Source: archive.org Internet Archive. License: All Rights Reserved.

The photograph on the dust jacket is by Christian Zuber (Bruce Coleman Ltd) and shows a coconut sprouting on a tropical beach.

In 1984, when the BBC first aired the 12-part nature documentary The Living Planet, Collins together with BBC Publications also published a book of the same title. In the preface, David Attenborough explains:

The book was written at the same time as the programmes were being filmed. The one is not, therefore, the direct descendant of the other. Rather the two are cousins, both descended from the same body of research and years of travel.

For the typography, the book’s designers followed the lead of Margaret Perry’s titles and likewise used Ageratum as the titling typeface.

Source: archive.org Internet Archive. License: All Rights Reserved.

Title page

Source: archive.org Internet Archive. License: All Rights Reserved.

Chapter opening with the title in all-caps Ageratum

Source: archive.org Internet Archive. License: All Rights Reserved.

The body text was set in Monophoto Ehrhardt by Jolly & Barber Ltd, Rugby.

Source: archive.org Internet Archive. License: All Rights Reserved.

The Book Club Associates edition features the same basic design for the book jacket, but has all text in yellow, with a black contour.

David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday today. The BBC pays tribute to the great natural historian and broadcaster, and the Guardian has a list of his 100 most spectacular TV moments.

On Fonts In Use, we take a look at the titles for The Living Planet. A Portrait of the Earth. Written and presented by Attenborough, the BBC nature documentary series first aired in 1984.

From Wikipedia:

The sequel to his pioneering Life on Earth, it is a study of the ways in which living organisms, including humans, adapt to their surroundings. Each of the twelve 55-minute episodes (one fewer than his previous series) featured a different environment. The executive producer was Richard Brock and the music was composed by Elizabeth Parker of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Title designer Margaret Perry worked with a typeface that hasn’t come up here before: it’s Ageratum, a serifless roman – or calligraphic sans – with distinct contrast, flared stems, and large x-height. It was issued in the 1970s for phototypesetting by Headliners. I haven’t found out the name of its designer yet. The name of the typeface is, quite fittingly, derived from the natural world: Ageratum is a genus of flowering plants in the Asteraceae family, and better known in the United States as whiteweed.

Magic Canoe is a non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to build solutions to the polycrisis that are locally-driven and draw on deep wells of creativity, natural abundance, and local knowledge.

The identity was designed by Vancouver-based Zak, using IvyOra Display Thin for headlines and IvyOra Text for body text, combined with Futura PT for navigation. The logo is based on Times New Roman.

Poster for the feature documentary Observer directed by Ian Cheney, anchored by the typeface Herbus.

Alphabotanica is an exhibition that blends the Latin alphabet with botany through a series of 26 illustrated drop caps. Illustrator Asile imagined this colorful primer as a botanical abecedary, where each letter corresponds to a specific plant whose name begins with that initial. Every letter gives bloom to a vibrant composition, integrating characters immersed within this generous and lush flora.

The letterforms are based on the Lichen typeface, designed by me, Anton Moglia. This design is inspired by hand-painted lettering and strives to remain faithful to the expressiveness of the gesture and the rhythm of writing. To further the connection between typography, illustration, and botany, I have calligraphed the name of each plant beneath its corresponding letter, acting as a subtitled accompaniment to the artwork.

The exhibition was first presented from February 7 to 28, 2025, at Atome in Annecy. A new edition of the show was later organized from February 27 to April 25, 2026, at La Cordée in Annecy.

Exhibition poster

In 2025, Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP) presented Frans Krajcberg. Reencontrar a árvore / Rediscovering the Tree. The exhibition brought together more than 50 large-scale works, including sculptures, reliefs, engravings, and paintings, that challenge convention. They reflect the artist’s appreciation for Brazilian nature and his commitment to denouncing environmental destruction.

Curated by MASP’s artistic director, Adriano Pedrosa, and assistant curator, Laura Cosendey, the exhibition provided a comprehensive overview of Frans Krajcberg’s work. Krajcberg was born in Kozienice, Poland, in 1921 and died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2017. A pioneer in integrating art and ecology, Krajcberg is known for raising awareness of environmental issues in Brazil. Throughout his career, he conducted artistic research that branched out into themes such as ferns, blooms, reliefs, and shadows. These investigations culminated in works created from vines, roots, remnants of tree trunks, charred wood, and natural pigments. These materials comprise the bulk of his body of work.

The visuals for the exhibition were created by Alles Blau, using Gaya and FT Aktual. The designers comment on the concept for the accompanying publication:

The catalog was designed to carry the weight of the artist’s environmental protest without aestheticizing it.

Krajcberg transformed destruction into sculptural form: charred wood, violated roots, scorched pigment. The design follows that logic. Typography with organic, irregular contours echoes the texture of his work; generous white space and deliberate rhythm between text and image give the material room to breathe – and to press.

