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  1. ChrisAug 26 2009 3:47 AM

    ewwww... yuck! don\'t like it

  2. Rob JamesAug 26 2009 4:27 AM

    Good grief, whilst I shift uneasily in my chair when I have to use Verdana in web, the typeface doesn\'t sit well with me in print. I understand the reasoning behind choosing a new typeface, but come on, Verdana!?

    And surely they could have cottoned on to different techniques on being able to display a unique font online? sIFR anyone?

  3. Richard WelshAug 26 2009 4:29 AM

    This is a disastrous move by a company that\'s supposed to be design-led! The use of Verdana has the unfortunate effect of making any design look as if it\'s been quickly knocked out on a home computer with no thought or effort, just because it\'s (usually) the default typeface on any Windows machine. Pages from IKEA\'s catalogue now look like rubbish flyers for a backyard sale.

  4. PieterAug 26 2009 5:51 AM

    Aww, this is sad.
    I like Futura and though it fitted IKEA\'s style of furniture designing well.

    + I don\'t love Verdana, I never use it on my websites, I prefer Helvetica/Arial or Lucida for sans-serif, and stick to Georgia for serif.

    Meh, don\'t like it at all.

  5. Thijs VisserAug 26 2009 6:07 AM

    What...
    That doesn\'t feel \"Ikea\" at all.
    Ikea almost owned Futura. Even without the pictures you could tell that it was Ikea. That\'s what I called a great visual identity.

    In stead of standing out, they now try to blend in.
    Shame.

  6. GeorgeAug 26 2009 6:17 AM

    Print and web are two different mediums, why force one to conform to the other for the sake of convenience? I thought IKEA was turning a nice profit and could afford such simple things as different marketing materials in different regions... How disappointing.

  7. JoshAug 26 2009 6:47 AM

    Why oh why oh why... idiots

  8. StormchildAug 26 2009 6:48 AM

    This just plain sucks.

    Futura is a gorgeous font and really suited Ikea\'s simple, straightforward style. Verdana is mundane and has been done to death. I\'m all for refreshing your image now and then, but they\'ve taken a unique identity and flushed it down the toilet. Now Ikea just looks like every website on the internet.

  9. katieAug 26 2009 6:50 AM

    Imagine if every company only used web-safe fonts for all their branding, for fear of being inconsistent over print/web/countries! It\'d be a very dull homogenous state of affairs.

    Ikea would have been better served developing specific fonts for foreign characters, not resorting to a horrid generic font with zero personality.

  10. JorgeAug 26 2009 7:28 AM

    lovin\' it! Golden!

  11. GyorgyAug 26 2009 7:53 AM

    If you don\'t like it then sign the petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/IKEAVERD/petition.html

  12. kramerAug 26 2009 8:45 AM

    I\'m more of a developer and never noticed this after looking through the catalog multiple times. Everyone is up-in-arms about this, but i wonder how many non-design related people even notice?

  13. JoeAug 26 2009 8:58 AM

    It\'s the seventh sign of the apocalypse!!

    Seriously, though??Are you sure this isn\'t some elaborate hoax?People were actually paid money to come up with this idea?This is worse than the new Audi typeface...

  14. thebetterideaAug 26 2009 8:59 AM

    It looks like a PDF that didn\'t write properly (fonts not embedded).

    Is it so that WEB=Print fonts?

  15. devoluteAug 26 2009 9:01 AM

    The new front page looks like a quick mockup someone on b3ta might do and then change the words to take the piss.Awful.

  16. BenAug 26 2009 9:04 AM

    Verdana is a purely a utilitarian font: \"Verdana was designed to be readable at small sizes on a computer screen.\" That is it\'s only purpose in life. Silly to translate to print, though I think the graphic designers did a good job making it look decent. Futura is not my favorite but suited Ikea well.

  17. claudiusAug 26 2009 9:07 AM

    OMG. They sacrifice their visual identity! Everybody recognized a random page of the catalogue immediately as IKEA...

    Do they want to look cheaper?!
    Designers will lose the flexibility of combining serif and sans.

    Hm not looking forward to design IKEA stuff again...

  18. Matt RadelAug 26 2009 9:09 AM

    What...the...hell. Really?! If they really wanted to maintain consistency across platforms, couldn\'t they have looked at helvetica? Bah. friggin\' terrible.

  19. BeingBradAug 26 2009 9:16 AM

    It feels so Zellers to me.Where is the Martha Stewart or Isaac Mizrahi collection?

  20. StephanAug 26 2009 9:16 AM

    Noooo waaaayyyy!! :-(

  21. MariaAug 26 2009 9:23 AM

    I hope it is a mistake. I really do.

  22. ArmandoAug 26 2009 9:26 AM

    Couldn\'t just they give a copy of their customized Futura to all of their ad agencies around the world?

  23. FurnitureAug 26 2009 9:35 AM

    I love Verdana more!!! IKea is so big that they can do it.

  24. Glenn KavanaghAug 26 2009 9:36 AM

    There\'s no denying that most aspects of design are becoming more global, but i\'m not sure this is a great solution for Ikea.

    A corporate font is important, but it\'s about a lot more than just consistency. It\'s hard to imagine they weren\'t able to find (or commission) a more appropriate typeface than covered both their global ambitions and their company ethos.

    The \'same on web/print\' argument is incredibly weak, and something most corporates dismissed years ago.

    I\'m really struggling to see the reasoning on this one! Maybe they\'re hoping that in these tougher economic times, a \'cheaper\' looking offering will attractive more customers?

  25. ChrisAug 26 2009 9:41 AM

    No one will notice except for designers that care too much. It is a meaningless change, move on.

  26. steveAug 26 2009 9:44 AM

    the real question is, who the **** cares?

  27. KelleyAug 26 2009 9:48 AM

    Wow, it really lends it a more \"cheap\" feel. A bad decision, imo. The new catalogue pages look like they\'re for a cheapy department store, not a swanky (yet reasonably priced) European home store.

  28. Nigel LambAug 26 2009 9:52 AM

    Ohh dear!

    Looks more like a decision made by the finance director than the creative director.

  29. ValarieAug 26 2009 9:52 AM

    I wondered why, as both a designer and an IKEA fangirl, I wasn\'t as impressed with this year\'s catalog. The typeface change didn\'t click with me until I read this.

    Now I love Verdana for the web, and it\'s my first choice in most layouts where a basic sans serif is called for. I stopped liking Futura somewhere in the early \'90s. But it worked for IKEA, and it\'s a good font for catalogs when you need a big family with nice condensed fonts. But Verdana? REALLY?

    I can only imagine the conversations around the designers\' watercooler when this decision came down.

  30. SineadAug 26 2009 9:53 AM

    Honestly, what is the big deal? It\'s just a new font, get over it.

  31. baskewAug 26 2009 9:57 AM

    I doub\'t this will last more then 1 issue.

  32. Dixon GarettAug 26 2009 10:03 AM

    um...yuk! Their print ads look like Clipper Coupons now. Wonder how this impacts their sales.One of two things may happen.If sales go down...can you blame a font?If sales go up or maintain, it just means that no one really pays attention.

    Whatever the case, please don\'t change the recipe for Swedish Meatballs.

  33. Most Interesting Ideas Aug 26 2009 10:04 AM

    Verdana is a compatible font

  34. Ian Storm TaylorAug 26 2009 10:06 AM

    Oh god. Thank you for the alert. Verdana should only be used on the web when you are forced too... and even then Lucida Grande is my new +fav.

  35. Robert DysonAug 26 2009 10:09 AM

    Shame. I always enjoyed LOOKING at the IKEA catalogs.

  36. Matt SmartAug 26 2009 10:09 AM

    Oh god not another one.. this is a prime example of a client scrolling through ms word and selecting a font. luckily it wasn\'t comic sans.

    The same thing happened to me - client insisted that i \'update\' a logo / stationary / all printed material to this. Myriad + Trajan > Verdana. They didn\'t listen and went ahead with the lot. yes it was work but christ.. web only please. Don\'t want my eyes bleeding, again.

    I suppose you\'ve got to look at it like Chris (Aug 26 2009 9:41 AM), we\'re the only ones that care. My nan isn\'t bothered.

  37. ericAug 26 2009 10:16 AM

    Ikea is just preparing for the transition to web based catalogs being more ubiquitous than print. It\'s a progressive, forward thinking strategy at this point that will pay off down the line I\'m sure. But what does it even matter...Ikea\'s gonna eat the world. They\'re going to cut down all the forests and transform the whole world into one giant Gork or whatever they call their shelves.

  38. J-naeAug 26 2009 10:25 AM

    Why does anyone care? The fact that they changed their font in their stupid catalog means absolutely nothing! Their products are the same, who really gives a shit how the type looks beside the pictures.At least they didn\'t pic Comic Sans or some stupid script font that you can\'t read! Gah! People are dying all over the world and y\'all are worried about IKEA using Verdana? There is SO MUCH wrong with that.

