It's tough, I get it. We have a faltering economy across the globe and no one is immune, not even IKEA. Any cost savings is worthy of consideration. Still, IKEA is a design focussed company. Good design has always been one of, if not chief among, their primary goals. It's hard to see them compromise something so central to their identity and brand.

Compromise is never easy for any company. In this economy, it's all about trade-offs.

While most will fervently disagree with me, I actually think Ikea's decision to switch to Verdana is one that *is* in line with their identity and brand. Their brand is about being affordable, practical and efficient - isn't Verdana all of those things?

It will be interesting to see if Ikea reverts back to Futura. My guess is they won't.

Moral of this story, brands are built on consistency. If you change something, there better be a damn good reason. In my opinion, Ikea has one.