FUTURA

BEST FONT OF ALL TIME OR OVERRATED? 


Yet another poster submission has got me thinking about fonts. Something I waste so much time on every time I try to prepare to present something. It is an important part of a presentation, arguably the most important part. The choice of font can be the difference between selling an idea or completely ruining the entire thing, so I guess it’s worth the effort getting it right. So, what do I have to say about fonts? What is my favourite font of all time?

There are a few go to ones I like depending on the scenario. My go to now is SF Pro. It’s the font used on Apple devices on software such as iOS, iPadOS and MacOS. It’s so simple that you would likely struggle to tell it apart from most other fonts. So why do I like it so much?




The truth is when I see an Apple keynote presentation or advert, I always think there is something so attractive about the simplicity of this font, it sells the product well and it looks premium. It allows you to put your ideas across in a simple way that looks professional while not taking too much focus away from what you are trying to show, and I guess that’s great font design. The ability to look aesthetically pleasing but not steal the show.

Alas, I’m sure this is merely a phase. The font I really want to talk about is Futura. Some would argue that it is overused and over rated but personally I think there’s nothing wrong with liking the classics. It’s always a good go to for me. And there’s clearly a reason why. Perhaps it is a sense of familiarity as it turns out this font is in more places than you might expect, but unless you were specifically looking you might not even notice it. So, let’s go down the rabbit hole of the Futura font.



I remember reading a brief history on this font years ago for some reason and finding it so interesting. You may look at this font and think oh there’s just another simplistic and modern font... but this was THE simplistic and modern font, arguably the first of its kind when it released back in 1927. It was designed by Paul Renner, a German typeface designer and author. He designed this font as a part of the New Frankfurt project, an affordable modernist housing programme. So, what made this so special? Its simplicity. Compare this to existing fonts of the time, particularly German fonts, and you can see why this looked so revolutionary. Complicated, flashy, and often extravagant, fonts of the time were hardly the easiest to read. While many might argue we shouldn’t lose the character of these early fonts I think it’s important to embrace change. I hope this goes to show I don’t just like everything if it’s older.


Paul Renner, 1927
Fonts of the 1900s

This was one of the first Sans Serif (Without Serif) fonts to use this modern simplistic geometric form, doing away with complicated Serifs (The little sticky out bits that I have now just realised are serifs). It released around the same time as two similar fonts, Universal Typeface and Erbar.


Universal Typeface, 1925
Erbar, 1926
Futura, 1927
While the Bauhaus offering did what the Bauhaus did best, pushed the boundaries, Futura got it just right. Erbar, released the year prior, was also a clear departure from the fonts of the era and pretty similar to Futura, with the circular design philosophy. Futura is often associated with the Bauhaus despite Renner never being associated, but it is clear to see the ideology played a part in his work. When you take a closer look, you can see how Futura took this a step further, with the exclusion of even more detail on letters such as a, j and u, breaking the font down to the essentials. I found this quote from American graphic designer Paul Rand quite accurate saying it was useful as it was devoid of ‘doodahs and ringlets’. It is also interesting how this modern font made it out of Nazi Germany. The Nazis hated the font, dismissing its modern approach to design in favour of traditional ‘German’ fonts. Thankfully it was able to make it out of Germany and was adopted across the world as intended.

Its simplicity allows it to be used in many different contexts. Almost allowing it to suit whichever context your mind wants it to fit. It’s been used heavily for advertising. Some of the most well-known applications are Volkswagen adverts. Here the simplicity gives a sense of professionalism and class. The focus is on the car and the product. The text adds information in a subtle way. I think they are perfect. The use of white space and short slogans or words really makes you think.



Its futuristic look has made it appear in many Sci-Fi contexts. Most famously perhaps in Stanley Kubrick’s, 2001: A Space Odyssey in many transitions and final credits. It can also be seen throughout the film on different bits of equipment. What better font to use in a film about the future than Futura, with its timeless and forward-looking design. Even modern-day sci-fi films still use the font. It can be seen on the poster for Interstellar, spelling out the slogan about mankind’s next steps. Used in the same context almost 50 years apart, and still as effective the second time around.

2001: A Space Odyssey Transition Scene, 1968 
Interstellar Promotional Poster, 2014
It wasn’t just used for science fiction applications it was used for actual science applications. It made it to the moon on the Apollo missions on a plaque left in 1969. It’s simple and easy to read nature made it the perfect font for instruments on aircraft at the time such as the Boeing 747. If there was something important that needed to be conveyed easily, this was the font.


Apollo Missions Plaque, 1969
Altimeter
My favourite application of this font is Nike posters. Using the Futura Condensed Extrabold typeface Nike set the scene for decades of advertising. The thicker bold typeface making more of a statement. It just amazes me how the company still uses this font in much of its advertising and it doesn’t even look remotely dated. I think that is a testament to the font. How many other companies advertise in almost the same way they did in the 1980s, not many. Times change but this font seems to catch up every time.



Unless you are specifically thinking about the types of fonts used, you might not have given it a second thought. But particularly in advertising, Futura has secured itself as one of the greats. The list of companies that have used this font in their promotional material is astounding. The beauty of it is that they all use it in a slightly different way. You wouldn’t look at all the branding below and think that they all look identical. It matches the context perfectly almost every time. It is familiar and retro while also being futuristic and cool. Something that can advertise the newest sporty Nike trainer but also help an astronaut control a spaceship. Not many things can make that claim.




So, there you go. A brief history of Futura. Maybe more of a history lesson than a design analysis but I do think historical significance and timelessness play a huge role in what makes great design. A staple in typefaces to this day, its undeniable that this is one of the greatest fonts or even the greatest font of all time. Its broad range of uses solidify it as a font for the modern age as it was intentionally designed to be. It’s interesting to think what might have happened to today’s fonts if Futura simply didn’t exist. So many modern fonts, SF Pro for example, follow this modern style that Futura set in play almost 100 years ago. Would they even exist if not for Futura?