Robyn Kanner
Human First
Human First is a heartfelt reminder that design — like nearly every discipline — is, at its core, about people. We’re creating for real people, with real stakes, in this very real world. Robyn Kanner shares insights from her work on high-profile political campaigns, including the winning Biden-Harris 2020 campaign and Governor Josh Shapiro’s successful gubernatorial run. She also highlights Freedom To Be, a project for the ACLU that recently won a Webby Award for Film & Video in Public Service and Activism. And somehow all of this — the politics, the purpose, and the people — traces back to a few clutch missed free throws in the 1995 NBA finals.
This talk is scheduled to take place as part of the main Typographics conference, taking place June 27–28, 2025. Conference registration is required to attend in person.
About Robyn Kanner
Robyn Kanner is a creative director with a passion for telling urgent human stories.
As the creative director for Biden-Harris ’20, she led branding for a handful of verticals, including social, ads, merch, video, planes, trains, buses, and stadiums. After President Biden’s victory, she continued this work for the Inauguration.
Robyn then launched her own studio, collaborating with clients like Spotify, Showtime, and Governor Josh Shapiro. She led the Democratic National Committee’s first major brand refresh since President Obama’s took office. Within 18 months, her studio joined forces with Studio Mosaic, allowing her to continue working with organizations such as the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center. She is a visiting professor at Cooper Union.
An avid film lover, Robyn contributes to The Verge through conversations with directors about the decisions they make behind the camera.