Michael Bierut says :

For the first ten years of my career, I worked for Massimo Vignelli, a designer who is legendary for using a very limited number of typefaces. Between 1980 and 1990, most of my projects were set in five fonts: Helvetica (naturally), Futura, Garamond No. 3, Century Expanded, and, of course, Bodoni. {…}

{…} Why spend hours choosing between Bembo, Sabon and Garamond No. 3 every time you needed a Venetian Roman? For most people — my mom, for instance — these were distinctions without differences. Why not just commit to Garamond No. 3 and never think about it again? My Catholic school education must have well prepared me for this kind of moral clarity. I accepted it gratefully. {…}

{…} Those thousands of typefaces are still out there, but my recovery has required that I become more discriminating and come up with some answers to this seemingly simple question: why choose a particular typeface? Here are thirteen reasons. {…}

1. Because it works.

2. Because you like its history.

3. Because you like its name.

4. Because of who designed it.

5. Because it was there.

6. Because they made you.

7. Because it reminds you of something.

8. Because it’s beautiful.

9. Because it’s ugly.

10. Because it’s boring.

11. Because it’s special.

12. Because you believe in it.

13. Because you can’t not.

Design Observer