In Brief BY Armin

Verdanagate

Ikea

Like most of us here, I have been following the IKEA debacle over the switch from its proprietary Futura to the egalitarian Verdana as the corporate type family used from catalogs to store signage across the world. First spotted at Typophile, then dissected at idsgn, the news finally made it to Time magazine and an online petition to revert has garnered over 3,000 signatures. The main complaint, that serves as objective leverage, is that Verdana was designed — by Matthew Carter for Microsoft — to be used on screen and at small sizes, something it exceeded at, but the underlying current in the uproar is that designers and type designers seem to subjectively hate Verdana, perhaps not for its design but for what it stands for: The homogeneity of typography in the hands of the masses. Sure, Verdana looks weird and out of place in a catalog and on store signs but I really don’t believe it is that far-fetched and in some cases it even manages to look oddly avant-garde. Verdana is not Futura, but for the time being it does look like it’s the future.

DATE: Aug.31.2009CATEGORY: In Brief 89 COMMENTS

Comments › Jump to Most Recent

Req’s comment is:

I hope the -gate suffix is a piss-take Armin. It does my nut in when the tabloids do it.

On Aug.31.2009 at 06:59 AM

Woke’s comment is:

Dare I say, it looks perfect for the brand somehow.

On Aug.31.2009 at 07:00 AM

Armin’s comment is:

> I hope the -gate suffix is a piss-take Armin.

Ha! Yeah, no worries, it is. I hate it too, and thought it would be funny to add the "gate" to show how out of proportion this has been blown. I mean, it's in Time!

On Aug.31.2009 at 07:07 AM

Mog’s comment is:

Isn't that the typeface IKEA's packaging has been using for some time (as long as I've been shopping there) now? I could swear that all the "LACK" and "IKEA FOOD" labels look just like that, but I could be wrong.

On Aug.31.2009 at 07:31 AM

Luke S’s comment is:

NOT the kind of thing I need to see on a Monday morning. I like how it looks like someone didn't properly size the crop box.

On Aug.31.2009 at 07:37 AM

John McCollum’s comment is:

Why not Comic Sans?

On Aug.31.2009 at 07:45 AM

Tom Petty’s comment is:

fuck it, why not just use arial? that's multi-lingual too!

On Aug.31.2009 at 07:47 AM

Fish’s comment is:

I love it. This crappy typography is completely reminiscent of the furniture you can buy there... Looks ok from far away, but like hell close up!

On Aug.31.2009 at 07:59 AM

Charles’s comment is:

It doesn't bother me at all.

On Aug.31.2009 at 08:01 AM

Luke S’s comment is:

On Aug.31.2009 at 08:10 AM

Allen’s comment is:

Petitions over rebranding might be one of the most nonsensical things I have ever heard of.

from the petition: "Ikea was always considered one of the top global advocates for good design..."

LMFAO

On Aug.31.2009 at 08:12 AM

LB’s comment is:

Surely there must be a way to customize Futura so that it works internationally. It might cost a pretty penny, but for a company like Ikea, I think it would be worth it. Maybe somewhere down the road. But I won't let this mar my excitement over my once-a-year road trip to my nearest Ikea (now only 3 hours away instead of 5!)

On Aug.31.2009 at 08:17 AM

Sven’s comment is:

The move makes me sad as a designer, but in a strange way the new look feels totally appropriate for IKEA.

On Aug.31.2009 at 08:21 AM

Maxime’s comment is:

One of the ugliest things i've seen in my life.... i would have rather liked seeing something like webdings.....

On Aug.31.2009 at 08:22 AM

Aaron Scamihorn’s comment is:

I love the out-cry and petitions. Fantastic that so many people care about the quality of our skyline signage and advertising. In a world of so few truly-quality, design-focused companies, it's sad to lose a brand that was so solid.

On Aug.31.2009 at 08:28 AM

Steve Rose’s comment is:

I think I'll express some outrage also: global warming, Afghanistan, rich getting richer, lousy educations, etc.

On Aug.31.2009 at 08:41 AM

Sam’s comment is:

From a branding perspective, this is a risky move.

