Why Typedia matters
Go check out Typedia, launched today. From the about text:
“In a nutshell, Typedia is a community website to classify typefaces and educate people about them. Think of it like a mix between IMDb and Wikipedia, but just for type. Anyone can join, add, and edit pages for typefaces or for the people behind the type.”
Here’s what I think.
Typedia is an independent project, bound only by the meandering free will of its participants. There is no corporate influence unless a particular distributor decides to flood the library with their own type. But even so, things will even out as time goes on and type from other entities is added.
Typedia is not trying to promote the type, anyway; it sidesteps flashy specimens in favor of digestible information. Typefaces, from Gotham to flotsam, are treated equally for the sake of a uniform experience—it is refreshing.
History at our fingertips
Consider for a moment what an independent, uniform encyclopedia of typefaces and type designers means for you and me.
At the least, it means looking to a single, familiar place to browse type from disparate sources. More importantly though, it means glancing at a typeface’s entry (if not all of the related and cited material too) before using the face, and being able to glean some of its whens, wheres, whys, whos, and hows. History at our fingertips and at our disposal translates to stronger, more effective new work that is both respectful of and responsible for its past.
I am happy to join Jason Santa Maria, Jina Bolton, Mandy Brown, and Grant Hutchinson as a Typedia editor, so that I can stand by the effort in both word and deed.
Congratulations to Jason, Mark Simonson, Liz Danzico, Dan Mall, Mark Huot, Brian Warren, Ethan Marcotte, Stephen Coles, Ryan Masuga, Aaron Gustafson, Garrett Murray, and John Langdon, and others involved: Khoi Vinh, Shaun Inman, Kristin Dooley, Grant Hutchinson, Ryan Irelan, and Dan Cederholm. I know this project has been in the works for a long time. Must feel great to see it live.