  39. PhewAug 26 2009 10:28 AM

    My Lord, I saw Verdana made Twitter trending topics, and thought they changed the IKEA logo font to Verdana..
    If they ever did, I\'d strip myself in front of a post-office.

  40. BoAug 26 2009 10:29 AM

    Who cares?!?!

  41. antAug 26 2009 10:47 AM

    Given Ikea\'s position as a purveyor of cheap knockoff designer home goods for the masses I\'d consider Verdana the PERFECT typeface to represent them.

    Discuss.

  42. JohnAug 26 2009 10:49 AM

    The idea they are using Verdana to prepare for \"web based catalogs\" is an outdated idea in regards to brand/web typography. Similar to the tech boom of the late 90s.

    We have already seen inroads in using CUFON and other custom type management software that allows a typefaces to be used throughout the web without restriction.

    Now if we could get the type foundries involved...



  43. katAug 26 2009 10:53 AM

    I love how people are knocking the fact that this was posted - that it\'s so \"unimportant\". DUH! However, it\'s a design blog people - if you didn\'t want to read it, no one forced you.

    Ikea is not the first company to use Verdana in print however - as long as they keep red out of it, I suppose I\'ll be able to keep their flyers separate from the Staples Office Depot ones I get :D It\'s just a shame because futura always dictated a nice clean European feel to their catalogues.

  44. ganarAug 26 2009 10:59 AM

    Now Ikea is closer to Walmart: Verdana? really?

    The picture of the white spread above could be of any catalog of any company ( it reminds me of Staples and Walmart )

    This decision looks like the job of one of this huge branding consulting firms (landor, futurebrand, etc.)

    It seems that branding is also in crisis

  45. Mark van \'t ZetAug 26 2009 11:03 AM

    I\'m glad they didn\'t choose Times New Roman.

  46. Aen TanAug 26 2009 11:05 AM

    To judge a typeface\'s fit for its application based on the company that makes it is foolish and to echo otherwise designers\' foolishness by criticizing a typeface when all you tell is whether the tyepface is ugly or not is worse.

    Verdana is a great typeface and the reason why is it so readable because it has large x-height and other properties that aid reading. This does translate to print, because if it\'s readable on screen it is likely more readable on print. Remember, the IKEA catalog is a information-rich resource. Being more readable helps a lot. It is not a fashion item. The whole point of design is to make something useful. In this aspect the designers have a great job.

    Typography is more than pretty fonts.

  47. BenjaminAug 26 2009 11:09 AM

    I agree with John that \"sing Verdana to prepare for web based catalogs is an outdated idea\". Switching the print for sake of the limited typographics choices online isn\'t a forward thinking attitude—as the internet is around for some time now, switching now to a screen font is rather old-school.

  48. AlanAug 26 2009 11:31 AM

    I\'m shocked that the designer didn\'t use a nicer font for headlines, why stick to just one typeface, especially one designed for use at body copy size? It looks so clumsy.

    Forget about limiting yourself to 5 web-safe fonts. Typekit is going to change everything.

    Also I like Ant\'s comment:

    \"Given Ikea\'s position as a purveyor of cheap knockoff designer home goods for the masses I\'d consider Verdana the PERFECT typeface to represent them.\"

    Ha.

  49. DiscoAug 26 2009 11:31 AM

    I\'m more worried about that fact that the ikea catalog is the 3rd most printed anything in the world and what that says about us than I am about some typeface choice.

    Anyways being stupid is the new being smart anyways, right? It\'s better marketing. I bet this is the first time ikea has trended on twitter.

  50. Richard ScottAug 26 2009 11:36 AM

    remember: Design is for everyone, not just designers...

  51. LaurieAug 26 2009 12:06 PM

    I prefer the Verdana. Although I am looking at it on screen!

  52. Mr VeeAug 26 2009 12:09 PM

    When are people going to realise that The Web Is Not Print. You can\'t just \"make it all consistent so it looks the same on our website as it does in the catalog\" ... well, clearly you can, but the result is apalling.

    R.I.P. Swedish Style.

  53. Matěj GrabovskýAug 26 2009 12:11 PM

    Sorry, but it\'s not Verdana, it\'s been a while since they started using their own version of Verdana called Ikea Sans. And what\'s bad on Verdana? Eh?

  54. Chris MorataAug 26 2009 12:12 PM

    Anyone else feel like that new catalog has a K-Mart feel to it? Will IKEA now have a blue light special area?

  55. ziRtaAug 26 2009 12:19 PM

    Incredible. A company with such capital CAN\'T afford to have their own professional, international font? They could have used Myriad, but Verdana... It\'s as if Coke started using Comic Sans for worldwide compatibility.

  56. JustusAug 26 2009 12:24 PM

    Don\'t tell me that this is true. Whoever came to this idea, you better duck and cover.

  57. OllieAug 26 2009 12:27 PM

    I don\'t think it really makes a big difference because when I look at the catalogue, I\'m mostly looking at the furniture. Not the crap font.

  58. TreavorAug 26 2009 12:30 PM

    I know IKEA is cheap furniture and products but it doesn\'t *look* cheap, but jeez now it really does with Verdana representing it.

    I am hoping this is a joke. Is this a product of a worldwide recession?????

  59. David SparksAug 26 2009 12:31 PM

    wow. what a bunch of fail. this is the dumbest idea ever.
    1. pay to get the foreign languages in your custom type face since you already paid for it once.
    2. eventually web tech will get to the point where you can use your font. as of right now there are 3 sufficient ways to use that font already on headlines. just not body copy.

    there\'s no justification for choosing a crap font over a great font, not to mention one that was paid to be customized haha. idiots.

  60. José PachecoAug 26 2009 12:34 PM

    @Nigel Lamb: i agree with you. seems to be more financial problems then designer choice. Must be. For me is a big Fail doing this change. Love to much futura to accept this :D

    I dont have nothing against Verdana and really like that typeface but, one company as IKEA must had one strong/big special/different type/image?

  61. Rachel NaborsAug 26 2009 12:38 PM

    I understand wanting to unify their web and print presences, but there are better ways. In two years there will be more font options available to web designers than ever before, and their choice for the lowest common denominator will have been in vain. (In the present, why not use SiFR?)

    This irks me just as much as when I see a corporate logo in Helvetica. Branding is about standing out in a crowd of other products, about on-the-spot customer recognition. How can you expect to do that if you look like everyone else?

  62. AlanAug 26 2009 12:39 PM

    From the look of the Before/After images, there are serious problems with the layout, not the font face. Perhaps they\'re doing this to visually link to \"Bargain\"?

  63. chrissyAug 26 2009 12:40 PM

    Why would they do this?

  64. Reg TaitAug 26 2009 12:42 PM

    oooo.. nasty.

  65. DanielAug 26 2009 12:44 PM

    Why did this happen! Are we sure it\'s not just an error, like when they sent it to the printer they forgot to package the Futura font, and it defaulted to Verdana or something, seriously! Is it permanent?

  66. AbeAug 26 2009 12:52 PM

    One for the hommies.... Futura that is....what a great font you are. R.I.P.

  67. MackelAug 26 2009 12:55 PM

    Bad move Ikea, bad move.

    Verdana? Honestly, come on now.

  68. PH Design ShopAug 26 2009 12:58 PM

    is comic sans next for 2011??

  69. Bobby DragulescuAug 26 2009 1:23 PM

    Wow. If they wanted to switch to a more versatile font, at LEAST they could have chosen Helvetica.

  70. BrianAug 26 2009 1:26 PM

    Ikea should have kept Futura, altered it to match their needs, and called Furnitura.

  71. MikeRAug 26 2009 1:40 PM

    Ugh. Just ugh. What ill-advised committee got together to make this awful decision?

  72. Erik WrightAug 26 2009 1:43 PM

    Verdana is a great typeface... ON THE WEB
    Matthew Carter designed it to be read on the screen, when you print it out on a h Verdana igh quality printer it just doesn\'t look right.

    I\'m all for getting rid of Futura (it\'s far too over used) but a screen font is not the way to go.

  73. Joel OvertonAug 26 2009 2:13 PM

    If you think designers are the only ones that care, you are completely missing the point, and belittling the art of typography.

    Sure, joe public won\'t NOTICE, but they will FEEL a difference. The brand looks cheapened. This impression of lower quality is extended from the brand to the product, and as a result the consumer will assign a lower value to the product.

  74. ulRaAug 26 2009 2:19 PM

    Ok, Verdana isn\'t a great font. But I think they\'ve done a good job with it, and the final result is not bad.

  75. Marianne BlackburnAug 26 2009 2:31 PM

    I understand the use of Verdana for the web, but why apply it to print? It just looks like someone didn\'t load the fonts and it all defaulted to Verdana. Surprising move for a company that holds design in high regard!

