The Quiet Designer of Typefaces: Adrian Frutiger

Image credit: jgb, Flickr

Before Helvetica (see The Cyclical Life of Helvetica: Revive, Resist, Rinse, Repeat), there was Univers. Designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1954, Univers will always remain a creation of its time and a distinct part of visul communication. Last May, Frutiger celebrated his 80th birthday. Another landmark moment of that month was the publication of Adrian Frutiger�Typefaces. The Complete Works. Its 400+ pages reveal the process behind Frutiger�s typographic designs. Though the title expresses finality, Mr. Univers is still sharpening his craft. From the little that I�ve read about him and his work, I realized that there isn�t much fanfare about Frutiger. This speaks to what I glean to be his quiet nature: industriously working and then working some more.