Futura: Still Strong, 85 Years On

It’s sometimes hard to believe that something “modern” looking could be close to 100 years old. But that’s the beauty of timeless design. In the world of typography, Futura is that case in point.

Here is a beautiful short film about Futura.

Futura was designed in 1927 by Paul Renner. Based on geometric shapes, it became representative of visual elements of the Bauhaus design style of 1919–1933.Commissioned by the Bauer Type Foundry, in reaction to Ludwig & Mayer’s seminal Erbar of 1922, Futura was commercially released in 1927.  In designing Futura, Renner avoided the decorative, eliminating non-essential elements. Indeed, Futura is one of the very first sans-serif typefaces ever created, and it has been used in countless applications, from movie titles to corporate identities to even the NASA Apollo 11 plaque that sits on the moon. Here’s to the next 85 years, Futura. I bet you’ll still look good in the year 2097.