  76. LucasAug 26 2009 2:32 PM

    I don\'t care about Ikea\'s font nearly as much as the writing. It has always seemed to me that the people who write copy for the catalogs must be the same people who create American style t-shirts or vehicle branding for the Asian and African markets.

    \"Home is the most important place in the world\" reads the exact same as a pickup truck in Thailand with the sticker \"Super Tough 4XDrive\".

    \"It\'s not just a room, it\'s a Universe\"? I think before we dive too much in to iconic typefaces, we should dive in to their failure to write anything useful besides the measurements in the catalog.

    Additionally, if the brand looks \"cheaper\", who cares. It\'s Ikea, not a high-end retailer. We like the look of some of Ikea\'s products, no doubt, but with Ikea, you get just slightly more than you pay for... and that isn\'t much.

  77. Mark UryAug 26 2009 2:42 PM

    I\'ll always support practical decisions. And this is practical. But I don\'t think practical should be divorced from aesthetics. IKEA doesn\'t do that with any other decision, so this seems rather odd. Plus, Verdana over Futura? Might as well trade in a BMW for a KIA.

  78. curtismanAug 26 2009 2:45 PM

    I have hopes for the evolution and adoption of services like www.kernest.com. At least they can bring us closer to web efficiency and branding consistency with less aesthetic comprimise.

  79. susanAug 26 2009 2:58 PM

    ow no, what happened! Futura family feels much better than verdana, can\'t understand they chose in particular this font.. great comment from brian, they should have an own font called Furnitura family:)

  80. JDAug 26 2009 3:16 PM

    This is the worst idea ever. verdana usually looks like cr*p on screen, and it was built for being on screen. I understand wanting to be practical and all, but this is not a good decision. verdana in no way represents IKEA, at least futura (and lets not forget it was customized for them) has some great geometric shapes, which definitely can represent a living space, and the furniture that goes into it.

    They wanted a font that everyone has? huh? I would think their collective agencies from around the world would have futura?? I see no reason why the web font should drive the look and feel of print. To me verdana reads so-so on screen for body copy, but you blow it up and it just looks ugly. But in the end, I don\'t think this is going to change sales for the positive or the worst, most of the public wont even notice the change.

  81. dougAug 26 2009 3:43 PM

    What horrible timing to adopt a web-font in their branding. With typekit and similar and css3 support for better typography on the web coming soon, it seems silly to finally move to verdana. 10 years ago it may have made sense, but today they could just bide their time a little longer and get the typographic quality of real fonts on the web...

  82. JenelleAug 26 2009 3:57 PM

    No wonder I hated the latest magazine... I knew the magazine felt different and... \"empty\"... but I didn\'t know why.

    Also, doesn\'t it seem like there are fewer new items?

    Bummed. Agree with Mr. Overton.

  83. Matt HunsbergerAug 26 2009 4:19 PM

    Maybe they\'re going to phase out print catalogs all together. That would make more sense.

    Anyway, I don\'t mind the change. I can\'t stand Futura.

  84. sarahAug 26 2009 4:26 PM

    Downgrading their brand to support a universal web-font, but you still can\'t order 95% of their catalogue items online.WTF.

  85. Emily ChionchioAug 26 2009 4:27 PM

    I think its hilarious that people are saying the catalogue has always been great,
    it\'s always been great interior design but i don\'t think GREAT graphic design generally comes in the form of retail catalogues. It\'s better than most catalogues, but in the end they are still trying to make us buy furniture.

  86. J.Aug 26 2009 4:28 PM

    I am a designer, and I think all of this is simply a matter of opinion. Both typefaces work, it\'s not like millions of people are complaining about the illegibility of the catalogue. Ikea chose to change their typeface, fine. I think there are more important things to focus on. Like how awesome is my new vanity table from Ikea?!

  87. Christopher AndertonAug 26 2009 4:39 PM

    Why not use Helvetica Neue? This just feels lazy.

  88. Christopher AndertonAug 26 2009 4:43 PM

    Another thing. The IKEA owner Ingvar Kamprad told swedish media for a year ago, that IKEA is going to withdrawal their online presence because it\'s not in their \"core business\". Retail stores are. So this design desicion really sound strange.

  89. FrancisAug 26 2009 5:18 PM

    \"don\'t use Verdana in print\" is just another stupid design holy truth like \"don\'t use black background with white foreground\" and other such nonsense. I\'m glad Ikea had the courage to break that stupid rule everybody blindly believe! Futura is so 1950\'s...

  90. Catherine MellorAug 26 2009 5:21 PM

    Oh what a shame. Now the catalogue just looks like any old office furniture flyer – the total removal of design. Horrible.

  91. Ovi Demetrian JrAug 26 2009 5:56 PM

    Looks too plain and boring, Futura worked better by comparison.

  92. RicardoAug 26 2009 6:25 PM

    That\'s awful. Why not simply use Futura/IKEA sans on the web? There are dozens of technologies available to allow that. And hire a type designer to do the foreing characters, or just append them from another font family...

  93. aljukAug 26 2009 6:52 PM

    Idiots. Bad move.

  94. Sylvia AgudeloAug 26 2009 7:01 PM

    Frankly. Verdana? It\'s not that I dislike Verdana, but it\'s possibly one of the worst text fonts to use in large sizes. Its balance only works when read onscreen in paragraph mode. And listen, I do not like Futura. I think it\'s been overused, but Ikea had found a good use of it. Certainly, as a Swedish design-centered company, I think is a really bad move. They\'re losing a great visual identity. It really looks as if their PDFs didn\'t come with their fonts embedded. They should at least change that for a proper typeface.

  95. grubedooAug 26 2009 7:54 PM

    I hate it. Poor decision. On the other hand it fits their brand perfectly--cheap crap.

  96. Brett SchwagerAug 26 2009 8:34 PM

    The round forms in Futura\'s \'O\' really mimicked the Swedish meatballs before. Now we\'re left poking at them with a fork, yearning for the glory days when IKEA embraced continuity between their typography and meat products.

  97. naturedogAug 26 2009 9:34 PM

    sad. unfortunate. ugly.
    I sort of get why. I\'m getting the same push at my company. They want the same face in print and web and on PC as well as mac. And they don\'t want to purchase additional font licenses for the PCers so choose something that is resident on every computer. The VP is pushing for Arial across the board. oh god no!! I\'m holding firm, our face is frutiger or you can get yourself a new creative director.

    So what I want to know is how is it that most of the \"portraits\" above are variation on a theme type geometric patterns?

  98. ChristoAug 26 2009 9:44 PM

    Haha, company with Nazi links uses ugly font on their child labour made products. Stop buying Ikea, it doesn\'t define you as a person. Buy locally made!

    Why don\'t they create there own font anyway?

  99. CraigAug 27 2009 12:33 AM

    For some reason, I was sent an Ikea catalog a week ago, and when I saw it, I was excited to browse through it because I like Ikea.But I opened it up and, not knowing why, wasn\'t impressed.I flipped to maybe 3 or 4 spreads, and put it in the recycling.I suspect this is why.I always felt Ikea was a deal as much because of the image presented through their design as the products themselves: upscale but inexpensive.Looking at the before and after examples, it leaves me feeling that the stuff is cheap, in quality as well as price.K-mart is exactly the right comparison.I can\'t believe that\'s what they\'d be aspiring to.

  100. Alan HoganAug 27 2009 12:43 AM

    Guys… they are just trying to be more “democratic” ;)

  101. monalisaAug 27 2009 12:56 AM

    Will the signage in the store also change to Verdana? One of the reasons I love to shop at IKEA was the consistency of bold designs- in the products, communications, catalogs, and stores - a true consistent design experience.Not only did IKEA loose the \"design\" aspect, the branding has changed from bold to wimpy, cheapening the experience for me.

  102. John Mindiola IIIAug 27 2009 2:18 AM

    How did you \"designers\" not notice that it was Verdana right away? Seriously, take a class! This web-safe font jumped at me the instant I saw it. This is a terrible move by an extremely highly regarded brand. I can only hope the backlash will be enough to coerce them to employ Futura once again.

  103. HonneykeepaAug 27 2009 2:23 AM

    Having no font for Cyrillic or Asian alphabets shouldn\'t make Nike or Adidas switch to Tahoma. If you need those, grab fonts from FF – they usually have multilingual support.

  104. Ivan MathewAug 27 2009 3:12 AM

    Not hiring a designer to design custom characters for their customized edit of a font in order to cut costs by using a pre-assembled, populist font in their typography reeks of their brand! They\'ve always been about cutting costs and trying to bring their retail prices down, so in a strange way switching to Verdana is very IKEA.

  105. Sean BuntonAug 27 2009 4:32 AM

    It just feels wrong. Kudos for trying to make Verdana look good, but no no no no no... it just doesn\'t work. IKEA should invest in a custom Typeface if they need Asian alphabets as well, expand Futura maybe? Although, I\'m sure people wouldn\'t care if the consistency is not perfect throughout the world. Not everything has to be locked in IKEA!