There's no question that using Verdana will be easy and (technically) practical. IKEA, though, is a simple brand composed of a few memorable things and Futura was one of them. When they begin using a default, ubiquitous typeface they forfeit one of their well-earned equities.

On Aug.31.2009 at 08:49 AM

Ian Storm Taylor’s comment is:

I disagree with your premise that designers are so enraged solely because of their subjective hate of Verdana.

It is about maintaining the ideas associated with the IKEA brand. IKEA has always been a beacon of good design in the low-price home market. They are the company that soars above all of the other household junk you can buy from Walmart, Target, K-Mart, etc. Futura was a perfect font, because it felt clean and elegant—the kind of things always associated with IKEA furniture.

With the switch to Verdana, the new spreads and signs, don't feel like IKEA anymore. What was before an instantly recognizable marriage of Futura and elegant furniture, is now not so obvious. (Of course people will say "OMG only idiots don't recognize IKEA furniture...", but they are just fooling themselves.)

What has made it more of a slap in the face for designers and web-people in general, is the excuse IKEA gave for changing their iconic branding. The "we just couldn't use it on the web" justification might have passed a couple years ago, but with the way things are going nowadays, that is no excuse. With the recent developments of web-based typography—Typekit, .webfont, and others—if anything, now is the era in which companies can be more adventurous in their typeface selection.

In my opinion, designers and innovators in general are just sick of being blatantly shoved aside by large companies. And in the case of IKEA, it comes from a brand that we had always considered on "our" side. (It is a similar situation to the Outlook 2010 fiasco with Microsoft.)

On Aug.31.2009 at 08:50 AM

Ian Storm Taylor’s comment is:

"IKEA, though, is a simple brand composed of a few memorable things and Futura was one of them."
-Sam

I just had to quote this, because it is so perfectly phrased, and I completely agree.

Just imagine if IKEA started building the furniture for us... or took away the Swedish meatballs.

On Aug.31.2009 at 08:54 AM

felix sockwell’s comment is:

I'll miss the old face, it had character, but I think this face is fine too. Its simple and sturdy and no matter what Armin says I don't think customers, staring face to face with it, will feel it "weird and out of place".

On Aug.31.2009 at 08:54 AM

Devin’s comment is:

I have to agree with some of the general sentiments above: if IKEA is a beacon of good design, this is not (in theory) good design. Even if it works, it's by chance, and design isn't supposed to be by chance. (Though I'm quite the hypocrite on this... but it's still true.)

On Aug.31.2009 at 08:59 AM

Ryan Adair’s comment is:

What's the big deal?

So this global capitalist giant that exploits cheap overseas labor changed their official corporate typeface and everybody is up in arms?

I don't get it.

On Aug.31.2009 at 09:03 AM

Joe’s comment is:

I feel like everyone hates Verdana because they feel like as a designer they're supposed to. Also just because something was designed for the screen doesn't mean that it automatically and unequivocally look bad in print.

That being said, I truly think it's not a good choice for Ikea.

On Aug.31.2009 at 09:08 AM

Jared Ray Scott Ramey’s comment is:

yeah, this is a bit disappointing. i quit using Verdana in my website designs as a web-safe font a long time ago because everyone else was. if i remember correctly, the progression has been Arial > Verdana > Trebuchet > Lucida Grande. I'm thinking the next might be Cambria.

this move by IKEA just doesn't make any sense.

On Aug.31.2009 at 09:10 AM

Soda & Candy’s comment is:

The font they used was already a customized version of Futura, called Ikea Sans. Don't tell me Ikea hasn't the money to simply further customize this font - anyway I'm pretty sure it'd be cheaper than changing everything everywhere to a different, shitty font.

On Aug.31.2009 at 09:12 AM

TheGadfly’s comment is:

Oh God Oh God Oh God, how will the children of Rwanda get their food aid NOW?!

On Aug.31.2009 at 09:14 AM

Rick Lecoat’s comment is:

Really, I'm not a big Verdana fan but is IKEA's choice of brand typeface really such an important issue that designers the world over have to start beating their breasts about it? If you can't think of anything more deserving of your outrage than this then just watch the news on tv for about 30 seconds and pick something.

On Aug.31.2009 at 09:19 AM

TimK’s comment is:

I've been reading BrandNew for a good while now, and this is the first time I've been moved to comment.

I don't generally notice design one way or the other, but I do notice typefaces, and I was immediately displeased when I got my 2010 IKEA catalog.

Since I'm not a designer, I don't dislike Verdana because I'm supposed to -- I dislike it because it's butt-ugly, especially in print. It's OK on the Web, I guess, but the IKEA catalog now looks like it was done by seventh-graders with no taste. But I repeat myself.

On Aug.31.2009 at 09:22 AM

Ethan Allen Smith’s comment is:

I'm surprised that more people haven't noticed this, but the problem with Ikea's rebranding isn't with Verdana. In fact, Verdana right now is the least of their problems. Look again at the before and after images on idsgn.

Ikea's brand is (or was) about pretended classiness. Their stripped down, contemporary look was supposed to invoke a modern taste for minimalism. The price tag was a secondary consideration, an afterthought. It was all about Swedish simplicity. That their products were inexpensive was added value.

But that has completely changed. 2009's "Home is the most important place in the world" is replaced with "NEW LOWER PRICES" (all-caps in the original). Where the page for a "Youth Room" delicately described the life and "universe" of a modern teenager, the new pages painstakingly detail Ikea's comitment to low prices and "super deals." And in what can only be described as brand suicide, the subhead on the page with bedding reads, "Good quality…"

Good quality? Good? Not "most important." Not "universe." Not "complete."

Good.

Ikea is now directly competing with Wal-Mart.

Verdana might be getting all the coverage, but Verdana itself isn't Ikea's problem. The problem is what Verdana represents: Cheap, easy, and utterly inappropriate.

On Aug.31.2009 at 09:30 AM

Iulian’s comment is:

@ Steve Rose

"I think I'll express some outrage also: global warming, Afghanistan, rich getting richer, lousy educations etc."

Oohhh, snap!

On Aug.31.2009 at 09:32 AM

John Mindiola III’s comment is:

Verdana is ugly enough as it is, then they go ahead and bold everything. Yuck.

On Aug.31.2009 at 09:43 AM

John Mindiola III’s comment is:

Actually, a Verdana Thin might, MIGHT, look kind of okay in print, similar-ish to the way Archer and Helvetica Neue look at their thinness. Hell, any super thin typeface looks tight, as long as it's not condensed.

On Aug.31.2009 at 09:45 AM

awesomerobot’s comment is:

This reminds me of most things I've actually owned from Ikea.

Things start off looking all pretty and modern, but then later they end up all wobbly and crappy looking.

On Aug.31.2009 at 09:57 AM

daho’s comment is:

I like the font switch. Who these days is NOT using Futura??? Verdana looks industrial, modern, and fits their image. Welcome to the 21st century Ikea.

On Aug.31.2009 at 10:16 AM

Wingman’s comment is:

I'm undecided on whether I like it or not...also, whether or not I care...
But one thing is for sure: this commentary is precisely why people in the "other" departments think the design department is a bunch of whiny little bitches.

On Aug.31.2009 at 10:32 AM

James Teow’s comment is:

To the people here complaining about designers up in arms about this: What did you expect coming to a design blog? Trying to derail any rationale discourse on any so-called un-important subject matter is rather simplistic. If you don't like it, there are plenty of sites that cater to your interests.

On Aug.31.2009 at 10:32 AM

Sam’s comment is:

Ikea exists to make money. Unless this change effects their bottom line negatively, they aren't likely to switch back.

SO signing a petition is one thing, but who here is willing to put in the work to demonstrate to Ikea that how they've altered their brand will negatively impact revenue?

On Aug.31.2009 at 10:49 AM

Andrew Klein’s comment is:

Really Ikea?

This just in, Target is switching to Arial!

On Aug.31.2009 at 11:13 AM

grubedoo’s comment is:

... and in another six months no one will give a damn b/c we'll all be consumed with the next great design travesty.

On Aug.31.2009 at 11:14 AM

RussellUresti’s comment is:

I'm going to say this was a bad move.

The two main reasons for switching were international consistency (the IKEA fonts based on Futura and Century Schoolbook currently don't support Asian characters), and for consistency between web and print.

When it comes to the web / print consistency, I think it would have been just better to hold out. This is just my opinion, but I don't think we're too far from more fonts on the web. Whether it be EOT or .webfont, designers are demanding a solution, and, eventually, one will be agreed upon. So I think there's a lack of foresight in this move, because after you've switched to Verdana, your competitors will be putting their proprietary fonts on the web.

As for the Asian characters, I'm not a typographer, so I'm not sure what kind of solution would have been needed for this.

Oh well, this kind of thing does happen.

On Aug.31.2009 at 11:23 AM

J’s comment is:

Or maybe it's foresight past foresight - where later down the track, when all the fads of the 'new web font' era has ceased to cause a scene and grassroots still, and most likely will always maintain 'avant garde status', then who will be the last one laughing.

Not you,
Not I,
but Ikea.

On Aug.31.2009 at 11:48 AM

John Leschinski’s comment is:

Honestly, I couldn't care less. The only people who care, and seem to be making a fuss about it, are designers. IKEA's bottom line won't feel it.

On Aug.31.2009 at 12:35 PM

Lauren B’s comment is:

I love Verdana on the web but in print it's distracting and intimidating. Futura is a nice friendly inviting typeface and this is a bold move for Ikea. But like others mentioned this blocky typeface is apropos to Ikea's quirky demographic.

On Aug.31.2009 at 01:17 PM

Chuck Spidell’s comment is:

Trebuchet.

On Aug.31.2009 at 01:34 PM

G. Alex’s comment is:

no way...

On Aug.31.2009 at 01:46 PM

Adam Duquette’s comment is:

John Leschinski:
"Honestly, I couldn't care less. The only people who care, and seem to be making a fuss about it, are designers. IKEA's bottom line won't feel it."

That's true.

On Aug.31.2009 at 02:05 PM

Rafal S.’s comment is:

It does not seem too important to me...
And using Vardana almost makes sense. It is a typoeface that is not beautiful, but rather simple and it works perfectly on screen (propably better than anything else).

But it is true: the new 2010 IKEA catalogue is disgusting. At first I did not notice what was wrong with it. Everything seemed ugly and I had absolutely no urge to buy anything from that catalogue. And my sofa is falling to pieces, so I could use some nice, cheap, well designed furniture. But the overall feeling of Verdana in print made it, perhaps, too cheap. So, the typography had a disheartening effect. And I did not even notice that it's Verdana's fault...

I'll miss those big price tags set in Ikea Sans/Futura Bold.

On Aug.31.2009 at 02:32 PM

Alessandro M.’s comment is:

Saying that a corporate typeface is not important (for a huge brand like IKEA) is like throwing typography straight into the wc.

Futura is not as overused as helvetica, arial and similiar sans-serif "grotesk" typefaces, and to an untrained eye verdana looks like them. I don't know if verdana will be used not only on the catalog but even inside the ikea stores, but the ikea food space won't be the same.

Futura is a geometry-based typeface, it reflects ikea's style of modern, industrial, simple, "minimal" swiss design.
Verdana doesn't.

And i like verdana, on screen, for what it was made.

On Aug.31.2009 at 02:52 PM

john colucci’s comment is:

No... no... no... AWFUL. I drove by the Ikea in Palo Alto, CA - actually, went shopping, and saw a poster outside in Verdana. I thought it was a mistake - perhaps a local poster design (because insider data - all the stores do their own visual marketing)... And seeing this is real. AWFUL. AWFUL. VOMIT! I am dissapointed. I love this brand so much.

On Aug.31.2009 at 03:18 PM

ChrisFizik’s comment is:

oh man, the -gate is definately poking fun at the whole debacle. But I think it's in a manner that fits. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verdanagate

On Aug.31.2009 at 03:27 PM

Matt Hunsberger’s comment is:

Do people really think of IKEA and the IKEA catalog as great GRAPHIC design? I sure don't. The catalog is about 2 steps above the crap in the sunday paper. Verdana isn't the greatest font in the world, but I think it works for them. It's utilitarian and universal just like IKEA furniture: cheap, kinda-crappy, and we all own and use it.

