Ikea Switches to Verdana
August 31st, 2009
Ikea has used Futura everywhere for as long as anyone can remember. In a story that is apparently causing quite a fuss, they are changing all their typography over to Verdana. (Show of hands, who no longer cares about what I’m talking about?) Here’s the issue: Verdana is a web font, designed to be used online and work well with degrading pixel sizes. It is NOT designed for this sort of thing, but then again Interstate isn’t meant to be used in posters.
TIME MAGAZINE: All about the issue.
TYPOPHILE: See some type designers REALLY get into it.
ONLINE PETITION: To stop the madness.
I can’t decide if I care about this or not. Some graphic designers really do. Do you? NOTE: You don’t have to be a graphic designer to answer.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Nope, can't say I care, but then, I've never even been inside an IKEA…
August 31st, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Ok so… I opened Microsoft Words… Typed all characters in Futura… Then all characters in Verdana… And compared.
The ONLY noticeable difference to my contemptible normal human eyes was that the Verdana characters were VERY slightly wider…
It's not like it was a change from Times New Romans to Wingdings. Sheesh.
August 31st, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I never really bought the argument that the intended target of the font should make it the ONLY target of the font. I mean, it's not like most people are able to see the individual pixels on their monitors anyway.
Sure, Verdana was DESIGNED to look good on a screen, but that doesn't mean it can't look fine anywhere else.
August 31st, 2009 at 8:13 pm
I care! I hate the I with things on the top and bottom – serifs? I think if Verdana got rid of that, I wouldn't care at all – since Verdana is a great font otherwise.
August 31st, 2009 at 8:38 pm
i care. those motherfuckers!!!!!!
August 31st, 2009 at 9:00 pm
yeah, it's absolutely a bad decision on IKEA's part.
I'm not losing sleep over it though.
September 4th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
i might lose some sleep over it… in all honesty, i'll probably have dreams about Verdana fighting it out with Futura. And no matter who wins the hearts and minds of millions, Futura will still be better looking. It can take solace in that fact until its counter-spaces sag and descenders become droopy.
April 12th, 2010 at 2:25 am
haha how can you tell? Did u like drive past one and were like "what the-?!" lol jk but I love your comic. makes my day:)
April 12th, 2010 at 4:09 am
It was all over the design blogs at the time. Mostly because their print materials switched, so it was when one of their new catalogs came out.