The terrorist attack on Fort Hood makes me realize how vulnerable we can be. It's a sad tragedy and a reality in our lives today - as united as we have always been in this time we can never become too comfortable in any situation.
This post discusses IKEA's move to use Verdana, a typeface mainly used for its notable legibility on web pages, but also closely associated with Microsoft. In-between paragraphs are images of IKEA which I have captured for the past four years (serving mainly as a documentation of the transition and a last look at IKEA before Verdana).
First, let's know about Verdana's origins (but this, you can Google it yourself).
Second, let's think of where we usually see Verdana being used. After the age of home-made websites read in Times New Roman, along with animated GIFs, 'Sign My Guestbook', MIDI background music and scrolling titles, Verdana came about as the primary typeface of the body text on web pages. One website that sums up what the web looked like in the year 2003 is Myspace (and it still does).
Thankfully Helvetica came to clear things up and became the prominent typeface for the past 4 years. Despite that, Helvetica has been given an unfair treatment, especially by whom I would call militant revivalists and pseudo design practitioners, but that's a totally different story altogether.
Although Verdana is quickly being phased out online, many message boards and online forums today still use this typeface (like lowyat and macrumors, which isn't much of an issue). Very rare do we get to see Verdana in real life, except on printed announcements made on the spur of the moment (like notice boards you'd find in schools).
But all of a sudden, without warning, surprisingly and so on, IKEA is adopting Verdana as a part of its identity, replacing Futura (or a variation of it), which they have been using for decades. Naturally, my reaction was "WTF?!". This was when I downloaded the US edition of the catalogue, released way earlier in August. I noticed the usage of Verdana but subconsciously dismissed it, thinking that it's just some electronic formatting error or something technically similar to that.
Then I noticed many design blogs making a lot of noise about IKEA's latest typographical paradigm shift. Some unsuccessfully defended that it is IKEA's effort to be 'truly accessible', but most protested that it is 'one step backward' and 'a backlash to the utilitarian chic which IKEA has been advocating' (not real quotes; just a summary of the majority of the comments).
This has got me thinking to myself not just why IKEA switch to Verdana, but also the motive behind this degrading decision, what sort of justification IKEA would state for their move, the connection between using Verdana and the 'expected' rise in sales (which company would want to make a move that decrease sales, eh?), and what beauty does IKEA see in Verdana which Futura does not have?
I mean, let's face it. Verdana is not a good-looker in print. Other than that, I won't comment onto the complex details; I'll leave that to the experts. Would it make sense if I were to speculate that Verdana is just some one-off thing and it's back to Futura next year? Probably not. It's not just the catalogue that is being morphed into some Verdana junkyard, but also the store signages and website. However I haven't seen Verdana on its product packaging, but we can expect that soon.
If you can recall, IKEA was using another typeface, a serifed one (which I can vaguely remember seeing it printed on its product packaging and instructional booklets [in off-white recycled paper]) 13 years ago (this was around the same time I first knew of IKEA through their billboard of a cow-print sofa with a copy that says "Home is where IKEA is", located on the Federal Highway somewhere near Angkasapuri).
One way I can think of to refer to this particular typeface is in the picture above, which is a small tray which the restaurant had back in 2006, the one similar to the numbers printed on the DEKAD alarm clock. I am not sure if it had any significance to anyone when IKEA stopped using that typeface. If you are familiar with this, do share it.
So how do I talk about IKEA's switch to Verdana without getting emotional? Not possible. Instead of checking out the lovely new items and room designs and admiring Swedish-looking families in the kitchen, featured in the catalogue like how it should be every year, this year's has got me shaking my head all the way through.
I could go on and on about the horror of Verdana + Microsoft, making very bitter remarks and then conclude that life must go on. But I am not even a typography specialist; if I see a typeface that looks good and has no disturbing connotations with renowned ugly brands like Microsoft, I'll support it. And Verdana is no way one of them.
And while being on topic, I would like to touch on the local IKEA's effort to include the Malay language in their signage, advertisements and promotional items. It's about time IKEA gave recognition to the national language. To this date, all local IKEA catalogues are published in the English language, but I hope there would be a Malay version soon. IKEA is quickly gaining attention from the Malay middle-class (who uses Malay as their first language) market who are getting familiar with the IKEA culture of buying furniture and accessories as frequent as buying groceries. From my own observation, the Malay that is being used in IKEA are mostly English-isms and direct translations. I hope they will improve on this.
Actually, there are many other things I'd like to bring up about IKEA today, like the wonderfulness of the new IKEA PS line, people who don't clean up their tables, a man who spent an hour wrapping his purchases at the wrapping tables before sending it through air mail, and a space age-looking booster seat, but I'm putting the full stop here.
How do you feel about IKEA's switch to Verdana?
I found the house which was used as Meera's residence in the 1995 film Ringgit Kasorrga, which I have written about early this year.
"Why do we wear our hats on our heads when we pray?" the answer in the famous Fiddler on the Roof musical, "Tradition!"
I don't want tradition for tradition sake, but I do want the experience that motivated the first followers of Jesus to do what they did! They gave up all, sacrificed comfort, and radically proclaimed the validity of their experience with Jesus. I'm also interested in trying new techniques in our culture to declare this great Truth. However, I still hunger for the experience. I guess I don't just want to talk about Jesus and freedom, I want to live it!
