Ikea Changes Typeface & Creates Uproar

Ikea, the Swedish home furniture chain, recently changed their typeface from a customized version of Futura to the more commonplace font Verdana. The change has caused an uproar in design circles. Complaints focus on the fact that the company, known for innovative and affordable design, has chosen a typeface invented by Microsoft for the computer screen. In his blog, Seen&Done, Jamie Latendresse laments “Why Verdana, Why Ikea, WHY?” In The New York Times, Ikea, surprised by the outrage, explained that the new font is more effective for use on the Internet and in different languages.