The type house with the best name in the world is Dalton Maag. Really, just look at it. Then do devil horns and bellow “Dalton MAAG!” in your best growl.
Anyway, Bruno Maag has an article up (original in PDF only) in which he calmly makes a few points about the interrelationship of typefaces, legibility, “branding” (how one shirks from that word), and accessibility:
The [London 2012] Olympic designers, architects and engineers should consult typographers about every application of type at the Games. We’re not just talking about leaflets: Signage in the Olympic Village and beyond, all printed material, electronic displays in transport stations, stadiums, Web sites, the numbers on the backs of athletes all will need careful consideration. And all of it should look as if it comes from the same mould to provide a clear visual unity.
Such a variety of applications will require a reasonably large font family. It won’t be any good for the lead design agency simply to look through a few type catalogues and point their finger at a typeface, most likely some sansserif…. Personally, I find that this infatuation with sansserifs is wrong anyway. At Dalton Maag, we have recently designed a slabserif for a street signage project…. Equally important is its appearance for on-screen media. Again, the lead design agency and the organising committee will have to take professional advice. The suppliers of the various electronic display boards to be built will have to be educated on the merits of type. If the message still doesn’t get through, they may have to be reminded of the Disability Discrimination Act, which stipulates that design now has to be accessible by everyone. […]
London 2012 could be a leader in promoting accessible and sustainable design. […] Good design is not only about looking good – it is also about being functional.