Folk typography: a pet hate named Lobster
I have a secret pet hate. It’s a font, called Lobster. In the last 2 years I have literally seen it used in about 10 different logos, from a bottle store in the Cape Town CBD to a new retail centre in Woodstock. I’ve seen it on a book cover about South African design. I’ve seen it on the side of a truck. I’ve seen it on a billboard for cheap insurance. My partner, I’m sure, is tired of hearing me say… there’s that font again! The font says hipster, it says vintage, it says hand crafted. It reminds me of the original shop signs that were carved out of wood – not quite ‘ye olde shoppe’ but a bit later, and a bit more American. It reminds me of that old restaurant in the nineties called Woodcutters, who served you steakhouse fair on wooden placemats. You know the vibe.
It’s not the font itself that I hate, it almost has a place; but it’s the prevalence, and the lack of attention given to where and how it’s used.
Last week, Seth Godin wrote about a phenomenon he calls Folk Typography, which made me feel a bit better, because he nails it on the head. Here it is:
Continue reading