MVB Sacre Bleu / FP Dancer / Blaktur
Last month, shortly after the unveiling of the TDC2 2008 winning entries, Typographica published Our Favorite Typefaces of 2007. In no time this unofficial award list which ran for the first time in 2004 has become a staple in the type world. To call the list influential would be an understatement. A select group of type aficionados select their favourite type release(s) from the past year and submit a review to Stephen Coles, who publishes them in a handy list.
Meet Stephen Coles, one of the most astute observers of the typography world. Many a Typophile got to know him as the original type identifier and moderator of the Type Identification Board (just recently a user told him he ‘ruled the school’, not realizing Stephen practically founded the ‘school’).
For a couple of years Stephen is Type Director at FontShop USA. Although his most visible role is editing The FontFeed, he does more, much more than that. He writes copy, designs typeface showings, initiates and maintains foundry partnerships, provides clients with font selection and identification research, art directs web interfaces, and plans marketing strategy. Plus he added about 4,400 cross-references to the current edition of FontBook (I took care of the other 3,000 ;).
One of his extra-curricular projects, and the one that originally established him as a household name in the world of type and typography is Typographica. Stephen relates the history of this online ‘journal of typography featuring news, observations, and open commentary on fonts and typographic design’:
‘Designer Joshua Lurie-Terrell (of Hewn and Hammered and Urban Cartography) created Typographica in 2002 as a very simple outlet to post his thoughts on anything related to design or book arts. He also invited a lot of other designers to join in including Jonathan Barnbrook, Christian Schwartz, and myself.’
‘Early on, I’d say the main goals were building an online community and dialogue among designers. Over time we narrowed our topical focus to typography. I saw that coverage of type design and type use was lacking, both on the Web and in print. One of my efforts was to provide some sort of guide to the growing number of new type designers, foundries and fonts on the market. Another was to discuss issues dealing with the design and use of type – i.e. software/techniques. Third, we pointed readers to examples of typography that impressed us and other sites of interest to type enthusiasts.’
‘As a journal with multiple authors, our content often varied a bit in style and subject matter. From the beginning, Typographica has had no editorial policy. Our articles could be seen much in the same way as newspaper columns, often filled with as much opinion as straight news. As our readership grew, I took a more active role in editing entries for clarity and a loose house style, but each author's piece was his own. So each of our authors brought their own interests and tastes to the journal.’
‘Over the last couple of years – as forums, personal blogs and other ways to publish personal observations have grown in popularity – Typographica has become a journal in which most of the articles are written by myself, with occasional contributions from other authors. The original goals remain, but the blog now has a single voice.’
Typographica’s Our Favorite Typefaces annual review showcases the best in new typeface design. At the beginning of the new year, Stephen sends out invitations to – in his own words – ‘some of the world’s brightest graphic and type designers’ whom he asks to select their favourite font release(s) of the past year. This year the list includes such high-profile names as Erik Spiekermann, David Berlow and Ellen Lupton. As a memory aide he adds a non-restricting list of the most worthy releases which he single-handedly compiles. We are asked to write and submit concise reviews of the typefaces of our choice, which he then publishes in no particular order.
The list has quickly become the unofficial Oscars of the type world, which rivals type design competitions like TDC2 in importance. It is considered an honour to have your typeface included in the list, which proves how highly Stephen’s acumen is regarded. It’s an even greater one if your typeface is selected and reviewed. Many a type vendor and foundry have recognized its value and advertize the inclusion of one or more of their typefaces. Some even run special promotions, capitalizing on the attention their designs garner.
But first and foremost, Our Favourite Typefaces serves to bring attention to quality type design and promote its excellence. And for the type lover it has become the reference list to look out for each year. So without further ado, and if you haven’t done so yet, go to Typographica and feast your eyes on the typographic wonders this past year has brought us. Enjoy.
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