Don Bickerdike is a type designer whose work is a fusion of his lifelong passions: a deep-seated fascination with languages, an innate talent for recognizing patterns, a love for the art of creation, and a dedication to the science of memorization. From his teenage years, Don was captivated by the structures of different languages, a pursuit that cultivated his unique ability to see the underlying logic and rhythm in complex writing systems. This analytical skill, combined with his background as an amateur artist, provides him with a rare perspective—one that sees a font not just as a tool for communication, but as a carefully crafted work of art.
His journey into type design began not as a commercial venture, but as a deeply personal project born from his own work as a language publisher. Don’s interest in providing effective educational tools led him to see a fundamental need in the field of language learning. This realization became the driving force behind his creation of a phonetic font for the Cherokee syllabary—a project that perfectly harmonized all of his talents. He approached the design with the eye of an artist, meticulously crafting each character, and the mind of a linguist, ensuring that every element was logically sound and phonetically accurate.
The result is a font that is both a work of art and an invaluable educational resource. It is a direct reflection of his dual nature as a designer and a teacher, seamlessly blending the aesthetic with the academic. The creation of the Bickerdike Extended Transliteration (B.E.T.) system and the innovative use of illustrated numeric tones were born from his unique ability to simplify complex patterns for the benefit of the learner. His design is not a mere reproduction of an existing alphabet; it is a revolutionary re-imagining of a writing system for a modern context.
Today, Don’s work is driven by a powerful mission to bridge the gap between cultural heritage and contemporary technology. His initial foray into Cherokee syllabary is a testament to this commitment, and his vision extends to creating similar phonetic fonts for other indigenous languages. Through the foundry, Deep Perspective Books, Don Bickerdike offers tools that are more than just fonts—they are bridges to new understanding, embodying a profound appreciation for language and the art of seeing things from a different, and indeed, deeper perspective.