The project works within MASP’s established parameters: hardcover, fixed format, a classical approach to texts and reproductions. Within those constraints, the cover’s gradient is extended onto the painted top edge of the book, turning a structural element into a sensory and poetic continuation of the image.

The Feminine Monarchie, or the History of Bees, a 1609 book by Charles Butler, is not only the first book on the science of beekeeping but also brought to public awareness that the bee colony is ruled by a queen rather than a king.

Made as a student project at RISD, this series of ten plates creates a taxonomy that compares the parts of the beehive to societal structures and an anthropology to how communities of bees and people behave. Each plate shows an illustration as a visual representation of the idea, as well as a quote from the book that discusses that specific plates themes.

Size (per plate): 6″×8″

The 20-minute documentary In Search of a Landscape follows visual artist Chrystel Lebas who engages in long-term projects involving photography, sound, and video. Her work documents and reveals changes in nature driven by ecological and anthropological interactions.

Starting from a 1723 map, she explores the territory surrounding the Hofgestüt complex in Bleesern, reflecting on its history, the challenges of preserving the former court stud farm as a monument, and the ambitious renovation project led by the local community. The initiative aims to transform the site into a public hub for nature, agriculture, and culture.

The film was by created by Grupppo in collaboration with the Passage artist-in-residence program and produced by Förderverein Hofgestüt Bleesern e.V. It premiered in Bleesern—where it was filmed—on the occasion of Tag des offenen Denkmals. The film’s title and poster was typeset in HAL Timezone, its subtitles in HAL Timezone Mono, both published by HAL Typefaces. The film can be viewed on Grupppo’s website.

Sun Gardens: Cyanotypes by Anna Atkins uses Mallory designed by Frere-Jones Type alongside Dalton Maag’s King’s Caslon. Authored by Larry J. Schaaf, it is co-published by the New York Public Library, DelMonico Books, and Prestel. It was a winner in the 2018 AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers awards.

From DelMonico Books:

This lavishly illustrated book features the beautiful and scientifically important photographs by Anna Atkins, whose landmark work combined a passion for botany with remarkable creativity and technical skill.

For the “In Our Nature” campaign identity, Real & Good Creative paired Lodgepole with Today Sans Serif to create a typography system rooted in both character and clarity.

Lodgepole, used in the logo, brings an organic, handcrafted warmth that immediately evokes trails, tree lines, and the tactile feel of being outdoors. Its subtle irregularities and nature-inspired forms give the wordmark a grounded sense of place—perfect for a campaign centered on protecting Nova Scotia’s wild landscapes. Lodgepole’s personality helps the brand feel human, inviting, and deeply connected to the land.

To balance that expressive character, Today Sans serves as the supporting font across campaign materials. Its clean, modern, and approachable letterforms offer a sense of trust and accessibility, ensuring that calls to action, impact statements, and storytelling remain clear and legible. Today Sans complements Lodgepole without competing with it—its quiet confidence allows the logo to shine while reinforcing a cohesive visual voice.

Together, the combination of Lodgepole and Today Sans creates a brand system that feels rooted in nature, contemporary in execution, and emotionally resonant. The typography invites people to connect with nature, feel part of the conservation movement, and see themselves in the shared responsibility of protecting the lands we love.

The Future Simulator is an immersive installation allowing visitors to make decisions on climate-related topics and experience the consequences for humanity.

It is part of the permanent exhibition Klima. Wissen. Handeln! (“Climate. Knowledge. Action!”) at Vienna Museum of Science and Technology, which explores the consequences of climate change as well as our collective capacity to act.

Designed by Stefan Kainbacher and his team together with Studio Freude, the installation combines interactive storytelling, motion tracking and sound to visualize possible futures. The motion design is by Tobias Müller of MDMR.

Scope is used throughout the installation in animated and interactive ways, while the title/logo features a modified version of the typeface.

Albra Book from Ultra Kuhl is used together with Messapia Bold and Coconat Bold Extended by Collletttivo in They That Do’s identity for Seedfolk, inspired by vintage botanicals and vegetable wood carvings. With an earthy look for the home startup, the studio set out to connect people with the colourful joys of growing their own. The website additionally uses Grilli Type’s GT Walsheim.

From Ellis Tree’s article for It’s Nice That:

Inspired by the shift in a desire to be outdoors and connecting with nature in the tough and isolating times of national lockdowns, Seedfolk was born out of a moment when many had time to slow down and reflect on the smaller things – in Gemma’s case this was growing veggies in her own back garden. The seed subscription and grow club started from Gemma’s own family’s journey with gardening and her desire to share this joy with others. “I thought this was a wonderful story and ultimately it's where the name came from – folk coming together to grow from the humble seed”, shares Vincent.

For more than two years, 29 passionate photographers from the Society for Nature Photography went on the road for the illustrated book Wilde Elbe. They followed the river from its source – located at 1386 meters in the Czech part of the Giant Mountains – through the rugged Elbe Sandstone Mountains and wide glacial valleys to its mouth in the Wadden Sea. The resulting publication by Knesebeck is a unique portrait of the river, its landscapes and biotopes.

