Eye Magazine

In ‘Golden age?’ (Eye no. 71 vol. 18), we asked twelve practitioners – art directors, type designers, educators – to suggest examples of typefaces that characterise the Zeitgeist, and show some of their nominated fonts. Now it’s your turn.

Deborah Littlejohn asked these professionals whether the latest developments ‘indicated the emergence of a new “Golden Age” in type design, perhaps akin to that heralded by the invention of the printing press in the sixteenth century, the rise of the independent typographer in the early twentieth century or the fearless experimentation of the 1990s.’

The Type Zeitgeist panel:

Catherine Dixon selected Frutiger serif, Lirico and Samba.

Mr Keedy, aka Jeffery Keedy (commenting that ‘In terms of aesthetics and style we’re in the new Dark Ages’) had qualified praise for the Ed Benguiat collection (below) and Sweepy.

Nick Bell nominated the Modernist-style Effra, Slate, Gloriola, International, ARS Maquette, and Kris Sowersby’s National.

Nicole Dotin chose another Sowersby font, Feijoa.

Paul Carlos was enthusiastic about Peter Bil’ak’s History and Atlantik, by Sylvia and Daniel Janssen (see below.)

Sibylle Hagmann advocated Mercury and Trixie HD.

Peter Bil’ak went for Garamond Premier Pro.

William Hall, noting that ‘over-friendly toasted-cheese fonts are dead’, liked Avenir and Neuzeit.

Khoi Vinh regretted the ‘monopoly’ of the browser fonts Georgia, Verdana and Arial. [Ed’s note; this blog is set in Georgia.]

Sean Adams reckoned that Jens Gehlhaar’s Capricorn was something of a star.

Mark Thomson found Versa, Arnhem, Seria and Nexus distinctive voices in a rather crowded room.

Alfredo Trivino was seduced by the Mediterranean accents of Majerit and Sunday Times Modern designed by Eduardo Manso, Emtype.

What typefaces would you choose? Let us know!

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