He's back. And this time we accidentally planned a Madrid book event live on air.

Elliot Jay Stocks is a designer, writer, editor, and the person behind Fine Specimens — a brand new book showcasing contemporary type design from 69 foundries, including three of mine. We talked about the book, the five-stop tour, joining Adobe after 18.5 years of freelancing, the love-hate relationship with Instagram every creative recognises, and why newsletters and human connection might be the most important things a creative can invest in right now.

What we cover:

• Fine Specimens — from failed Kickstarter to published book with 69 foundries
• How typefaces were curated and the challenge of classifying type
• The love-hate relationship with Instagram and why the algorithm is broken for creators
• Why he prefers newsletters — and the pop-up newsletter concept you need to know about
• Joining Adobe full-time after 18.5 years of freelancing
• The 5-stop book tour — and the accidental Madrid plan that happened live on air
• Music on hold, guitar is back, and a new book idea on the horizon
• Why human connection in creative industries matters more now than ever

Connect with Elliot Jay Stocks:

Website: https://elliotjaystocks.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliotjaystocks/

Newsletter: https://elliotjaystocks.com/newsletter

Fine Specimens: https://elliotjaystocks.com/books#fine-specimens

Listen and subscribe:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5

More from Captn OffScript:

Website: https://captnoffscript.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript

Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter

If you liked this episode, listen to: Jessica Hische (S02/E21) — on serial entrepreneurship, creative reinvention, and building a life entirely on your own terms.

Cover photo by Norman Posselt: https://normanposselt.com/

He started with die cuts and packaging catalogues at a print agency. He co-authored typography books with Slanted. He moved to Istanbul on a creative whim. And now he's the lead designer at Kittl — one of Europe's fastest-growing AI-powered design platforms. The through-line? A deep belief that no tool matters if you don't have the fundamentals first.

Philipp Louven on the journey from print to AI-first, what's actually changing in the design industry, and why the shift from execution to direction might be the most important move a designer can make right now.

What we cover:

• Starting in print — die cuts, packaging, catalogues, and editorial books with Slanted
• Moving to Istanbul just out of curiosity — and what it taught him about pace and creativity
• The hard switch to AI-first design at Kittl and how he worked through it
• Why fundamentals in composition, layout and typography matter more with AI, not less
• Typography trends in 2026 — human, imperfect, bold and loud
• Whether AI can ever be more creative than a human
• What Kittl does that no other design tool does
• Advice for young designers entering a shifting industry

Connect with Philipp Louven:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-louven-8a1251192/

Kittl: https://kittl.com

Listen and subscribe:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5

More from Captn OffScript:

Website: https://captnoffscript.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript

Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter

If you liked this episode, listen to: Sergio del Puerto (S02/E23) — on AI, creative reinvention, and finding a new way of working after decades in the industry.

He founded Serial Cut in Madrid in 1999. For nearly 30 years it became one of the most recognised creative studios in the world. And then he let it go — not because he failed, but because something new had already taken hold of him completely.

Sergio del Puerto is an art director, image maker, and one of the most influential creatives in the Spanish design industry. This is the story of Serial Cut, ZAGALE, AI, and what it feels like to be 30 years into a career and wake up genuinely excited again.

What we cover:

• Growing up in Toledo and arriving in Madrid as a club kid in 1999
• Building Serial Cut across five techniques over nearly three decades
• Why he dissolved the studio — and why it felt liberating
• Training custom AI models on his own work with LORA
• ZAGALE — the new alter ego, the covered face, and the custom helmet
• Why AI is the best creative companion when you feel stuck
• Action figures, composition, and why his childhood is always in his work
• His advice for young designers on portfolios and exploring new mediums

Connect with Sergio del Puerto:

Instagram (ZAGALE): https://www.instagram.com/_zagale_/

Serial Cut: https://serialcut.com

Listen and subscribe:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5

More from Captn OffScript:

Website: https://captnoffscript.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript

nstagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript

Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter

If you liked this episode, listen to: Jessica Hische (S02/E21) — on serial entrepreneurship, creative reinvention, and building a life entirely on your own terms.