@font-face: Just another web technology I wish I could use
With the release of Firefox 3.5, there's been alot of discussion about it's support of a particular CSS property, @font-face. What it allows is for web designers to use any font they wish in their designs without any tricks like using a background image or some cludgy Flash & Javascript implementation. Native support for any font in any website sounds pretty sweet, right? However, as is always the case with interactive design implementations, there are caveats and they are quite large at that.
First off, there's the legal issue. Type designers are now faced with a new wrinkle in their licensing schemes: how do you price for using a font on a website? And secondly, because the font-file would be stored publicly on the website's server, how do you prevent people from swiping the legally obtained, copyrighted material knowing full well DRM (Digital Rights Management) is something a majority of web-savvy people are not fans of? The forthcoming Typekit appears to be a way to solve these issues but until we can play with it, that remains to be seen. I Love Typography has a great discussion going on at their blog about this as well.
And then there's the problem of wide-spread support. Unless you use one of the latest versions of a web browser, you probably won't be able to see the nice type settings of websites programmed with @font-face. Aside from Firefox, the only other browser to offer proper @font-face support is Apple's Safari browser since March 18th, 2008 with the release of 3.1. Opera will be adding @font-face support in the near future. Internet Explorer's support of @font-face is long-standing but like many of it's CSS features, half-assed. Chrome's support is apparently broken at the moment.
The good news is that 50% of Internet users are on a Firefox or Safari browser. But what version do they use? It's wishful thinking to assume that every Firefox and Safari user is using the latest, although the odds are certainly with higher with Safari given how long it's supported the property.
How much does @font-face change the web design world? At the moment, not much. Support is too hit-or-miss and the potential for abuse is enormous. @font-face will certainly change the landscape someday but it won't be inspiring a dramatic shift in the way websites are built any time soon.
Educating the Designer
With many designers out of work as a result of the economy, advanced degrees targeting creatives are sprouting like dandelions, promising graduates additional differentiation, an edge over their competition, and ostensibly, additional career security.
It is in the best interest of these institutions of higher learning (read: businesses) to convince us that yet another credential either will increase the odds of getting hired if we’re unemployed or reduce adequately the chance of being let go if we are lucky enough to still have a job.
Lately, I’ve noticed a spate of new programs that target designers. These MXA’s come in all shapes and sizes, are available anywhere in the world. Some require you to put your career on hold while you study. All require significant financial resources. And none come with guarantees. To ensure that this investment actually will move you toward your goals, you need to have a very clear agenda.
If goal is to become a great businessperson, get into the best MBA program that will have you. (Think Wharton, Harvard, Columbia, Yale, etc.) But if you want to become a more worldly and wise designer, first stop and think about where you would most like to apply your talent. For example, if your passion is art books then you’ll want to find some way to become affiliated with museums. This could be achieved through an educational institution, but it could happen just as easily via mentoring, ad hoc educational program or internship. Be open minded – and creative.
Regardless of which path you choose, if you want to achieve greatness in your field, you must make education an absolute constant, whether it is through your own devices or through an organized program. Education must be coupled with constant and fearless self-analysis. What are my strengths? How dedicated am I? How much talent do I have, really? Are my expectations realistic based on my natural ability and the time that I’m putting in? A study published in 2006 by British-based researchers revealed that it takes a person approximately 10 years of active practice (average 20 hours a week) to gain mastery in any discipline.
These are interesting times. Additional education may indeed be a panacea, but it should be preceded by a thorough inventory of your capabilities, expectations and motives. You may be surprised at what you find.
Rehabilitate | Restore
The Hand Therapy Section of the American Physical Therapy Association is introducing a new logo and collateral created by Decker Design. The Section’s mission to improve upper extremity functionality is represented by three hands: the two hands of the therapist are connected to that of the patient, joined to achieve a common goal. A new website coordinating with the program will be introduced this fall.
Click the images below for a full view:
