I am home since this morning, fighting a jetlag and recovering from a jampacked week in the Twin Cities. I had a marvelous time – after my two talks, judging the AIGA Minnesota 2014 Design Show and participating in the panel discussion on opening night of the show, I had the opportunity to visit friends old and new. I finally got to meet Process Type Foundry's Nicole Dotin and Eric Olson in person (and their lovely newborn Mercer and dog Charlie); the next day I visited Mark Simonson whom I hadn't seen since he visited my home town Gent with his wife and daughter seven years ago, and Craig Eliason introduced me to the fascinating world of curling (no, I am not being ironic); and finally Font Diner's Stuart Sandler and Dathan Boardman from Great Lakes Lettering showed me a slice of genuine American culture – Mall of America. I got to discuss typography, type design and the related business for hours with them, exchanging ideas and discovering some great as-of-yet unreleased typefaces.

Meanwhile, at the other side of these United States, TYPO San Francisco "Rhythm" was in full swing. TYPO has made it a habit of sharing some of their presentations with the general audience. Even if you had to miss the excitement like me, you can enjoy five top talks after the jump.

Maria Popova: The Science of Productivity and the Art of Presence

Maria Popova talks about being successful, happy and proud by being awake, showing up and being present in our daily routine.

Gemma O'Brien: Crafting Authenticity

Gemma O'Brien shows us her incredible lettering and calligraphic brush work.

Victor Moscoso: Poster Legend

A detailed journey through the life of psychedelic poster artist and illustrator Victor Moscoso.

Lisa Congdon: Embrace the Abyss & Other Lessons

Through drawings and story telling, Lisa explores three important lessons she's learned in her journey as a professional illustrator and surface designer.

Elliott Earls: Money, Sex, and Power –

The Mechanics of a Hybrid Practice

In this presentation, Elliott Earls breaks down the mechanics of his hybrid design practice.