David Johnson-Davies

David Johnson-Davies was born in London, studied Experimental Psychology in Cambridge, and then did research at the MRC Applied Psychology Unit. After completing a PhD in 1980 he decided not to continue in research, but joined the fledgling personal computer company Acorn in Cambridge, managing the software publishing division, AcornSoft. Acorn went on to develop the BBC Microcomputer, which formed the basis for a computer literacy project run by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the UK.

David left Acorn in 1986 and set up Human-Computer Interface, a consultancy specialising in information design and technical documentation. Human-Computer Interface has worked for a range of high-tech software and consumer electronics clients including BDO, Citrix Systems, Hitachi Europe, Linn Products, Meridian Audio, Revo, and Royal Mail.

Over several years David created a Macintosh-based program to help identify clients' typefaces, and in 2000 he converted it into what became the Identifont Web site. Since then, with the support of type vendors, publishers, and designers, it has grown to become one of the most widely used font tools on the Internet.

More recently David has developed other font-related Web sites, including Fontscape, a directory of typefaces organised into categories, and Fontifier, which allows you to create a handwriting font from a template.

David has three children and lives in Cambridge. He likes: being with his children, pop music, Lisp, roller skating, typography, opera, oriental food, and world cinema.

[David Johnson-Davies, September 2007]