My Boss, Erik Spiekermann

For my family and friends who still struggle to understand the esoteric world of typography in which I live, you might get a step closer after watching these two short videos featuring FontShop’s founder: Erik Spiekermann. The first is from a ’80s-era BBC programme (no, Erik doesn’t sport the bow tie anymore) and the second is a clip from 2007’s hit documentary “Helvetica”. Besides being an award-winning graphic and type designer in his own right, Erik is an entertaining spokesperson for the field. He travels constantly, practicing design but also speaking to students and professionals around the world.

A disclaimer on the title: though I often endearingly refer to him as “my boss”, Erik hasn’t been a part of day-to-day operations at FontShop for years. Still, he continues to play an active roll in advising the company he founded. I feel honored to work with people I truly respect and admire. Here we are a couple weeks ago with other FontShop leaders at a meeting in Dwell’s San Francisco office:

Update: The FontShop blog editors, taken in May 2008: