FontFeed: What the iPad is Missing

Steve MacKley — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:47:51 +0000

Stephen Coles of Typographica and The Mid-Century Modernist has posted an interseting critique of the iPad and typography. In short, is disappoints.

What the iPad is Missing (No, it’s not a Camera)

TDC2, The Oscars Of Type Design

Steve MacKley — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:24:24 +0000

TDC2, the annual type design competition organised by the Type Directors Club of New York is about to announce its winners. Prior to this Yves Peters from the FontFeed examines the TDC2 in a post entitled,TDC2, The Oscars Of Type Design. While Mr. Peters is generally positive about the competition, he does outline some of TDC2′s shortcomings. Namely:

a slight emphasis on display faces,
entry fees limit the ability to get as wide a range of submissions,
the anonymity of submissions makes it impossible to make out if a submitted typeface is a new creation by a certain designer, or someone emulating his/her signature style,
there is no standard entry form for the type designs,
showy display type tends to get awarded more often than text faces, because the text face rely on subtly and detail,
jury composition.

I know this may sound like a lot, but these were not overly harsh critiques—and don’t believe were intended to be. As someone engaged in type design, I would like to see a standard entry form. Plus, I’d like to see verification that a design is a new creation. On balance the TDC, to me at least, is a great thing, and one I would intend to submit entries to.

Update: Mr Peters has included an overview of the winners.

Steve MacKley design » Fontfeed

FontFeed: What the iPad is Missing

TDC2, The Oscars Of Type Design