Airbnb's new typeface
I liken this to a hotel that decides to make their own lightbulbs. Or a department store that produces it&#x27;s own bespoke cash registers.<p>You can&#x27;t argue that typography is so vital to their business that this is a useful allocation of resources. Obviously, design is important to any company that markets itself in some way. But not every company designs their own typeface (although it seems like it, lately.)<p>Some are saying it&#x27;s important for AirBnB to have their own distinct look, and that requires a custom typeface. BS. Plenty of successful companies managed to create a distinct brand identity using helvetica.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;99designs.com&#x2F;blog&#x2F;creative-inspiration&#x2F;famous-logos-made-with-helvetica&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;99designs.com&#x2F;blog&#x2F;creative-inspiration&#x2F;famous-logos...</a><p>Some are saying it&#x27;s cheaper to make your own typeface than to license one. Really? There are no cheaper typefaces that look suitable? (I&#x27;m not saying this is impossible. I&#x27;m genuinely curious. Is that how bad it is?)<p>We have open source typography. Are none of those fonts suitable for their purpose? Can any of them be improved by the designers at AirBnB? That sounds like it would be cheaper than starting from scratch.<p>I care about beautiful typography as much as the next web designer &#x2F; marketer &#x2F; start up-whatever. But I also know how a business runs. And this seems like something the business should not focus on. Tell me I&#x27;m wrong.