  106. SarahAug 27 2009 4:43 AM

    Okay, I just got the catalogue and I noticed a lot of differences... I\'d say that the design is more reserved and conservative (less spreads of decked out apartments / shagadelic bedrooms / etc) but come on people, there is an AIDS epidemic in Africa, children are starving, and people are killing whales for crying out loud.

  107. pengAug 27 2009 4:48 AM

    Now if the average person reading that catalog only actually cared about typography.

    I didn\'t have last year\'s copy (who actually does that\'s not a designer), so I didn\'t know until this article, and the Verdana didn\'t bother me at all. It felt a bit wide and \'not a print font\', but somehow fit their products\' sturdy and solid nature. Not to gripe with aesthetics, but sometimes you have to consider what is practical, especially if you\'re that big and are known for being ubiquitous and practical.

    As for implementing sIFR across an entire set of sites (one for each region, mind you), not the brightest idea. The more you customize, the harder it is to scale.

  108. RichardAug 27 2009 7:34 AM

    you people are tools and acting aghast at something as inconsequential as a marketing campaign font, is literally a shallow obsession with style over substance. Get a life retards!

  109. sandro lopesAug 27 2009 8:00 AM

    Big loss. Although Carter\'s Verdana works well on screen display, the \"printed\" version doesn´t have a good performance. Besides, the geometry of futura works well with the ikea concept for simple design. It\'s a big part of the corporate identity that vanishes. I can´t say that is a good decision. The motive of uniformity isn´t enough as an argument...

  110. Matt MAug 27 2009 8:56 AM

    My god - this is awful. It\'s made their catalog look really, really amateurish and like it was done by a young child. Verdana does not look good in print!

  111. LemonAug 27 2009 9:13 AM

    Awful!
    Instead of designing the missing characters, they just decided to ruin their unique corporate identity and philosophy.
    It makes no sense... The company\'s explanation is poor!
    Congrats IKEA... now your catalogs look like cheap supermarket brochures!

  112. Alyssa TranAug 27 2009 9:17 AM

    i don\'t see what\'s the big deal.seems like they have a pretty good legitimate reason to me.

  113. Aaron Taylor-WaldmanAug 27 2009 9:56 AM

    Those are some sleazy $ signs

  114. drew barrettAug 27 2009 10:08 AM

    OK can\'t sift through all the comments so if its already been said, so be it. What if the new font becomes so ingrained with the Brand that every time you see Verdana, somewhere way back in the recesses of your mind you think hmmmmm IKEA. I don\'t know how many big corporate brands have gone the Verdana route so, maybe just maybe its a good marketing tactic. I think its a great move, less than attractive, but great.

  115. RobAug 27 2009 10:09 AM

    Thumbs down on Verdana

  116. micah deviciousAug 27 2009 10:11 AM

    At least they didn\'t switch to cooper or some weird rounded font...but yeah of all the fonts in the friggin world to pick, don\'t go with Verdana for an Ikea catalog, I wonder how that meeting went down, someone had to be pretty convincing haha

  117. Rob ChristiansonAug 27 2009 10:35 AM

    There was an upscale furniture store going in on the bottom floor of the building I used to work in. Very nice typography, very Ikea-esque. You could tell where they had the local sign shop try to \'match the font\' and suddenly, there\'s vinyl Verdana window lettering amidst a store full of awesome typography. As a designer, I balked \"Verdana! That\'s not a print font!\"People walking by were startled and confused. It was pretty funny at the time.

    I never would have thought Ikea would have followed suit. It\'s as if millions of designers cried out in pain, and were suddenly silenced...

  118. Multimedia DesignAug 27 2009 11:01 AM

    Great! Now I\'m free to use Futura again, without someone saying \'it looks like IKEA!\'

  119. Pedro MeloAug 27 2009 11:03 AM

    Web-type-look (oldschool version), like a Myspace layout...

    argh.

  120. phil spotterAug 27 2009 11:17 AM

    The visual identity feels much more unified with Verdana. The logo\'s type needs a complimentary typography that translates more strength than futura, which verdana has. Good call.

  121. HoraceAug 27 2009 11:31 AM

    Looks great. Bold move by some adventurous forward-thinking peeps.

  122. AlexAug 27 2009 11:32 AM

    No way!

  123. HoraceAug 27 2009 11:45 AM

    ...looking forward to all the conservatives posting here against the decision slowly coming to the realisation they are wrong. Nothing is or should ever be set in stone, chaps.

  124. Jorge ModafocaAug 27 2009 11:45 AM

    hahahahaha... this entire thread is sooooo funny!!!!

  125. HoraceAug 27 2009 11:49 AM

    Stop your laughter, Jorge - or I shall track you down and force you to eat British food.

  126. David ZachryAug 27 2009 11:57 AM

    Who cares. If it works for them, so be it. I personally have no problems with Verdana and actually think that Futura has become the new Arial for most designers. Bring back Universe!

  127. stephanieAug 27 2009 12:57 PM

    It looks cheap.

  128. John SpencerAug 27 2009 1:14 PM

    Well, of course it looks cheap. Ikea *is* cheap!!!

  129. ChristopherAug 27 2009 1:21 PM

    Ugh.Why did they switch?

  130. Emily RennardAug 27 2009 1:41 PM

    Fonterrible. Typessimism.

    You know what I think IKEA should do? Just throw everything out the window and go with Comic Sans. At least then, they can make us all laugh with rage, instead of just mildly pissing us off :D

  131. ChristieAug 27 2009 2:40 PM

    noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Granted the average person won\'t even know. But still. Ugh.

  132. PhilAug 27 2009 2:49 PM

    Oh come on, sure it looks slightly cheaper, but it\'s not an earth-shattering difference. If they switched to using Papyrus, I could understand the public outcry. This is such a minor issue. Helvetica would have been a much better choice though. Oh well, still doesn\'t make or break the designs since there is such little difference. When you consider that Ikea just makes cheap pieces of cardboard that screw together, it kind of makes more sense for their branding to use a more utilitarian typeface anyway.

  133. Rob HuttiAug 27 2009 2:59 PM

    Generally a company has to utilize a modern, clean and friendly typeface to distort its brand. A company like IKEA\'s brand is so strong, they can \"make\" Verdana.

    I don\'t love it. I don\'t hate it. But I wouldn\'t be surprised if some aren\'t taking back what they\'re saying here in a year or so. IKEA and their agencies will treat Verdana right.

  134. BH Media MartyAug 27 2009 3:05 PM

    What is the world coming to? Not so long back I had to do the very same, changing a design from Plantin and Agenda to Verdana based on customer\'s requirements. http://www.twitpic.com/b3nc4 I\'ve never been a fan of fonts that come with roman, italic, bold and bold italic and Verdana, as everyone else has said, come on, it\'s a screen font, And not a great one at that. At least Futura had a variety of weights and some style about it. Sad times. (at least it wasn\'t Comic Sans and their website wasn\'t set to be \"best viewed in IE6\").

  135. BH Media MartyAug 27 2009 3:10 PM

    Actually, I tell a lie, my client changed her design to Trebuchet! Just as bad!

  136. Duncan ShandAug 27 2009 4:37 PM

    Yes agree with everyone else that the font change is bad. But it\'s not just the font that\'s changed here, it\'s a whole new approach. I suspect they are trying to make everything work harder, desperate to do something with slowing sales. Compare each shot - cover to cover - inside spread to spread. They are putting in more product, more prices in an attempt to sell more. In trying to do more I fear they will sell less. The singular focus, clean layout is as important as the font. They\'ve stuffed up twice.

  137. AsamiAug 27 2009 4:45 PM

    I like the change.

  138. CiacciAug 27 2009 4:59 PM

    Designers are way too opinionated.
    I hate working with them.

  139. chrisAug 27 2009 6:30 PM

    *Bang\'s head repeatedly into sensible Ikea bookshelf, while exclaiming \"HORRIBLE!\"*

  140. CaceAug 27 2009 6:43 PM

    Maybe next they\'ll switch to Courier... agreed that non-designers won\'t notice the change.

  141. Diane JamesonAug 27 2009 8:57 PM

    I also agree that non-designers don\'t notice whatsoever. I\'m disgruntled by the change and when I showed my boyfriend that doesn\'t design he failed to notice the difference in the fonts. Ha

  142. jonnyboyAug 27 2009 10:27 PM

    Give it some Comic Sans...

  143. SandraAug 28 2009 12:54 AM

    I liked it better before =S

  144. SandraAug 28 2009 12:55 AM

    Also, I\'d like to add I\'m not a designer.

  145. dawnAug 28 2009 5:15 AM

    all I think of now when I see that new spread is Staples the office supply store.

    I can\'t help but think this must be a PR stunt...

  146. Alexander BickovAug 28 2009 6:46 AM

    The reason is functionality

  147. FarinaAug 28 2009 8:50 AM

    This is plain wrong. or is this a PR stunt. I hope so.

