Do you have a few typefaces you use again and again, or do you look for something new for every project?

It’s an age-old question, but one I still hear in various forms. For designers and creatives immersed in their craft, the answer is obvious. Or is it? Perhaps the question has been buried by years of work. It’s not always obvious to a business why anyone should care to make their content visually appealing. Isn’t the content itself enough? This question is particularly difficult to answer when asked by someone who has a budget in their hands. Who looks at the bottom line, aiming for cost reduction. Aren’t these invoices from the designer an obvious excess? I still struggle with these thoughts. And, while I certainly hold the view that beauty in itself is an invaluable asset, I’m well aware of the balance between form and function. Content should convey a message in a manner that resonates with the viewer. In my work, I often aim for less, helping the readers understand the text without any unnecessary friction. Why do you think someone should pay for design?

I saw this old street sign in Kristinestad, Finland, today. The area is bilingual, with both Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking inhabitants. And the history shows even a Russian influence. This trilingual street sign with a very broad character set shows a good understanding of all the nuances among sign painters and printers back then.

Does anyone here remember this? 😀

Summers always seem to be both very calm and very busy for me. I finally have some time to catch up on projects that have been on hold for months, and then realise the amount of work that has to be done. I'm starting to typeset a book of collected poems this week. They are very simple in form, which makes it both easy and quite difficult to get right. What are you working on this summer?