All it takes is a short conversation with a fellow graphic designer about typography to realize that we're all nerds here. We have our favorites. Sure. It's easy to pick a side... sans serif vs. serif, or even get reeeal specific... Gotham, Meta, Sabon (to list a few of mine.) The majority of the the time, however, the perfectly placed typeface has nothing to do with "I liked it," or "it just looked good," and everything to do with history, context and appropriateness.
Reading Jessica Helfand's Type Means Never Having To Say You're Sorry made me delve into the reasoning behind my recent typeface choices. While I've never been a constant user of Futura … (nor even a fan, sorry) ((nor ever had a project that required a Bauhaus inspired font)) … it is apparent how trends can influence design without the designer even realizing.
Helvetica, is a perfect example. It's everywhere. There are even documentaries about the typeface. I'm fairly certain that Andrea has banned the use of it in class. Why? Because we, as designers, most likely can't explain why we chose it. Except for maybe Claire. She knows A LOT about type.
It is important to expand your Font Book, and even step away from your favorites. It's even more important to know a little bit of history behind typography so that when it comes to choosing a font for a project, it's one that fits. This article helped me understand that research, even on a typographic level, is paramount. It can be very fulfilling explaining the reasoning to a professor behind a typeface choice. It's like you are rewarded super nerd points, and it's not even brown-nosing. It's pride.
If I had to choose a close alternative to Futura, it'd have to be Akzidenz Grotesk. They seem to be fairly proportionate in shape and width and also shares some similar features. I find this to be extremely interesting, because Akzidenz Grotesk most likely, with the combination of Paul Rand's education in Germany, inspired the creation of Futura. AG was developed decades before Futura...
Designing Under the Influence by Michael Bierut only solidified the points from Helfand's article. As designers, we absorb the visual world around us. At times, it's difficult to realize where our inspiration is rooted. This is no excuse when choosing a typeface. While it's impossible to know about ever influential designer, or why certain fonts are trending...it is important to know why a font is chosen for a project or the reason the typeface seems to fit.
The most eye opening aspect of the article was the fact it came from the perspective of an interviewer...meaning that one day, I'm going to have to sit in front of a potential employer and explain why I chose Gill Sans as my sans serif typeface for my Understanding Grammar project.
You can ask me. I know why.
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