kbk is an award-winning designer and educator. He cofounded The Frontispiece in 2015 with Emma Christine Hall and currently serves as senior book designer at University of California Press. He has designed books and typography for Stanford University Press, Chronicle Books, Wilsted & Taylor, Amazon Publishing, Dzanc Books, FG Press, John Wiley & Sons, and more. In 2020, he graduated from the Type West post-graduate Type Design Program at Letterform Archive where he designed Wordcooker with Nurullah Gokdogan. He teaches design practice, theory, and philosophy at Letterform Archive, Stanford University, the San Francisco Center for the Book, the University of Colorado, and more.

He lives in Grand Junction, Colorado with fellow book designer, Emma Christine Hall.

Looking for Kevin Kane, former professional cyclist and race director of Breck Epic and Desert Gravel? He’s over here.

You can reach him at kevin.barrett.kane@gmail.com.

Courses (selected)

UPCOMING

Introduction to Contemporary Book Design Spring 2025
10-week Book Design Intensive
@ the Type Electives – New York City

The Flexible Mirror Fall 2025
Contemporary Book Design Workshop
@ the Letterform Archive – San Francisco, CA

PAST

The Flexible Mirror Spring 2023 – Current
Contemporary Book Design Workshop
@ the Letterform Archive – San Francisco, CA

Contemporary Book Design in Practice August 17, 2020
Workshop and Demonstration
@ Type West – San Francisco, CA

Typesetting the CU Honors Journal March 12, 2019
Workshop and Demonstration
@ University of Colorado – Boulder

Graphic Design Workshop 2015–2017
Summer Youth Program
@ Minddrive – Kansas City, MO

Awards (selected)

The Black Reparations Project by Darity, Mullen, & Hubbard
AUPresses Book, Jacket, & Journal Show

Intoxicating Zion by Haggai Ram
Publishing Professionals Network Annual Book Show

Unmaking the Bomb by Shannon Cram
Kirkus Book Awards

Arise! by Christina Heatherton
Lora Romero First Book Prize

Pinelandia by Nomi Stone
Albert Hourani Award

At the Edges of Sleep by Jean Ma
Kraszna-Krausz Book Award

The Product Book by Anon & de Villaumbrosia
AIGA Best New Packaging Award

Lectures / Panels (selected)

UPCOMING

Bookmaking as UI/UX Design March 4, 2025
Lecture and Demonstration
@ University of Colorado – Boulder

Making and Breaking the CU Honors Journal March 5, 2025
Lecture and Demonstration
@ University of Colorado – Boulder

PAST

Design History of the CU Honors Journal March 19, 2024
Lecture and Demonstration
@ University of Colorado – Boulder

The Life of a Book Designer May 4, 2024
Mesa Emerging Designers Guest Lecture Series
@ Colorado Mesa University – Grand Junction, CO

Generative AI and the Future of Book Design June 11–13, 2024
Chairperson
@ Association of University Presses Annual Conference – Montreal

Understanding & Writing Type Specs Febraury 5, 2024
EDP Lecture
@ University of California – Oakland, CA

How AI Will Change Book Production January 30, 2024
Panelist
@ University of California – Oakland, CA

The Land of Rejected Covers June 5, 2023
Chairperson and Panelist
@ Association of University Presses Annual Conference – Online

AUPresses Book, Jacket, & Journal Show 2020–2023
Board Member / Catalog Designer
@ Association of University Presses Annual Conferences

The Stanford University Press Manual of Style May 17, 2022
Lecture and Presentation
@ Stanford University Special Collections – Redwood City, CA

The Digitization of Bremer Antiqua January 4, 2020
Lecture and Demonstration
@ San Francisco Center for the Book