Design for Life

I was always very aware of the opening credits of television programmes. Before I was old enough to follow the plots and appreciate the programmes themselves, I was still able to enjoy the title sequences, some of which were cooler and more exciting than the programmes they preceded. They did more than entertain: they gave me an appreciation of graphic design long before I knew that such a phenomenon existed, and they introduced me to some of the 1960s’ most striking and iconic typefonts. I was always a sucker for packaging. Anything that came in a cool box, with a good logo was always intriguing, even if the products weren’t aimed at children. I loved all examples of what we now call petrolania – the signage one saw at petrol stations – and would also marvel at the colourful boxes one saw on trips to the supermarket. Fonts were what really drew me in, and I had a particular affinity for all the modern sans serif variants, some of which were appearing in public for the first time. In t