I am a graphic and web designer by trade. This warrants a certain level of knowledge regarding typefaces and typography. I have been an admirer and collector of unique fonts for years, long before I even considered becoming a designer (although in retrospect it was one of the first signs of my future calling). In particular, I became interested in type because of one character: the ampersand.
Shirt.Woot shirt design with ampersands
I recently found a lovely article that discusses the origins of the ampersand and its use in modern culture. Ampersands are the evolution of the roman ligature for the word “et” (or “and”). You can still see the letters “e” and “t” in some modern rendering, but it occasionally gets lost in the designers more abstract ambitions. As a designer ampersands are a fantastic tool to create really fun and interesting designs. I personally fell in love with them because of how truly unique they are to each typeface. Like snowflakes, no two are exactly the same.
Modern culture also seems to be quite taken with them. Sites like The Ampersand, are dedicated entirely to finding new and interesting uses and designs. Additionally, its association has branched out to more than just the design world because of its significance and usage in programming languages as well as texting on phones. So really, the Ampersand is for everyone’s enjoyment; they’re fun to look at, fun to draw, and all around practical little characters.