Dermot Mac Cormack's core research is organized around three interrelated and mutually reinforcing areas of practice and inquiry: the creation of immersive, generative systems and digital installations; the design and revival of historical typefaces; and critical writing on contemporary design issues related to technology, typography, and the historical influence of overlooked designers.
His generative and installation-based work integrates code, sound, and visual systems to create immersive environments that explore time, perception, and philosophical ideas drawn from Eastern thought. These projects investigate how algorithmic processes and interactive technologies can function as expressive and poetic design media.
A central strand of his research is typographic design, with particular emphasis on the study and revival of historical letterforms through contemporary type design methods. This work combines extensive archival research, historical analysis, and digital production, contributing to both scholarly understanding and contemporary typographic practice.
His writing examines the cultural and technological forces shaping contemporary design, with a particular focus on mid-century European design, the work of lesser-known contributors to the design canon, and the evolving relationship between technology, typography, and culture.
Alongside these core research areas, his work continues a sustained commitment to social and political engagement through poster design. These poster projects address contemporary issues, including gun violence, domestic violence, and climate change, and have been exhibited nationally and internationally. This body of work positions design as a public, critical medium and extends his research into visual communication as a form of civic and cultural intervention.
21xdesign continues to be a platform for collaborative, research-driven work spanning generative design, typography, and socially engaged communication. The studio’s work has been widely exhibited and published nationally and internationally, earning numerous awards.