  148. AchmedAug 28 2009 10:52 AM

    I think this font is better.

  149. ShichaiaAug 28 2009 10:52 AM

    I agree with you Achmed.

  150. AchmedAug 28 2009 10:54 AM

    I like cheese.

  151. WilliamPAug 28 2009 11:00 AM

    I refuse to buy from IKEA because there font displeases me? really is anyone going to say that, geez you people need to calm down about the stupid font.

  152. JordanAug 28 2009 11:01 AM

    I like the old font better!

  153. t3hpwnz0rAug 28 2009 11:03 AM

    Come on, this is ridiculous. I can see why those who are attached to Futura in the IKEA catalog might be a little disgruntled, but such a typeface change shouldn\'t be cause for this much complaint, much less a PETITION for reversal. Get over it.

  154. EmberAug 28 2009 11:04 AM

    Who the f*** cares?!?! Its a stupid font! Move on!

  155. epppuAug 28 2009 12:24 PM

    IKEA sans is much better.

  156. Edgar Andres ZorrillaAug 28 2009 12:42 PM

    yeesh, pretty nasty indeed.

  157. JukiAug 28 2009 1:16 PM

    It\'s a great decision; I love this new IKEA!

  158. DanielAug 28 2009 2:03 PM

    A company changed the font of their logo. What\'s the big fuss about it? Are you one of the owners and they didn\'t ask for your opinion? Do you think the font of the logo will influence the quality of their products? Will you stop buying their products because you don\'t like their logo?
    All this seems just a waste of time... and online petitions for reversing the change... really? is all the wrong in this world over and you ran out of petitions ideas?

  159. SvenssonAug 28 2009 2:11 PM

    Clever thing to do IKEA. It\'s present and future - not past, that matters.

  160. gedAug 28 2009 2:34 PM

    Why does this even matter.you have go to be kidding..
    please explain why this should matter to me..or anyone else.
    Dear God...please explain...

  161. JoshAug 28 2009 2:37 PM

    I agree who cares -- but I for one can\'t stand it when a capital I doesn\'t have the lines at the top and bottom so it could be a 1 or a l L which apprently in the font this is typing in the 1 and the l are too similar lol

  162. KenanAug 28 2009 4:07 PM

    Wow.Please tell me that all these complaining crybabies are kidding.Wow.

  163. The Mad BomberAug 28 2009 4:08 PM

    Check the SUPERMAN RETURNS movie poster for more shocking Verdana In Print hijinx... man it looked funny on billboards

    http://www.movieposter.com/poster/MPW-18587/Superman_Returns.html

    Next year IKEA will use Comic Sans, ensuring no designer will ever set foot in the store again.

  164. The Mad BomberAug 28 2009 4:12 PM

    @Ciaci

    They probably hate working with you too.

  165. VivianAug 28 2009 4:12 PM

    It almost looks like they sent files to print and the forgot to include fonts, so it defaulted to Verdana...

  166. GotGrip?Aug 28 2009 4:53 PM

    Well, I\'ve looked at them side by side, and I can hardly tell a difference. If this bothers you, you may need to get a life.

    Seriously, why do you care?

  167. YuraAug 28 2009 5:51 PM

    WOW! IKEA changed their font... the world is coming to an end. Seriously, who cares? It reads easier in my opinion, doesn\'t look bad on print at all, and as they have previously mentioned, will be consistent throughout all mediums and countries. 99% of their customers (who are not \"anal designers\") will not even notice the change. At this doesn\'t come close to Pepsi\'s re-branding FAIL of the century.

  168. Wan KimmAug 28 2009 6:19 PM

    Truth be told, as a designer I\'m all for Futura and think it makes for a chic and straightforward classy typeface - but Verdana doesn\'t look half-bad. I\'m just sad that in a way, IKEA looks... different. The identity\'s kind of changed with this decision they\'ve made regarding the switch to Verdana, and now their layouts look like any other furniture retail outlet\'s.

    Still, c\'est la vie - changes happen.

    Designers might nitpick too much about this, whereas non-designers couldn\'t give two hoots. To each their own - if we\'re feeling angry at seeing a good typeface go to waste and getting replaced by a common font, let us! And for those who don\'t care, they should just continue not caring, y\'know? It\'s not their concern and they don\'t want it to be.

    Le sigh. Oh, well: R.I.P., Futura! I\'ll miss you as the main font. The printed catalogues won\'t look the same no more without you, although they still look alright - won\'t say they look shitty or whatnot.

  169. SarahAug 28 2009 9:10 PM

    That\'s a same. Any schmuck with Microsoft Word can design with Verdana.

  170. SarahAug 28 2009 9:10 PM

    That\'s a shame. Any schmuck with Microsoft Word can design with Verdana.

  171. WallMountedHDDAug 28 2009 10:10 PM

    Big whoop. You anal artists are taking this shit way too seriously.

  172. MikeAug 29 2009 8:27 AM

    There is no such thing as a bad or even a perfect typeface. Use the typeface that makes sense for the design problem. Both Futura and Verdana might be bad choices for a colonial American furniture store while Caslon or Log Cabin might not be good for Ikea.
    Verdana is not a bad font. But is it the best font for Ikea and to replace Futura which, by all measure, is the most representative early to mid 20th Century modern typeface of all time?
    This raises the question: Is Ikea best represented by the design and aesthetic of a typeface family designed in Germany in the 1920s - as Futura was? Might it be better for it to use a typeface family designed in the later half of the 20th Century (when it grew to what it is today) or; even a typeface family designed in the 21st Century specifically for Ikea and what Ikea stands for?

  173. holly woodAug 29 2009 8:56 AM

    OMG. You all think you are such snobs. Really, you\'re just a bunch of nerds caring about a font. Turn off the computer and get outside.

  174. JonAug 29 2009 11:30 AM

    Wow, that\'s a huge move backward for whatithought was a very forward-thinking company.

  175. David SotoAug 29 2009 1:53 PM

    I can simply say this... Futura worked. I don\'t understand the purpose of the change. Unfortunately, it will still work and get its point across.

  176. PavezziAug 30 2009 7:04 AM

    \"Web safe\" my *. Not every single web browser even uses Verdana... I even once (or twice or more times who knows) used a browser that really used some kind of Futura. Maybe it\'s just me or all the \"sheep\" (about 90% of people) who use Microsoft\'s products...

  177. sasquatchAug 30 2009 1:11 PM

    makes it look very cheap!
    why the f would they stop using the iconic futura

  178. Brad McCallAug 30 2009 1:53 PM

    I wonder if they\'ll move this change into all the signage inside their stores?

    When I first saw this, I was pretty surprised. I\'m sure there are strong reasons why they\'d move this direction (localization?) but it does seem like a step back. It just doesn\'t seem like one of those hasty moves. Verdana is one of those fonts that seems appropriate as an on screen font at small sizes, but crossing over into print?

    Perhaps the economy made them cutting back on font budgets and there was an Arial-hater in their midst? Yeah, that\'s it. - @bradmccall

  179. RandyAug 30 2009 5:19 PM

    IKEA goes JC Penny\'s. Next they\'ll lower themselves to Walmart

  180. madelleAug 30 2009 6:18 PM

    EWWWWWWW! IKEA, DON\'T!

  181. DavidAug 31 2009 1:23 AM

    Come on! Get over it! It\'s just another lettertype, not the end of the world.

  182. FranKAug 31 2009 4:56 AM

    people lets take the designer critical look apart and think about the neads of the business. IKEA communicates to a huge range of clients from all around the world and using verdana as typeface they can communicate in each areas (printed material and web) having no problems. If you take your fealing apart this is IKEA in their best.

  183. Ricky SalsberryAug 31 2009 9:08 AM

    I really admire the courageous few who come on here to call us designers \"losers\" but don\'t have the stones to leave a clickable email or website. Internet tough guys... geesh.

    This is a terrible decision by IKEA designers - anyone who thinks otherwise isn\'t a designer.

  184. susanAug 31 2009 10:07 AM

    ikea is doing something in the design world, that any warhol did in the art world. as designers we are taught to hate times, comic sans, etc. and here, ikea is ballsy enough to use a typeface that is considered common on the web, but using it across all media types. people complain that ikea is now turning into a jcpenney, or walmart. i for one think that futura is way overused. designers that conform by using helvetica/arial/georgia, thinking that they\'re better or different, are just fooling themselves.

    i like what ikea is doing. i wait for the day when more designers copy them, and all of a sudden everyone jumps on the bandwagon.

  185. nicko [rt]Aug 31 2009 11:35 AM

    ((look at all the fruity design kids flipping out))

    LOL

  186. Evan MacDonaldAug 31 2009 11:53 AM

    Ikea is not designing for designers. Ikea is designing for the general public. Putting up such a stink is really dumb. Ikea\'s sales wont drop because of the change.. in fact, they may even increase.

    Granted, Verdana is a lesser typeface than Futura. But remember that an effective typeface is invisible. I think both of these typefaces are just that (esp to the masses).