On Aug.31.2009 at 03:48 PM

john colucci’s comment is:

On second thought... It could have been worse...

On Aug.31.2009 at 04:04 PM

Tommy Minahan’s comment is:

Maybe the online petition will work? I mean, look what happened when a few thousand people pissed and moaned at Tropicana's redesign.
:)

On Aug.31.2009 at 05:39 PM

SovietBot’s comment is:

Honestly, when the catalog came int he mail a few weeks ago I went through the whole thing and didn't realize anything was amiss? Does that make me a terrible designer? I suppose on closer inspection the large numbers in the price call outs are a bit awkward, but if you actually look at the book, rather than being merely outraged by the news, it's all together inoffensive and not as awful as you might expect.

On Aug.31.2009 at 06:31 PM

John Mindiola III’s comment is:

SovietBot: Yes, it might just make you a terrible designer.

On Aug.31.2009 at 10:10 PM

Von Glitschka’s comment is:

Why is it when the design community responds to a high profile design there are so many that use as the basis for their argument "Only designers care about it."? Shouldn't that be expected? There is value in aesthetics whether the public ever realizes it or not.

It's our profession that should be the ones to scrutinize and hold to some form of design standards that are higher than the publics perception. Otherwise who gives a rip how anything looks? If that's your attitude than go spit out some "Two Chili Dogs for .99¢" banners at Kinko's and bask in your low expectations for our industry.

That said, being featured in Time was a bit odd considering the current global situations at the moment they should have dedicated that space towards. Design isn't the most important thing in life obviously, but as a design professional we shouldn't downgrade the importance of honestly critiquing it with peers.

On Aug.31.2009 at 11:15 PM

Michael Wincott’s comment is:

Some of the hyperbolic comments here and elsewhere on the change are hilarious.

The change is a slightly odd decision, but it's neither "disasterous" nor "disgusting".

On Sep.01.2009 at 03:43 AM

Téléchat’s comment is:

John McCollum’s comment is:

Why not Comic Sans?

HAHAHA

On Sep.01.2009 at 05:43 AM

Téléchat’s comment is:

"Do you remember when Apple switched to Comic Sans in 2010..."

to my opinion Verdana is an awful type, but i think the people who goes to ikea would not care at all if ikea keeps doing the products they want...
Ikea probably wants Microsoft customers. Informing us that they only care for the furniture's design not the type design.

They should have kept the old one i like it more.

On Sep.01.2009 at 06:07 AM

Chris’s comment is:

I actually have no problem with verdana. Sometimes inappropriate use is an art all in itself, and I find this choice to be one of those times.

It reminds me of the wells in amplitude. What was originally made for print at very small weights has become beautiful in a display setting.

Whether IKEA was doing this intentionally or not (I personally find it hard to believe that they have an army of furniture designers but no graphic designers), Verdana feels avante-garde in this setting.

On Sep.01.2009 at 08:46 AM

Austin’s comment is:

John Leschinski:
"Honestly, I couldn't care less. The only people who care, and seem to be making a fuss about it, are designers. IKEA's bottom line won't feel it."

Although I agree that IKEA's bottom line won't feel it, I don't think it is true that only Designers are making a fuss. I mean, the -local news- had a story about the type switch here in Portland!

On Sep.01.2009 at 09:14 AM

Katie’s comment is:

Forget the typeface debacle for a moment...why has no one commented on the fact that there's too much space between the "I" and the "K"????

EGADS!!!

On Sep.01.2009 at 10:47 AM

Toby’s comment is:

@ Wingman - re "design department": it's about /caring/ about what you do.

@ Steve Rose - spot on - and being an exploitative, unethical multinational, IKEA is directly implicated in several of those issues already.

Boycott IKEA - over the horrible font if you must - or one of the better reasons if you prefer.

On Sep.01.2009 at 11:30 AM

Mikey’s comment is:

I've been in the lettering and color biz for 30 years as a designer, sign painter and artist. What I've learned in all those years working for businesses to help them bring in customers, is that people are attracted to the colors first.
No matter what type of lettering IKEA chooses their colors will keep people looking their way.
All this negative ink will only bring in more business for them, even if you hate what they did.