The 200-page photo book was designed by the Munich design office of Schmid/Widmaier, which has been working for brands, companies, museums and publishers since 2001. The team was enthusiastic from the start: “The book shows the last wild and remote places around the Elbe. The pictures sometimes make you think that you are somewhere in another, distant country.”

Of course, the impressive nature photos are first and foremost the focus of this book. It was, therefore, all the more important that the headlines and captions came into a harmonious balance with them. They are set in the Regular, Bold and ExtraBold weights of West, which was published in 2021 by Fontwerk (designed by Daniel Perraudin). Thanks to their lightness, West’s subtle typographic accents do not push themselves into the foreground. Instead, they interweave with the photographs to form a harmonious flow. The body text is set in SangBleu Republic by Swiss Typefaces.

From designer Sarah Salomé Delétain (translated from the French):

Layout and graphic design of the 31st issue of Graphisme en France – Futur Souhaitable, dedicated to the environmental responsibility of graphic design. With contributions from Roxane Jubert, Florence Cortat Roller, Nolwenn Maudet and Marc van Wageningen, who share their reflections, projects, and research to enrich practices and collectively address these issues.

Published since 1994 by the Centre National des Arts Plastiques, Graphisme en France is a journal aimed at graphic designers, commissioners, and students. Printed in 10,000 copies by Art et Caractère in Lavaur (Tarn), it is distributed free of charge throughout the French cultural network and available on request at graphisme@cnap.fr.

The text typeface is Ploquine (Emma Marichal, TypeTogether), supported by Seabirds (Rosalie Wagner, 205TF) and Caramel (Hugo Lopez, X Cicéro), all released in 2024. The negative initials on the cover and the bookmark are from Floréal. This all-caps typeface was originally created by visual artist and graphic designer Jocelyn Cottencin in 2004 for a wall drawing that is now part of the Frac Bretagne collection.

When a typeface called Woodland is used for the guidebook and visual identity of a forest (the New Forest is a national park), I believe that might qualify for an instance of LTypI. That said, I think the type works very well, and the illustrations that accompany Woodland in the branding add great character. According to Wikipedia:

The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, featuring in the Domesday Book.

Albra Book from Ultra Kuhl and Radion by General Type Studio are used in The Slow Road – The Complete Guide to Van Life in New Zealand, written by Kirianna and Lachlan Poole. The book is a comprehensive guide for travelers exploring New Zealand by van, combining practical tips, itineraries, and first-hand stories.

From the designer, Megan van Staden:

I used a combination of modern seventies fonts to give the book a retro and nostalgic feel.

Lesní Klub Jasánek is a farm-based kindergarten where children grow and thrive in harmony with the rhythms of nature. Showcases include logo design, website design, open-day banner and poster: eye-catching, child-friendly designs inviting families to visit and experience community in person.

Zilok Roams Yosemite is a children’s book written by Lee Peglow and PJ McCabe, and illustrated by Jamie Kwok Sitt. It tells the story of an alien stranded in Yosemite National Park. From the illustrator’s website:

After an unexpected crash-landing in Yosemite, Zilok needs to climb to the top of Half Dome to send a signal home. Along the way he receives some help from the incredible creatures of the forest!

The cover combines Pigeon Post for the title with Fictional for the author and illustrator credits. For the book’s interior text and the back cover, P22 Mackinac is used.

A project about the link between nature, memory and collective identity in the rural landscape of Fusignano, Italy, where monumental trees become living symbols of the history of the area. These giganti verdi (“green giants”) impose themselves as resilient presences, guardians of the environmental and cultural value of the place.

We took care of the entire visual communication of the project, from the creative concept, to the communication visual with the aim of translating into images and words the narrative power of this landscape.

With great attention to detail and a gentle blend of natural elements, Nordic vibes, and warmth, Harzverbunden has created a truly special place of well-being with Waldquartier. If you're longing for unique experiences that give you a sense of freedom, vitality, and self-determination, you’ll find exactly that in the ten holiday apartments.

The chosen typefaces—Karla for body text and Brice for headings—perfectly complement the identity of Waldquartier.

Karla, a grotesque sans-serif with a humanist touch, provides clarity and readability while maintaining a soft, friendly tone. Its subtle curves and balanced proportions evoke a sense of simplicity and calmness, making it ideal for conveying warmth and approachability in longer texts—just like the cozy, grounded atmosphere of the forest retreat.

Brice, on the other hand, adds a bold, character-rich contrast. With its distinctive, slightly quirky details and robust presence, it captures the individuality and expressive spirit of Harzverbunden. Brice’s confident yet organic design lends visual strength to headlines, evoking the raw textures and untamed beauty of the Harz region—making it a fitting typographic voice for a brand rooted in nature and self-exploration.

The logo uses all-caps Vinyl.

The script font is Sweet Apricot.

The room numbers on the key fobs are in Footlight.