    You don\'t have to be rich, just smart. Ikea is smart.

  187. TomAug 31 2009 12:20 PM

    Bravo for susan, Evan, and everyone who\'s managed to break apart from the groupthink.Designers need to get out of the business of impressing each other with their design know-how, and into the world of normal people.

    The only question left is: now that Ikea\'s designers have defied the orthodoxy, do they have the guts to stick with it and get abuse heaped on them by the holier-than-thous?

  188. DanAug 31 2009 12:35 PM

    Most non-designing folks won\'t care!We only care about the bottom line....price!

  189. Sylvia AgudeloAug 31 2009 3:18 PM

    To Chris, steve, ged, hollywood, gotgrip, David and all others that shrug it off and ask why oh why they should care: maybe you shouldn\'t. But then again please note the blog you\'re currently reading is a \'design\' blog. A lot of us readers are in fact designers, and as it turns out, we feel passionate about type, which is central to our trade. Son maybe you shouldn\'t, but us, we do care about it.

  190. Annie, bossy colorAug 31 2009 4:41 PM

    Great. Now the Ikea catalog looks like the Staples catalog. Cheap and tacky.

  191. bobAug 31 2009 5:29 PM

    Everyone who comments on this is white. (Me too).

  192. JPSep 1 2009 1:09 AM

    Now the font matches the quality of the goods sold there. Cheap and disposable. Don\'t get me wrong I have plenty of the stuff in my house but just like having to use Verdana for web I dream of being able to have better.

  193. ERPSep 1 2009 9:28 AM

    I\'m just a plain consumer and probably wouldn\'t have noticed the change; but since its been pointed out I\'d have to agree with those who think it looks plain and boring.They could have done better. It doesn\'t offend me, nor does it subliminally make me think Ikea is cool.While were on the topic of fonts and corporate identity...What\'s with Hewlett Packard\'s new font?I actually quickly turn the page to avoid having to deal with it.

  194. Blog Header GuySep 1 2009 12:58 PM

    JP: too funny. Cheap and disposable. :)

    All us fontaholics that know a thing or two about typefaces are dismissed with a

    \"We\'re surprised, but I think it\'s mainly experts who have expressed their views, people who are interested in fonts. I don\'t think the broad public is that interested.

    Verdana is a simple, cost-effective font which works well in all media and languages.\"

    Next, someone will be saying that we only need to have 5 fonts to use. Commercial script, comic sans, verdana, tahoma & arial?

    That\'s why experts should be in charge of design. :)

  195. prinSep 1 2009 1:03 PM

    booooooooooo :(

  196. ArleyMSep 1 2009 1:27 PM

    Sure I prefer Futura; and I might have left it for print, but I can see the logic of their decision. For one, the same font can be used on their site in a totally accessible way. Futura on web would only add costs for services like Typekit or spending time on work arounds like sifr.

    Wouldn\'t be my choice, but I can\'t bash it.

  197. Kevin CrawfordSep 1 2009 2:29 PM

    The general public might not consciously care about a chosen typeface, or even notice it...but they are still affected by it. Good design affects everybody\'s emotions in a positive manner, whether they realize it or not. Humans are just naturally attracted to beauty.

  198. Michelle TrimbornSep 1 2009 2:55 PM

    Looks cheap.Looks like a flyer in my postbox that\'s going to be scrunched up and binned.Lacks the laid back elegance of the previous fonts.I\'m not a specialist but the subliminal impact is there.My kneejerk reaction to the new style was: \"oh, big discounts, wade through junk to maybe find a bargain-bin-not-too-plastic-not-too-inferior purchase option\".Specialists are specialists for a reason.Maybe someone should listen to them.........

  199. Calvin NSep 1 2009 4:58 PM

    IKEA’s Ivana Hrdlickova says the main reason for the switch was to allow the company to use the same typeface in all countries (current IKEA typefaces do not contain Asian characters, for example). Being that Verdana was designed for the web, it also allows the company’s image to remain consistent online and in print.

    Sounds like they wanted to streamline their look online and on print as well as working within a budget.

    Any other suggestions?

  200. Nic EldridgeSep 1 2009 9:03 PM

    You\'d think that a company the size of IKEA could manage to have a custom designed typeface produced that answers all their needs.

    I like Verdana for certain uses but this looks only mildly better than if they\'d used Courier.

  201. sally Sep 1 2009 9:03 PM

    how disappointing! welcome to wal-mart world....

  202. cindySep 1 2009 11:37 PM

    Sorry I dont post...on anything as menial as this but I just happened to notice a shift in our society that is tremenously shocking and appauling. Does it really matter in the midst of all that\'s going wrong on this planet that we are so inclined to worry about something as lame as a font in a catalogue. Dear God where are we headed? Get off your computers, go outside, listen to the news, talk to a friend in need, take the dog for a walk, but wake up and snap out of this closet conformity of this stupid glowing box in front of you.Yikes!!!

  203. ShaneSep 1 2009 11:44 PM

    Who cares?

  204. wmSep 2 2009 12:46 AM

    Futura = IKEA

    why Ikea, why??

  205. MarkSep 2 2009 4:31 AM

    Definitely a fake

  206. MiltSep 2 2009 5:34 AM

    Who give\'s a shit?

  207. James KellySep 2 2009 7:14 AM

    thats a pile of B0llox.
    verdana sucks ass.

    to the people who say \'its just a font\'
    you guys are fools and don\'t have a clue what you are talking about.

    Verdana is horrible replacement for futura.

  208. KrisSep 2 2009 7:27 AM

    Wow, really? The average non-designer would have never noticed the font change if it wasn\'t pointed out to them. Do you people really shop Ikea for the font used in print? I\'m sure there are far more important things in everyones lives.

  209. milianSep 2 2009 8:18 AM

    people don\'t care what has changed in terms of typography, but they certainly will feel the difference - and not appreciate it.

  210. QueenieSep 2 2009 9:55 AM

    ... Futura definitely looks far nicer than Verdana! Verdana makes products become boring in IKEA catalog... so sad !

  211. scournouySep 2 2009 12:35 PM

    I\'m really surprised that IKEA let a design issue like readability and brand image be sidelined by a menial \"cost-effective\" decision and have their brand be dictated by web-based needs.

    Verdana was built for the digital medium and not print - why should it be used on everything? There is no Asian or Double-bit font characters available in Verdana either! This sounds like a bad fiscal decision by an american executive because the licensing agreement for Ikea\'s Futura use was ending and they thought they would save cash by not paying the fees for another 5 years. I wonder if that executive got a raise...instead of being fired.

  212. UberselektorSep 3 2009 12:19 AM

    Nooooo! How can it be that an institution known for design can make such a bizarre decision? Verdana is repulsive!

  213. NE555Sep 3 2009 5:09 AM

    Ohh no!

    I love Futura and the IKEA-style! I will never read billy with delight again.

  214. ali hong kongSep 3 2009 6:25 AM

    Camilla Maibe is not helping matters at all!

    If the public don\'t care about things like aesthetics (and usability), why have designers in the first place?...and nice photography, and prints on the fabrics, and call-outs and copy and ... bugger it: fire the whole marketing division. get the guy in IT to do the catalog in Microsoft Word and take pictures with his IXUS.

    Clearly Camilla\'s view extends to her budgeting and choice of design houses.

    P.S.
    some comment flamers are clearly in the wrong room. this is a design blog. if you dont care about type, you are not a designer.you are a moron. i dont care if you are an architect or a retoucher or Hitler, typography is important.

  215. J RaySep 3 2009 10:37 AM

    There goes all design credibility.

  216. J RaySep 3 2009 11:27 AM

    My friend suggests this may be a sign they are going to get rid of the print catalogs, which is likely if they\'re making such a deal over cost-saving measures.

    At least the quality of the catalog will now be on par with the quality of the furniture.

  217. RobSep 3 2009 6:51 PM

    These comments portray designers as pretentious out-of-touch prima donnas.It\'s embarrasing. You\'re so precise and critical of the font treatment yet sloppy with their use of the word \'cheap\'. Ikea is about form marrying function in affordable pricing. They provide living solutions with style that is \'accessible\' to the general public. But because they innovate using materials and packaging methods that save the consumer money, you call it cheap.

    Verdana is about accessibility and portability. It\'s a little less elegant than the tight and sleek Futura, but it works, furthermore it probably produces a savings in porting web over to print (and vice versa) allowing them to maintain profit levels - after all, IKEA is not an art gallery, it\'s a business first and foremost.

  218. Jonathan Anthony KellerSep 4 2009 11:44 AM

    Very rarely am I not in congruence with the mass acceptance or refusal of certain aesthetic opinions on design changes, however, this time I must disagree with the crowd.I do like the redesign.I think the new typeface seems to be more grown up so to speak.But the more I think about it, maybe it\'s just the new layout that I\'m drawn to.. hrm, no, I don\'t think I like the how proportionate the height and width are in the futura.The verdana just seems more modern..

