Be A Design Cast 10 : Typography Island
What would you do if you were stuck on a deserted island with only five typefaces for the rest of your life? Choose one for Serif, Sans Serif, Script, Designed-By-Adrian-Frutiger, and the enigmatic “Misc.” You’ll have to listen in for our picks, but we’re more interested to hear from you! Post your picks in the Comments section and we’ll tally up the top five vote getters for a recap on next week’s show. Thanks to Greg for getting us off the negative tip.
Right click to download Be A Design Cast 10 to your computer, (7mb) or subscribe directly from iTunes.
March 13th, 2006 at 8:18 am
STENCIL to label my crates.
PRIMITIVES to communicate with the natives.
TONIC to drink.
CHINESE MENU to eat.
and
AVIATOR to get the hell off the island.
March 13th, 2006 at 9:12 am
I already answered this question years ago. Bodoni, Helvetica, Times Roman, Century and Futura. These don’t fit within your categories, but I’m Massimo Vignelli so I can take what ever I want.
March 13th, 2006 at 9:17 am
Serif: Garamond (it’s timeless and great for body copy . . . I don’t care what Joe Duffy says.)
Sans Serif: FF Meta (because there are a lot of weights and Eric Spiekerman was cool enough to comment on BADG just a couple days ago)
Script: House Script (couldn’t come up with anything timeless, so I went with fun)
Designed-By-Frutiger: Univers
Misc: Clarendon (add a little character)
March 13th, 2006 at 9:43 am
Nice job on the podcast, gentlemen. My five fonts:
Serif: Palatino
Sans Serif: Optima
Script: Zapfino
Frutiger font: Frutiger
Misc: Trajan
March 13th, 2006 at 9:57 am
That was your most extreme podcast yet.
March 13th, 2006 at 11:38 am
I might be having second thoughts about my Misc. choice. I might choose Myriad so I could do work for Apple (via the broadband connection I have on the island) on the very off chance that they call me (on my satellite phone).
March 13th, 2006 at 12:37 pm
Once again I think it is a bad idea to delve too deeply into the logistics of the Typography Island scenerio. I think logic drowns about 2 feet offshore, if you catch my drift.
March 13th, 2006 at 1:06 pm
Agreed. Just having a bit of fun. I think that the thought of Apple calling me up to work on their new packaging is just as “out there” as figuring out the logistics of the Typography Island.
“drift” Good one!
March 13th, 2006 at 1:13 pm
Serif: New Baskerville.
Sans Serif: Akzidenz Grotesk.
Script: Lucida Handwriting.
Designed-By-Frutiger: Avenir.
Misc: Birdman.
March 13th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Would that be of Harvey Birdman fame?
March 13th, 2006 at 1:55 pm
i’m not sure of the inspiration for it, but birdman (http://www.dafont.com/font.php?file=birdman) was designed by a really cool dude – in fact, I think I’ll ask him (http://www.designwire.org/viewtopic.php?p=2713#2713)!
March 14th, 2006 at 7:39 am
ISLAND JOURNAL – DAY 2
No sign of AVIATOR. Looks like I might be here a while. I’ve decided to rethink my list.
I’m going to trade organization for steamy tropical “companionship.”
Goodbye STENCIL.
Hellloooo SHELLEY.
March 14th, 2006 at 8:40 am
What text book are you guys using to teach Typeography? If anybody finds that “ipod designed by Microsoft” video please let me know. My fav 5 fonts: serif: garamond (i don’t care what anybody said), san: trade gothic, script: Voluta (i probably wont ever use a script anyways) frutiger: univers, misc: trajan
March 14th, 2006 at 9:31 am
Caslon 540
Futura Bold
Adobe Jenson Italic
Avenir Medium
Rockwell Light
March 14th, 2006 at 10:11 am
I’d take Minion (or Sabon), Akzidenz Grotesk, and Univers because they are all well drawn, have lots of options, and all work well together (except the two san serifs) because I don’t want to only be able to use one at a time. I guess if I HAD to take a script, I’d go with Shelley… how about just bringing a pen? Even my chicken-scratching would be better than most script options.
March 14th, 2006 at 10:53 am
I can’t believe I’m the first to say this…
Who needs five, I’m just taking Helvetica. Seriously. More specifically give me the Helvetica Neue family with all its weights and I would be absolutely content.
Way more versatile than ANYTHING Frutiger has designed. I’ve actually suprised many people when I’ve revealed that a piece uses it (something about the way I set it, I guess) and have had many others tell me they hate Helvetica, but loved a particular application I used it for.
I guess If I had to take another with me, I would throw in Optima, so I could look at something pretty Zapf did, and give me a hint of serifs, for the times I’m slightly tempted to use them.
March 14th, 2006 at 8:41 pm
Rikky, the iPod video can currently be found at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4313772690011721857. Who knows how long it will be there however…
March 14th, 2006 at 9:20 pm
I would carry on the corporate image, cause without my job (telecommuting of course), I’d have nothing. So . . . Frutiger and Adobe Garamond.
March 16th, 2006 at 11:50 am
S E R I F
Courier New
S A N S S E R I F
Helvetica
S C R I P T
Too depressing to have a script font on a desert island
F R U T I G E R
Linotype Didot
M I S C
Beach (because a deserted island might free Beach of all residues of the J. Peterman Catalog, which long ago hijacked Beach for use in Society As We Know It; this is why hardly anyone has heard of this font)
or
1942 Report (see dafont.com; just to really confuse anyone who finds my messages in bottles)
March 20th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
Alright, I’m finally giving in to the urge to participate in this diversion. I just can’t help myself.
Serif: Adobe Garamond, with the expert set (“The Duffster” be damned, this is a gorgeous AND utilitarian font.)
Sans serif: Gotham (The most beautiful typeface ever crafted.)
Script: Bickham Script (If you’re going to go script, go SCRIPT.)
Frutiger-designed: Courier New (Eventually, I’m going to need a monospaced font, right?)
Potluck: URW Clarendon (I could see that coming in handy.)