Jonathan Aitken's background is graphic design. He studied as an undergraduate student at York University, in Toronto, where he was granted a BFA. He subsequently studied industrial design at the University of Alberta and attained an MVA. He owned and operated a graphic design studio, Pages Design Ltd, in Toronto for 15 years, where he was involved in designing and producing everything from corporate annual reports, web sites, identity programs and books to exhibit displays and signage. He has taught graphic and web design at Ryerson University for the last several years. His research/creative interests encompass the application of kinetic typography to various projects. His current project (involving a SSHRC Research/Creation grant in the Fine Arts) involves incorporating animated type into live performance, creating a believable "typographic character" that interacts naturally with live actors.
