#4 Avenir® Next World by Linotype
Q1: Where did the idea for the typeface come from? Did you set out to address a specific use or suite of the application? Was this a design you’d had in mind for a while?
Ans: The Avenir family was designed in the 1980s as a geometric sans serif with a human touch. Avenir Next is a completely revised version of the original design which has more weight variations, better-drawn letterforms, and typographic features such as small caps and old-style figures. Adrian Frutiger, the original designer of Avenir, and I, also fine-tuned the letterspacing so that the Regular and Medium weights are more suitable for lengthy body text.
Q2: What is the one or two most important things graphic communicators should know about the typeface, or how will the family of fonts help them create better design?
Ans: If your job requires a sans serif type with a clean look, but not sterile, squeaky-clean – like surgical tools under fluorescent light, Avenir Next can be a perfect choice. It’s a geometric sans which retains human warmth. If your message needs to be published in several languages, to reach broader audiences in different countries and do so with the same atmosphere, Avenir Next World will be the font suite that meets the goals.