Anyone who knows me well knows that I love type. Type, to me, is the single most important element in any design. In fact, as I interview potential new designers, their use of type is the very first element I look for.
One of the exercises I have my first year design students do, is to have them set them names in three different fonts, each of which should express their personality. It is always fun to see what they come up with. Today, I saw this video which took the whole concept of type as personality one step further and made them actual people. It is SO freaking funny (for those people who know typefaces). Check it out: http://vodpod.com/watch/892495-font-conference
On a more series note, check out the amazing documentary "Helvetica". I own this on DVD and have watched it countless times. Helvetica Film Project If you are a designer, you need to see this film. The film's offical site gives a great overview of the project...
"Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography,
graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation
of one typeface (which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of
a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is
an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that
inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about
their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind
their use of type.
Helvetica encompasses the worlds of design, advertising,
psychology, and communication, and invites us to take a second look at
the thousands of words we see every day. The film was shot in
high-definition on location in the United States, England, the
Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium.
Interviewees in Helvetica
include some of the most illustrious and innovative names in the design
world, including Erik Spiekermann, Matthew Carter, Massimo Vignelli,
Wim Crouwel, Hermann Zapf, Neville Brody, Stefan Sagmeister, Michael
Bierut, David Carson, Paula Scher, Jonathan Hoefler, Tobias
Frere-Jones, Experimental Jetset, Michael C. Place, Norm, Alfred
Hoffmann, Mike Parker, Bruno Steinert, Otmar Hoefer, Leslie Savan, Rick
Poynor, and Lars Müller.
Helvetica had its World Premiere at the South by Southwest Film
Festival in March 2007. The film subsequently toured film festivals,
special events, and art house cinemas worldwide, playing in over 300
cities in 40 countries. It received its television premiere on BBC1 in
November 2007, and will be broadcast on PBS as part of the Emmy
award-winning series Independent Lens in fall 2008. The film was
nominated for a 2008 Independent Spirit Award in the "Truer Than
Fiction" category, and was shortlisted for the Design Museum London's
"Designs of the Year" Award. An excerpt of the film was included in an
exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York."
