You can't design without type*.
* Because if you don't use type, it's not really design [1] it's something else. Like Art [2]. So if you're a designer, you should pay close attention to the typefaces you're using. Who knows, your old stand-bys Helvetica or Univers might well be be the best choice. Maybe even the handful of system fonts, or the ones that came with your office software suite might work, if you're going for a "vernacular" or knowingly unsophisticated look. Or maybe you're stuck using a particular corporate typeface (and wishing you had bolder bold or condensed version). But if you want to give your typography a distinctive, novel character you owe it to yourself to investigate other typefaces. In display settings , an interesting typeface can drive the look of the whole piece. Which can really be handy if you're sitting around thinking, "where should I start with this project?" But it's not just display settings. Even subtly distinctive fonts like the one used here can make a strong impression and convey a fresh typographic color in body copy settings. And how about using something new and current? You wouldn't use a photograph or illustration without considering the era or historical connotations of it. So when you use typefaces, you should think about that too.
[1] OK, in industrial design or interior design you can design without type, or at the macro-level, capital-D, world-shaping Design that people like Bruce Mau talk about. But that's not what we're talking about. What I'm saying is that words are an essential part of graphic design, and this so is typography. And sure, there are cases in graphic design where you don't use type. Maybe you specialize in creating universal symbols devoid of text; heavy semiotic stuff. Certain pieces of larger projects don't involve type, but still need a designer's eye. And there are those rare cases where you might have a wordless logo on an ad, or a really distinctive photographic or illustrative style, like those ads with, um, the target-shaped logo or the swashy-shaped one. But consider this: those campaigns aren't recognizable purely through exposure. Their identities had to be built by associating the logos with their respective brand names - using words and type - and after a while they could take the words away while retaining the meaning. So type played a role somewhere in the development of those type-free campaigns. Right? Anyway, I'm sure you'll agree that type is usually an important part of design.
[2]Note the capital "A". I don't mean to imply the graphic design isn't "an art" or that it doesn't involve art, I'm saying it's not art-for-art's-sake Art.