    ~J

  219. nitrofuranoSep 4 2009 4:43 PM

    Did any see with attention enough at the 2009 vs 2010 calatog comparison? where is the courage on writing \"new lower prices, same great quality\' in lower case? this shows how Verdana lower case sucks, and how IKEA catalog designers suffers on try using Verdana... - The most fun situation i can see this is, if some OFL-like Open-Futura exists (just like Open-Baskerville - and Futura master drawings from Paul Renner is from Bauhaus time...), i really doubt they would use Verdana instead...

  220. DavezillaSep 4 2009 5:53 PM

    All these comments by designers who feel that having \"just the right typeface\" is preferable to a consistent global experience. Sorry, I disagree with all of you. They made a smart move.

  221. SashaSep 5 2009 6:33 AM

    I know it sounds ridiculous but I absolutely loathe when businesses use \'free\' fonts. It\'s just visually unappealing.

  222. BrendanSep 5 2009 7:04 AM

    Oh please! Pull your heads in typography fanatics! Ikea is about whittling away all that is not necessary while keeping their deliverables the prime objective. Their customers do not care that the catalog has changed font, and I\'ll think you\'ll find they don\'t even notice!

  223. sandrassmSep 5 2009 7:59 AM

    I think is cozy.. like it a lot!!

  224. ann graySep 5 2009 9:43 AM

    This is how good brands fail. They lose sight of their mission by making choices to broaden appeal and make their lives easier. A message of bringing good design to the masses has become one of bringing mediocre design to the masses. Ikea has made the choice to be Sears and will suffer a similar fate.

  225. Jeff BerrySep 5 2009 12:14 PM

    Finally, IKEA finds the perfect font to express its banal corporate personality. But wait, there\'s more! They\'ve also expressed it in their dull, cliche-infested copy, their amateurish layouts, and their phone-it-in product design. Bravo IKEA! Now that\'s honest branding.

  226. alexSep 5 2009 1:04 PM

    not a designer, or font specialist, or any of the above - but i enjoy and appreiciate all things esthetic in nature

    that said, in my very uninformed novice opinion, and looking at the examples above, why do i like the new font as much or more?

    is it because i\'m viewing it online? now i need to go to ikea and scrutinize the catalog to see how it looks in print

    honestly though, looking at the examples of futura\\verdana above the verdana looks WAY better to me, much cleaner

    dunno if thats because its online, but also as with most things, the emperors new clothes effect seems afoot here

    discern for yourself

  227. KCSep 5 2009 1:46 PM

    Don\'t people have better things to worry about than the font in anIkea catalog??People, get a life!!

  228. Ben DunkleSep 5 2009 1:46 PM

    At least they didn\'t pick Arial...

  229. LisaSep 5 2009 2:08 PM

    Ikea meets Walmart.

  230. NateSep 5 2009 2:21 PM

    I think the new font looks like any JCPenny, Kmart or WalMart flier. That is ok because the IKEA product is not much better than products from every other cheap furniture store.

  231. Brad NguyenSep 5 2009 2:26 PM

    Who cares? I just read the most ridiculous and unnecessary New York Times article about this.

    You folks are getting all worked up over nothing.

  232. David H.Sep 5 2009 2:31 PM

    Did the products change? No. A little font change and you guys get your panties in a bunch. Get real. If you like the products, you\'ll keep buying them no matter what font they use.

  233. karenSep 5 2009 2:31 PM

    They must want the Target market

  234. KathleenSep 5 2009 2:32 PM

    Non-designers will NEVER notice the difference. It will only chip away at the aesthetics of a well designed society.

  235. GainesSep 5 2009 2:40 PM

    Yeah, but IKEA IS the WalMart of furniture stores.

  236. mikeSep 5 2009 2:41 PM

    non-designers may not know exactly what the difference is, but i\'m sure it will be felt on a subconscious level. for design-minded people, it\'s a surprising decision and it leads me to wonder how IKEA will be seen in that crowd now. its image was teetering on the edge, but it has just enough cool stuff at a pretty good price to justify shopping there. let me go on record as saying IKEA totally sucks! let\'s hope we anderson does not go this direction. if that happens, the world as we know it will be over.

  237. Prof JukesSep 5 2009 3:00 PM

    Good grief.You people are ridiculous.Oh, yeah... I \"feel it on a subconscious level\".
    What a bunch of self-important losers.Get a life.

  238. amySep 5 2009 3:13 PM

    The furniture falls apart anyway -- why not reflect the quality of the product in the print materials? The Creative Director is at fault for not selling Helvetica for this change instead of Verdana. It would have performed in exactly the same way. Yes, designers will notice this first but the innate cheap quality reflected through this design will be absorbed into the general consciousness over time and problems will ensue. Why do you think Wal-mart finally dumped that damn smiley face?

  239. Laura FranzSep 5 2009 3:36 PM

    I have to wonder if IKEA has a new Creative Director?

    First, *who* in the hell convinced IKEA that their print and online presence need to be consistent? Consistency at all costs is not good practice. Never and Always rarely work. This feels like the mistake of someone who has learned \"rules\" but not why they exist and when to ignore them.

    Second, take another look at the catalogs.

    It\'s not just the font that changed.

    Layouts are more cluttered, type overlaps images in really inopportune places... Emphasis used to be created with white space, alignment, and large, black numbers. Now everything is competing. Color palette is.... um red and hot pink? Emphasis is created by big AND red! Is there a grid in there anywhere?

    On one hand, the decision to switch to Verdana could be seen as conceptually aligned with Jan Tschichold and themodernist tenet (it\'s all about function, not beauty).

    But on the other hand... there is something bigger than a font change going on here. Layouts are cluttered and falling apart... this doesn\'t feel thoughtful.

    Finally, I just have to say, the press seems to paint Matthew Carter as \"some guy who designed a font for the screen,\" while painting Paul Renner as a Type Design God. Ummm. Personally, I find Verdana more usable in my role as a typographer/web designer, and applaud Matthew Carter on what is a pretty damn good web-safe font.

    Still doesn\'t mean it\'s right for IKEA print publications.

  240. Doug StrelkaSep 5 2009 4:11 PM

    GET A LIFE PEOPLE!

  241. KyokoSep 5 2009 5:07 PM

    No, please ... no.

  242. Ceci DadismanSep 5 2009 6:48 PM

    Another step in the bland-ifying of modern design.

  243. Steve CSep 5 2009 8:28 PM

    Wow. The letter spacing on the headline looks bad.

    It certainly doesn\'t look better, or friendlier.

  244. SandraSep 5 2009 8:32 PM

    are you freaking kidding me with this?!who reads a magazine or catalogue for the font?let\'s get past what doesn\'t matter- it\'s about what they sell!!holy f*#@!!

  245. franzSep 5 2009 9:57 PM

    Hurray!! Welcome to post-modernity IKEA (bit late).
    I feel the layouts have far more character now. Like every designer I went through a FUTURA stage, short-lived and I am glad I overcame it.

    The contrast added by the slabs and variety of angles in the strokes by the Verdana makes for much richer \'gray texture\' in the tittles and the copy.

    I never cared for the blandness of the text on catalog and manuals that the aseptic Futura offered, no matter how classic, it was way tired.

    So here is for idiosyncrasy and vernacular \'mashed-up\' with true zeitgeist flair!
    Fz

  246. BlairSep 6 2009 12:01 AM

    Doesn\'t everyone know, every time you use Verdana, a puppy dies....

  247. mxSep 6 2009 1:04 AM

    yes most people are not design experts and can\'t tell exactly what is different, but many of them can feel it. ikea will pay for the bad design decision.

  248. Didn\'t Even NoticeSep 6 2009 4:26 AM

    I love Ikea, and me and my wife shop there all the time, but the Ikea guy had a point, now they can consolidate all their catalog versions, Asian, EU, NA, SA, etc... might save on paper. That\'s very green too. Honestly, I don\'t know what all the fuss is about. Designers will freak out, as usual. Real, normal, average people will never even notice the difference. Design Professionals (freaks), take a pill! Relax! Take off your damned rose coloured glasses!

  249. penelopeSep 6 2009 9:51 AM

    I hated the typeface and I hated the layouts.After 3 tries to actually look for furniture I wanted, I chucked it into the recyle bin.

  250. Stella CadenteSep 6 2009 10:32 AM

    I don\'t dislike Verdana, but for a catalog as image-dominant as Ikea\'s, Futura certainly does look better. Plus it\'s iconic and for an outfit like Ikea, changing the look of its catalog is like changing its logo or name. Not a thing to be done casually.

    But the worst thing is the layout, not the font. That\'s what I can\'t imagine.

  251. PaulSep 6 2009 2:41 PM

    Who are all these people spending precious seconds of their lives writing comments at a design blog telling people how stupid they are for caring about design? If only they were capable of understanding the concept of irony.

