Every designer has a favorite typeface. More than a vehicle to transport words onto a page, a typeface can express taste, style, opinion, and attitude. The typeface a designer uses - and how he has manipulated it - reveals the personality and aesthetic of the designer himself. First designed by Herb Lubalin as a logo, not a typeface, Avant Garde has had a tumultous history. Once a representation of innovation and singularity, its popularity in the 1970s has given it a distinctly retro connotation in modern times. Its complex ligatures, particularly the distinctive dramatically-slanted A, are a challenge for any designer to master.