Next time you are reading through the New Testament try to focus on what the author is trying to focus on. All too often we get sidetracked by what well intentioned teachers have taught us in the past. Try to, for a moment, let it all go and look for what the author is trying to get you to see. For example: Ephesians has a lot of "predestination" verbage and "free-will" talk too. So, a lot of time has been spent reading these passages in that light. However, we must realize the author wasn't trying to answer some of our questions. Rather he was putting us on a journey to be filled with the fullness of God!
- Look for repition.
- Look to Introductions and Conclusions.
- Look for grammatical "therefores" "and so's" and when the author emphasises something know it is important!
Let's live the life!
Selena Gomez - one of the cutest personalities on the Disney Channel.
9/09/09 - September = 9 letters Wednesday 9 letters
I like Coffee. However, I'm not over the top as some might think. For some reason I don't shy away from being known as someone who likes coffee. So, when brainstorming for a creative sermon illustration and the thought of drinking and Iced Americano during the sermon came up I was all in. I purchased my favorite summertime beverage Sunday morning on the way to New Life. I waited until the sermon began to begin my sipping frenzy, I had to have most of it drank by the time my 2nd point rolled around. As I discussed the letter from John to the church in Laodicia of Revelation 3 about how they were "lukewarm" and not "hot" or "cold" it was time for the illustration. I like iced espresso, and I like hot coffee . . however lukewarm coffee is spew-able! The message to the church in Laodicia was the same: hot water is good for calming, cool for refreshing they were spew-able too! Powerful.
I neglected one small element. I don't usually drink 3 shots of espresso during my sermon after my morning cups of coffee. The cafine rush was a bit much! One visitor said, "I enjoyed the service, the sermon was a bit manic but good." Manic maybe, more like Maniac. I set up the illustration too much. Then with the cafine blazing in my system I began to sweat. Now I'm excited, sweating, and enthusiastic about coffee. Hopefully something of the point translated! Truth is, in my zeal for coffee fueld by my caffine rush I forgot one of the main illustrated points. Espresso when mixed stays good, but if it just sits there it spoils in moments. The people at laodica were useless and indifferent . . they weren't mixing and they were spoiled.
Oh well, I will continue to brainstorm for creative personal sermon illustrations. yet, I will not be drinking espresso on a Sunday morning for awhile!
So, I'm Re-committing to my Blog!
Honestly the last 2 months have been a lot about Re-Meifying (not a word!). Results are in, I feel more like me than ever! I stood up at a prayer meeting and declared, "we are on the verge of a breakthrough and I know where it starts." pounding my chest for dramatic effect I said, "it starts right here." Boy was I right, and now I'm learning to be careful what I pray! Really though it has been a fantastic 2 months and I feel more alive than I ever have. Here are a few of the things I've Re-committed too:
- Living for Jesus. No longer as a profession, but as a personal follower of His teachings devoted to seeking His Spirit's empowerment. I realized I was inviting people to my church and not to Jesus. I had the right motivation as I truly believe that if someone attends New Life they will find Jesus presented in a relevant way, but I'd stopped asking people to know Jesus! It's a slight difference, but it has made all the difference. More than just asking people to follow Jesus again as if it were just a recommitment to personal evangelism I'm finding my new again devotion so thrilling and so exhilarating it is just spilling over to those I'm around! The Bible has come alive again! Worship times and devotional times are like all the times! From the abundant life I'm living God is birthing fruit. It's easy and it's all happening quite naturally/supernaturally.
- Loving my Family. I am so in love with my wife and our beautiful children. Ashley and I have been married 5 1/2 years and I'm more in love with her now than ever. My boy is 3 yrs old and my daughter 3 months old. I find the most joy in sharing life with them. Honestly, this new re-me initially created a desire in me to love and give more to them not only to my relationship with God. However, I've found living out the new devotion most difficult. A bit of a confession here, but I wonder if it is true for others. I want to be the best husband and father but it seems so much stands against it. Not just my own personality flaws but the busyness and the business of life seem to rob the family first and most often. But, my re-relationship with Jesus has placed and uncompromising desire to put my family before anything else. All of it is a process but I'm committed and now re-committed to seeing them grow, and not just looking back at pictures without me in them. I won't tolerate the pressure to leave them behind while I move anything forward: not a career, not a church, nothing. I will look back at the end of my life and celebrate the times I was there, not wish I could have been. Even in the midst of church planting I will take time first for my family.
- Serving my church. We are revitalizing/planting a church in the St. Louis area www.thenewlifecommunity.com and I'm committed to it. More, I'm in love with the adventure of it. A couple of weeks ago I took the 4th of July weekend off and spent it with family (see above). Saturday night I woke from a dream where I had been preaching at New Life, I felt a deep sense of disappointment that I wasn't really there in that dream serving New Life. Cool thing was there were 55 people there, just like the last time I'd spoken. What impressed me the most was that I am truly excited about being a part of what God is doing now, not just what he will accomplish in the future. I love the process. And really since my Re-me adventure began things have taken off, we've turned a corner, we've had the breakthrough I knew we were on the verge of having! We've had someone give their life to Jesus every gathering for the last 2 months, prayer ministry has started, we've had over 70 for the last month, and the story continues to unfold!
So, these are just a few of the re-me details. I'm sure I will speak more specifically in the near future on more. Until then I pray that if you are reading this that the abundant life that Jesus spoke of in John 10 would be yours too.
Peace,
Jason
