Never Use Futura by Doug Thomas
It’s everywhere, including the moon (on the commemorative plaque left by Apollo 11 astronauts), Nike sneakers, Barbara Kruger, Ed Ruscha, and Jenny Holzer artworks, 2001: A Space Odyssey credits, Domino’s Pizza boxes, Absolut Vodka bottles, and Red Bull cans. Richard Nixon used it for his presidential campaign, as did Hillary Clinton. Indeed, Futura is one of the most-used fonts in the world today—the typeface of modern design—more so even than Helvetica. This fascinating book explores the cultural history and uses of a face that’s so common you might not notice, until you start looking, then can’t escape it. Douglas Thomas traces Futura from its Bauhaus-inspired origin in Paul Renner’s 1924 design, to its current role as the go-to choice for corporate work, logos, motion pictures, and advertisements. Never Use Futura is illuminating, sometimes playful, reading, not just for type nerds, but for anyone interested in how typefaces are used, take on meaning, and become a language of their own.
Douglas Thomas is a graphic designer and type historian. He holds a Masters of Art in History from the University of Chicago. He has taught graphic design at Brigham Young University and the Maryland Institute College of Art. He is the author of “Recasting Franklin as Printer” in Benjamin Franklin’s Intellectual World, published by Fairleigh Dickinson University Press (2012). His design work has been featured in Communication Arts, Print, and Graphis. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Ellen Lupton is a writer, graphic designer, and director of the Graphic Design MFA program at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and of the Center for Design Thinking. As curator of contemporary design at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum since 1992, she has produced numerous exhibitions and books, and she has published several books with PAPress, including Design Culture Now; Inside Design Now; Graphic Design: The New Basics; Thinking with Type; Type on Screen; D.I.Y.: Design It Yourself; and D.I.Y. Kids.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781616895723 |
| ISBN 10 | 1616895721 |
| Title | Never Use Futura |
| Author | Doug Thomas |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Princeton Architectural Press |
| Year published | 2017-10-17 |
| Number of pages | 208 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |