as an experimental type studio, 6aType, in Newark, Delaware. He continues to share his creative research, teaching strategies, and scholarship at national and international venues.
work contact:
Ashley John Pigford
Professor of Creative Practice
Department of Art and Design
University of Delaware
Recitation Hall
22 E. Main St. Rm 104
design@udel.edu
Ashley John Pigford
designer, educator, typographer, printer, maker
ashley@6atype.com