Designers in Turkey are working in an environment where the overall design awareness is not in bad shape but type awareness is still widely missing. It’s as if the eyes of people are blind to type. Examples abound in vernacular and professional design, ranging from shop signs to political party posters to TV network logos. As Turkish designers, we have the disadvantage of being born and having lived in a malnourishing environment – a product of history and tradition.
But there is hope. We observe positive changes everywhere; in newspapers, branding or signage. The closed circle of people interested in typography in Turkey has started to expand. As Fevkalade we’re trying to be part of the transformation with our work, doing our best not to compromise good typography, sometimes defending it against our customers’ wishes. Despite the downsides, we find this room for improvement, this humble challenge to establish a decent visual environment very exciting.
Keywords: Turkey, design professionals, vernacular, awareness, clients.
