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  • Is using Gotham a cop-out?

    #1
    Its such a great font... it seems like it almost insists upon itself now (for those of you who don't know, this is the font obama campaign used), but It's becoming so common... I find myself falling back to it when I need a clean sans serif... Futura seems too "try hard/modern", Gill sans is just too english, Helvetica an even more typical copout... just... so many fonts seem like crappier versions of Gotham too (Avenir, for example).. even if they're older than Gotham.

    Do you look down on designers who overuse it? What's some other good alternatives besides the ones I mentioned?
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  • #2
    Short answer, no.

    A well designed font shouldn't scream it's name over the top of a design, but be relevant and let compliment a design. If it works, it's not a cop out.
    It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?" – Winnie the Pooh

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    • #3
      I love Gotham. And I don't mind helvetica either. Just don't use it because you "like it". Use it because it's the right choice. If you revert to it with EVERY logo design for EVERY client, then you might to rethink some decisions. Hoefler & Frere-Jones have some good advice on combining typefaces and offer good suggestions on compliments for their own.

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      • #4
        I remember an interview with Massimo Vignelli, who designed the American Airlines logo (as well as many others). He has been at it for many, many years, and in that time he has really only used three or four typefaces.

        A good typeface is a good typeface. And it should disappear into the design, not stand out. If it works, don't worry about how many other people have used it.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by crdunsto View Post
          Is using Gotham a cop-out?
          No.

          Gotham is a nice typeface, and it lends itself to certain things. It's popularity makes little difference to whether or not it's suitable for use? If it works, it works. As others have said, typefaces usually shouldn't draw attention to themselves and should blend into and reinforce the overall look of the work. Gotham's ubiquity might actually help accomplish this.

          Personally, I don't recall ever having used Gotham — mainly because I don't own a copy. However, I do plead guilty to using Myriad Pro, Fruitiger, Franklin Gothic and Minion Pro for, probably, 90 percent of everything I work on.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Cosmo View Post
            I remember an interview with Massimo Vignelli, who designed the American Airlines logo (as well as many others). He has been at it for many, many years, and in that time he has really only used three or four typefaces.
            And as I recall he said there were only maybe a dozen good typefaces, but I say a world with only 12 typefaces would be a very boring world indeed.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by skribe View Post
              And as I recall he said there were only maybe a dozen good typefaces, but I say a world with only 12 typefaces would be a very boring world indeed.
              I tend to agree with him actually. Maybe not a dozen, but I honestly can't think of more than 20 that I have used very often in my career.

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