http://www.veer.com/ideas/btt/

I went to college to become an illustrator. I wanted to learn how to paint and do fantasy book covers or something. I didn't really know anything about "design" or what the world offered to artists. I thought most artists were poor and could never scrape together a living. I had no idea there were designers out there making the big bucks. Sure, they don't all make that much, but some do, and I didn't think any did at all.

Although I eventually switched over into business, I loved my first year of college and the two art/design courses I took. I took a basic drawing class from Leon Parson at BYU-Idaho (formerly Ricks College) the first semester and then a lettering class the second semester from...Richard Bird? I think that was his name.

That was the first time I got any clue of what went into the typefaces most of the population takes for granted. I had to do several projects where we had to draw words. You might think it would be pretty easy to draw a word, but it's not. I remember doing the words "Circus Dist." and it took me about 30 times and about 50 hours of work before I got it right. I think I did it with the Bodini font, if I'm not mistaken. I have it around here somewhere.

Anyway, the link above is to a Flash movie that shows something of the perspective designers have towards fonts. Everyone else takes them for granted, but designers know fonts, their characteristics, how people respond to them when they see them, and therefore they know which fonts should be used where and when. If you watch the movie you may get a taste of the world designers live in.

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