Typography 2024: Matthew Butterick on the Campaign Websites Thus Far

Matthew Butterick:

Even more confusing is the quadrennial hand-wringing about so-called “spoiler candidates”, a pejoration that keeps slouching toward normalized use, sort of like “frivolous lawsuit”. Let’s keep the blame for “spoiling” any election where it be longs — with the people who voted.

Largely, however, I think these theories are promoted by political journalists as a means of protecting their own hoary narratives of presidential politics. Here’s mine: It’s chaotic. It’s weird. Nobody knows anything. Thus, evaluating the candidates through the design & typography of their campaign websites is as valid a method as any. If you think otherwise, you’re a typographic spoiler.

Nothing inspiring in the whole bunch.

The best campaign branding I’ve seen in a long time was PA Senator John Fetterman’s last year. A distinctive color scheme, and typography that matched his personal image.

★ Wednesday, 21 June 2023