I once made the mistake of referring to a font and was reprimanded. Typeface is correct for a family of visual representations of a series of letter, numbers and the like. Fonts are elements within the typeface family. For example, the Helvetica family is a typeface while its italicized or bold representations are Helvetica fonts. Then again, really, who cares?

The answer should be anyone working in design, of course. It also seems to apply to many who shop at IKEA. Now I confess that I have regarded IKEA as a place for good looking, but inherently cheap and temporary furnishings. My memories of interminable Sunday afternoons guided around the one way floor plan maze are more abiding than anything I have purchased there. Still, many regard IKEA as a beacon of design integrity amid the aesthetic darkness of corporate perspectives. Indeed, the insipidness of many corporate attitudes made IKEA appear to be a bastion for those who saw well considered design an inherent part of elevating our lives through our interaction with our environments. (more…)