Typefaces, often called fonts these days, abound. When I studied briefly with David Berlow (Font Bureau, Boston), he had a few stories to tell. He said something like this. He said, “I thought of it like selling arms. Type can be used for good or for bad, and I don’t care.” Then, from my memory, he wavered and said that he had started to care. It mattered when he saw his designs used poorly. He said, “Suppose you have a farm. If you say, I like this sheep because she makes the best wool, then that’s professional. If you say, I like this one because she’s pretty…” It reminded me of Emil Ruder’s declaration in his book Typography, “Type has one business before it and that is to communicate.” (Basel School of Design). There we run into questions of what it means to communicate.

We could dress it up with fancy words like ‘semiotics’ and the latest post-this-and-that. That’s an old academic trick. Here is a simple claim: typefaces communicate more than the underlying idea of the words. Just as in oral language, there are connotations. We know this from common experience. Typography can feel techno, can feel pop, can feel esteemed, with infinite variation. And that’s just it. Aren’t there enough typefaces? Berlow addressed this, too: “You could say there are enough shirts, and yet people keep designing them.” Let’s explore why.

Companies that have a strong retail presence require a powerful, memorable, and positive brand. It must be different from the competition and visible in the urban space. These are six things we have learned.

1. How Was It for You?
Even with the most visible, most advertised brands, it’s about a positive experience. Big media purchases may bring a spike in sales, but does that equate to positive reputation? Brand engagement with company employees has shown more long-term value. Having your own mini-army of proud, confident and helpful employees means connecting with customers at the most vital touchpoint: human contact. While price is one major element in customers' decisions, most of us would rather go where we feel we are treated better, even if it costs a little more. For this to happen, employees must understand the brand and feel like part of its culture. Take for instance Apple. With rare exception, they'll do almost everything to earn your satisfaction. Even if that means bending rules. It is an accepted axiom that the most effective advertising is positive word-of-mouth. With the advent of social media, this is even more the case.