Mikey
"Uneek is What we seek, Bizarre iz what we is"
You gotta do something different if you want to get noticed.

On Sep.01.2009 at 04:19 PM

Doug’s comment is:

To me, Ikea has always meant cheap, many times cheaply made, and design just short of good. Yes, it has flair, but often its proportions and lines are just short of being truly well designed. There may be the few stand outs, but honestly I've never considered it high design, but simply a welcome alternative to overpriced and bland design. Like Target, Ikea's image has trumped its quality. Don't mean to diss them, I've owned several Ikea pieces, but few have lasted.

With that said, Maybe verdana is an appropriate choice. It's not elegant, but it is a font for the masses. Seems like a rather rebellious act as well, and i can appreciate that.

On Sep.01.2009 at 06:47 PM

John Leschinski’s comment is:

@Austin

I think the news grabs whatever is a trending topic on twitter and calls it news these days.

On Sep.01.2009 at 11:05 PM

axiom’s comment is:

On Sep.02.2009 at 03:51 AM

Joshua Crain’s comment is:

The future? The future of what? Who's future?

On Sep.02.2009 at 07:46 AM

mug25’s comment is:

This being blown way out of proportion. People just want something to whine about.

On Sep.02.2009 at 09:24 AM

J.B. Chaykowsky’s comment is:

Ikea can do whatever they want with whatever font they want. I don't agree with it on numerous levels but most important is "Why" they did it.

I have major disagreement with the reasoning behind the change. It was supposed to be because Verdana is friendly to all computers and this way they can have one over-arching typeface from print to web.

That idea is going to mean nothing in 2 years time as the technology to add whatever typeface you want to your website is perfected. CUFON and others are making it easier and easier each day.

I think that it is a lack of perspective or knowledge on emerging technology. And quite frankly the idea of the web dictating a brands "look" is quite dated.

Ikea is known for innovative construction and business methodology and one of the first companies to bring "fast food design" to the masses.

I do not believe that this change will alter the perception of their brand with their core consumers, however, I would hope a company such as theirs would of been more savvy to realize that this didn't need to be done... or if it did that they could of taken it to the next level.

I think this is a failure on forecasting the future and very reactionary.

On Sep.02.2009 at 11:47 AM

scournoy’s comment is:

Their reasoning for choosing Verdana is as faulty as the reason they left Futura behind. Futura doesn't work online - Verdana wasn't meant for print. It's a stalemate.

It's laughable they used the website presence as their reasoning - they have one of the worst websites in the world! It's impossible to navigate easily and there are about 3-4 different IKEA logo treatments throughout.

I think font consistency is the least of their problems...

On Sep.02.2009 at 11:50 AM

Mikey’s comment is:

As for design that is right, or wrong, here's a few comments people have made regarding my choice of design or color choice... "That's really loud, that "S" is crooked, the colors are too bright, that font is crazy/different/wild/never seen that before, that design will drive people mad passing by my business, a bit over the edge or too eccentric, draws lot's of attention/WOW!!!"

I love it when a custsmer says that what I do is not what everyone else does. I love not-conformist design. When I hear comments on my work, negative or positive, that tells me whatever I do will be a traffic stopper. The idea is to grab attention-good or bad.

IKEA knows what they are doing. Good or bad.

MikeyCee
"does bad things to design"

On Sep.02.2009 at 03:57 PM

Nate’s comment is:

Someone should tell Ikea their font defaulted in their logo.

On Sep.02.2009 at 04:55 PM

Jensonb’s comment is:

I like me some Futura (I find myself overusing it a lot) but I'm also a lover of some Verdana in body text - when using PCs anyway.

Somehow, I can't bring myself to hate this. It's not as iconic as the older wordmark, but it has a certain striking appeal that I find appealing.

On Sep.02.2009 at 05:45 PM

Not Hugo Chavez, That's For Sure’s comment is:

"...global capitalist giant that exploits cheap overseas labor..." Yes, exactly! How dare they make profits! I myself earn just enough income to cover my base expenses (that's "needs" only, not "wants"), then work for free the rest of the year, just like everyone else. Also, this global company with retail presence in 36 different countries on five continents has got SOME NERVE sourcing products "overseas"! Who the hell do they think they are, providing jobs in a bunch of countries when they should, by moral right, only be allowed to provide jobs in one, or maybe a few, established, first world economies! For the love of exclamation marks, I'm outraged!!!

Western economies FTW! Down with developing economies! Never buy stuff from developing economies or else they'll enjoy a steady increase in quality of life! How dare developing economies ever have the nerve to, well, develop! I'm super, duper outraged!!!! Four exclamation marks!!!!

Anti-capitalist pinkos go back to Venezuela and take your stupid Futura typeface with you!

On Sep.02.2009 at 05:53 PM

Chris Johnson’s comment is:

Futura (Renner, 1924-1926) was commerically released in 1927, and is no more "futuristic" than the Ford Model T, last produced in that same year. I'm disappointed that a company that prides itself in finding new ways of subverting existing assumptions for the benefit of the large majority of people has been using a literally antique typeface. It's appalling. It's more than time that IKEA moved on.

While we're on the subject, Helvetica (Miedinger/Hoffmann, 1957) is arguably very "Swiss" but it isn't anymore "modern" than a Cadillac with tail fins, so we need to let go of that one, too. I don't know what the future of typefaces will be, but Verdana (Carter/Rickner, 1996) and it's brethren are clearly the present. If we keep embracing and defending the past with such zeal, we'll never find the future.

On Sep.02.2009 at 06:12 PM

Nate ’s comment is:

Chris:

To critique a "modern" typeface in the literal meaning of the word is a battle of semantics rather than a design comparison. Since the nomenclature relates to a stylistic movement (an "ism" to quote Ferris Bueller) and not a period of time, Futura can't simply fall in the order of Cadillacs with tailfins.

A typeface is like a living, breathing entity. It has a personality and a function, and the most useful and beautiful ones tend to stay in existence and even evolve.

Look at the argument in this light. Futura and Helvetica were born from the hands of men who sought pure form, balance, readability, honesty, and ubiquity. These typefaces seminate from the Bauhaus and Swiss movements which are widely viewed as the roots of modernism. It just so happens that this happened over 80 years ago.

And around the same time in Sweden, old Ingvar Kamprad was cranking up the Ikea machine and was mass producing modernist furniture by the '50s. He chose a fitting typeface, which matched the style of furniture very well and has done so for a long time.

Now we come to the Verdana debacle.

Verdana is a fine font, but stylistically, it simply doesn't make a great logo typeface. For starters, it looks akin to a monotype font due to the elongated arms of the "I" and therefore makes me associate it as a default web font. While readable, Verdana simply lacks the beauty to hold the spotlight.

Precisely none of the qualities I'd assign to Ikea furniture.

On Sep.03.2009 at 01:22 AM

todd zakk’s comment is:

too generic

On Sep.03.2009 at 01:22 PM

Chris Johnson’s comment is:

Nate,

You've posted a nice bunch of words, however they don't address the principal point of my post which was to encourage us to let go of the past. The past is a nice place and I have warm memories of it, however, I have no desire to drag it along as I move forward into the future.

Again, I don't know what the future holds for typeface design, but if we keep talking with reverence about the greatness of 50 and 80 year old designs, we'll never get there. Let go, or at the very least, get out of the way of those who want to move forward.

On Sep.03.2009 at 02:20 PM

Åsa Nordin’s comment is:

Today IKEA can not use existing fonts through all channels. This new font allows us to continue to be efficient in our operation to a lower cost.

The change strategy will be to change fonts following normal change cycles, to avoid any extra cost.

Verdana is a standard font, functional, free of charge to be used through whole IKEA.

Why change?

Since end 1970 IKEA has used two fonts primarily; New Century Schoolbook
and Futura. To use these fonts, IKEA always paid licence fees, as they are not
free of cost.

In 2001 IKEA decided to develop unique IKEA typefaces to avoid these license
fees, to have a continuous development of a unique visual identity and not to
have the majority of co-workers to consider what typeface to use. The specially
designed and unique IKEA fonts are mandatory to use and are owned
by Inter IKEA Systems B.V.

Today the IKEA typefaces (IKEA sans, IKEA serif and IKEA script) can not be
used through all channels. This means we can not use same fonts throughout
all channels and media, present and future.

The solution - One font for the whole IKEA

As a low cost retailer IKEA needs a long term strategy for what font to use that
is sustainable and consistent, and cost efficient to meet the today’s market and
the coming 10-20 years. The solution is therefore to have one standard font,
Verdana as the only font for IKEA. The value for IKEA to use this font is to
integrate existing and new media channels where we can secure the output
being consistent and make all co-workers focus on the important thing, the
content.

It is a functional solution - readability in all media. It is a simple solution - one
font in all media, in all languages (Today IKEA has 18 languages, 13 new ones in pipeline and another 8 in plan). It is a cost conscious solution - one
standard font, free of charge. The mandatory fonts for IKEA will be changed
into IKEA Verdana and replace IKEA sans, IKEA serif and IKEA script.

On Sep.03.2009 at 04:16 PM

Dale Harris’s comment is:

Wow. In with the new typeface, out with any sense of design credibility.

On Sep.04.2009 at 09:30 AM

mm’s comment is:

Old brand: Good design can be simple and affordable.

New message: Lowering costs is more important than asthetics.

It isn't about the font, it's about the seeming change in pryorities and the concern that if management doesn't have enough design sense to see the difference, then it they also won't notice when the quality of the product declines in the name of cost efficiency. And it's a slow decline from a store that people are passionate about into a store that people go to because it's there. And that too will fade.

On Sep.05.2009 at 03:55 PM

Pak-Kei’s comment is:

Ever since I was insulted by their disgraceful their customer service, I thought it was ok to still tolerate them since they have good designs (sometimes), but apparently now they pulled the last straw.

Since most people had already perceived Ikea as the source of *cheap* and disposable furniture, and only hipsters or designers would appreciate their designs, by dismissing the concerns from designers they basically burn their own bridges. Their only source of good publicity is gone.

Bye bye, Ikea. It's only a matter of time another budget Modern furniture chain store (Muji, Crate & Barrel, or even Target, etc.) comes around and knock you down cold.

On Sep.07.2009 at 01:31 AM

Panos’s comment is:

Finally, IKEA gets what deserves best. A 'not that good' font!

On Sep.08.2009 at 07:33 AM

Janet G’s comment is:

Perhaps IKEA got exactly what it wanted from the design shift: unbelievable traction and PR – be it good or bad. For weeks now.

On Sep.08.2009 at 08:48 AM

Andy Brice’s comment is:

I think this is a shame because of Futura's history and how well it fits with IKEA's aesthetic. Especially as IKEA was pivotal in bringing this aesthetic to a wider market. I've made a video about this as well. http://bit.ly/vaV8a

On Sep.10.2009 at 05:55 PM

Arvi’s comment is:

I actually don't mind it that much. I haven't seen an IKEA catalog in ages but the screen shots don't look that bad. At larger sizes, which as we all know is not what it's meant for, obviously looks too horsey. If anything, I think that there was good reasoning behind the shift with online resources become more and more dominant as the primary form of communication these days. Better question, why didn't they use Helvetica? Isn't that a default for web and if I'm not mistaken, also available on PC's now too?

On Sep.18.2009 at 09:57 AM

JAMES’s comment is:

my god, if you really think-still!-that ikea is supposed to be high, long lasting design. than i wish you well with the rest of your life. clearly ikea has been the answer for AFFORDABLE NICELY DESIGNED things. as if to say "hello less than wealthy family, you can have nice things for your home too." do you really think that a 350 dollar post modern bed frame is going to be eligible for your will?

as for the logo, when i first saw it, i said to myself. man i kinda like this, it works! than i saw that it was verdana. and not checking to see if any fellow designers were looking, i said hey i still like it. lame graphic design jokes aside, i think this just flat out works, because it is ikea, ikea is not futura. ikea is a fun, funky store. the use of verdana suggests this to me, adding to this is also the seemingly awkward crop.