Re: Choosing Type

Choosing type takes practice and finding type takes time. The more you familiarize yourself with type, the easier it is to identify it and utilize it. Personally, I will use the heck out of a font until I can easily pick out that typeface. Last semester I was stuck on Didot HTF and I used it for everything.  Before that, it was Avenir. I became interested in everyone else’s favorite font. I have a friend obsessed with Archer and I feel like Archer is my step-child now. Because of her love of Archer, I somehow grew to like it too. 

Choosing a typeface for a client isn’t about personal preference, although I am guilty of doing just that. Some fonts can also be damn expensive. What does the client want? Can they afford to buy a font? Can their font preferences cover the entire scope of the project? I try to find typefaces with a lot of weights and italics. Some people might be able to just pick a font out of the air and go with it. I need to do my research, because I have a lot to learn. I have sat in the lab, not so patiently, going through pretty much every font we have. I will find layouts and typefaces that I like in magazine spreads and I will look for those. I will find logos that I like and I will research their typeface. I learn best by seeing and doing, so this works best for me.

My favorite new thing on the space phone is Flipboard - why have I never seen this before? I have a typography magazine that I follow that I love to browse through. The design category is pretty badass too.