  252. You won\'t consiously notice, but that\'s the pointSep 6 2009 10:57 PM

    To those who denigrate the role of typeface, ie \'who cares?\': The audience probably won\'t CONSCIOUSLY register the difference in typeface. What WILL happen is that they will walk away with a different impression of Ikea.

    They won\'t compare it to their previous impression of Ikea; they will compare it to Ikea\'s competitors and make an emotional purchase decision based on which vendor\'s character suits them best (as well as other factors such as price and convenience). So, the question is really whether Verdana represents Ikea\'s character (brand) as accurately as Verdana.

    I\'m thinking \'no\', as their competitive differentiation has always been design first, price second. Otherwise they\'d be \'Crazy Harry\'s Discount Furniture\', which plainly they\'re not.

    BTW, outlining visual communication 101 on a design website seems a bit remedial.

  253. ScusiSep 6 2009 11:00 PM

    >>So, the question is really whether Verdana represents Ikea\'s character (brand) as accurately as Verdana.

    Sorry, should obviously read:
    >>So, the question is really whether Verdana represents Ikea\'s character (brand) as accurately as Futura.

  254. musicfan1992Sep 7 2009 1:33 PM

    why is everyone hating it? there isn\'t a big difference, could barely tell...

  255. Jennifer D.Sep 8 2009 12:36 AM

    \"Next, someone will be saying that we only need to have 5 fonts to use. Commercial script, comic sans, verdana, tahoma & arial?\"

    Heh Massimo Vignelli will straight up tell you that you don\'t need more than 5 fonts anyway. Go watch Helvetica again...

    Funny how most of the complainers didn\'t bother to offer a single solution that we could discuss. I definitely wouldn\'t have picked Verdana, but negativity doesn\'t offer a solution. I think I\'ll go spend my time thinking about what I would have done rather than bitch about what\'s already been done.

  256. RandySep 8 2009 1:35 AM

    Well, actually, I like the change.The Futura font was too dramatic and the Verdana is actually cleaner looking.Maybe next year, they\'ll go back; who knows...:)

  257. JeffSep 8 2009 4:12 PM

    OMG. For those who can\'t tell the difference - OPEN YOUR EYES! Classic to gross retail newspaper tip-in flyers. That\'s what it feel like to me. Gross. The new font looks cheap. Ikea lost it.

  258. andresSep 9 2009 12:25 AM

    böring + gënerik

  259. CherylSep 9 2009 3:42 AM

    I think IKEA just lost a great visual identity by changing from Futura to Verdana – if I looked at a page within the new catalog without looking at the cover I would assume it was a K-Mart flyer. It\'s really sad, I can\'t quite believe they would do that!

    And for those \"non-designers\" or people who ask why the hell does it matter; you\'re on a design blog for goodness sake, thats what we do here, discuss design. And trust me, you may not think so but design affects everyone, and every typeface gives a different impression and feel whether you realise it or not.

    If the world were purely functional it would be a pretty dull one.

  260. RisaSep 10 2009 4:07 AM

    Wrong decision. Looks cheap & mediocre

  261. Andy BriceSep 10 2009 2:00 PM

    This seems a shame considering Futura\'s history and how well it fitted with IKEA\'s aesthetic. Especially since its an aesthetic which IKEA played a key role in bringing to a wider market.

    I\'ve made a video about this. http://bit.ly/vaV8a

  262. JelmarSep 10 2009 5:16 PM

    Atricious. I thought IKEA\'s identity worked really well with Futura. It wasn\'t / isn\'t very beautiful or something, but it was memorable, modern.

    I would go as far as to say that Futura was the only thing in the identity that told you \"hi, what you are looking at now is from IKEA\". With Verdana it could be from any store.

    Plus, Verdana is a screen typeface for f\'s sake.

  263. JessSep 10 2009 6:49 PM

    Why can\'t they just use a san serif on their web pages? Most people can\'t tell the difference between san serifs especially if they\'re not looking for them. Verdana is an awful choice for print media

  264. NateSep 10 2009 6:59 PM

    It\'s a shame. As a designer working across print and web I do agree that there is some need to try and develop some consistency, but this is the wrong way to go about it.

    Ikea took the easy road and adopted a typeface never designed for use at large sizes - they will pay for it in a different way.

    We\'re entering a new period of web design, where there are now many ways of embedding fonts in a web page that are SEO compliant. Why resort to a system font?

    That\'s what designers are annoyed about, for anyone who doesn\'t understand. Verdana is a system font - it\'s well designed for this purpose, but only this purpose.

    Ikea had a proprietary typeface it could have extended and embedded in its web pages quite easily.

    The beauty of print should never be sacrificed for consistency with a web page. Instead those designing for the web need to be trying to reach the typographical heights of print.

    This is an example of how uncreative thinking about a problem results in generic crap.

  265. VinhSep 12 2009 6:18 PM

    Yeah, disastrous. Couldn\'t they at least have picked Franklin if they wanted a Windows standard or Helvetica or Akzidenz?

  266. AmandaSep 14 2009 1:32 PM

    I\'m a designer, but I\'m also the kind of person who is too distracted by the furniture in an IKEA catalog to notice the typeface. That being said, something felt \"off\" and bothersome about the 2010 catalog, and I should have dug out the 2009 version for a side-by-side comparison. As I\'m a recovering Futuran myself (I had to be weaned off through the use of Century Gothic), I feel like I should have spotted that right away.

    Honestly, Helvetica or even the overused Trebuchet would have been more pleasing to the eye and complementary to the furniture. Verdana always looks like the kerning is willy-nilly, even when it isn\'t.

  267. St JohnSep 14 2009 3:42 PM

    Ikea FAILS

  268. Kevin GilmourSep 16 2009 5:22 AM

    I know everyone and their cousin has posted a comment but it really does need everyone to tell them this is a bad move. Futura\'s sharp lines and consistent curves reflected form and function perfectly like most of Ikea\'s furniture itself. This typeface simply puts them back in to the bland mix. The font isn\'t bad but it does not reflect the brand values. Ikea and Futura were an almost perfect match, this is just another furniture catalog.

    I don\'t buy the foreign markets and web excuse. The main appeal of the printed format is that it can be more graphically sound than the web. Verdana is not a print font, plain and simple. The size of the lower case letters is large and ugly. However the primary FAIL here is that no one can hope to control what font is seen in a browser, even if they use a standard font like Verdana, as users can set their own custom stylesheets (and some systems, like the PSP, use their own screen font for all web content). For a site like Ikea this will always be the problem and its one that you don\'t try and mimic in print.

    I hope Ikea change it back because this is just wrong and it sets a bad precedent in todays multimedia world.

  269. BartSep 16 2009 7:50 AM

    Noooooooooooo!! No! no, no, no, no! Futura was the main part of the Ikea\'s corporate design :(

  270. AdamSep 20 2009 5:12 PM

    I\'ve been an Art Director and Designer for over 30 years. I\'ve read the posted comments and agree with most, so I won\'t rehash what\'s already been said. Just note: BAD CHOICE OF FONT!!! End of story!

  271. BenSep 22 2009 9:50 PM

    Nate hits the nail on the head. Boring and uncreative problem solving leading to a bland and uninspired solution. Yuck.

  272. KikinaOct 4 2009 4:35 PM

    Verdana was cheapest than Futura... maybe :-) And now... IKEA is cheapest than... What a shame...

  273. SuzanOct 5 2009 3:29 PM

    Yo no one gives a fuck oh wow

  274. r4Oct 26 2009 8:11 AM

    The question is \"what does IKEA know that we don\'t\", or who hired my mom to pick the fonts for their catalogue?

  275. DrazzzOct 31 2009 8:57 AM

    Ugly font! But it really fits better by their cheap furniture.

  276. GrapplicaJan 6 2010 8:22 AM

    I hate Verdana. Should have stayed with Futura, Futura stands. Verdana, to me, is as evil as Comic Sans ...

  277. MisshydeJan 20 2010 8:45 AM

    Can tell the spokeswoman doesn\'t give a toss... If the opinion of the professionals around the world doesn\'t matter then it doesn\'t say well about IKEA.

    Apparently it was cheaper to change the font entirely than create the Asian characters... sad.

  278. Kris DJan 28 2010 7:14 PM

    This decision is not a big deal by itself, but it is representative of a larger societal issue - good design is dying - especially print design.In this over-advertised, over-populated, throw-away web society, what does anyone really care? If IKEA wants to change their identity to the lowest common denominator, they will, and they probably won\'t feel any affect in their pocketbooks.The people that make these decisions aren\'t artists or philosophers. Good design is dying and most people don\'t care.

    On a side note: HP also ditched Futura as their main font. Weird.

  279. HansFeb 8 2010 7:20 PM

    wow, I didn\'t even notice it, I did have an odd feeling with the new catalogue. What I did notice though is that the new catalogue is at least 1/2\" smaller (at least here in Canada) and that the spine of the new catalogue does not say \"love your home\" in big letters.

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