Oh Hel(vetica)

Where to start? How about not quite the beginning? A few months ago, I attended a lecture at SVA given by Gary Hustwit, the director of the documentary film: Helvetica. I wanted to see the film for quite sometime and I wish I had seen it before I heard him speak. I would have appreciated the lecture that much more.

But first let me begin with the same forward apology I did when talking about street art. I am not a graphic designer and I never studied type. So there. But even at my level of appreciation, there is a lot to say about Helvetica. Barely scratching the surface here.

Anyhoo, I have since seen the film and cannot recommend it enough because for one reason...

“The film looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives.” (Go here for more)





According to the doc, “The aim of the new design was to create a neutral typeface that had great clarity, no intrinsic meaning in its form.” It was meant to allow the words to house the meaning rather than the typeface making a statement.






However, there are definitely occasions when the font can and should overtake the words.












Go to callmequell for a quick history of Helvetica and a nice POV. The writer also links to a 2006 NYT article written by Douglas Coupland who points out:

"I think the most common set-decorating error in films these days can be reduced to one word: Helvetica. I’ll be watching a World War I drama, and there at a train station in the background is a sign saying ”Ypres” in 200-point Helvetica Bold. Movie over — at least for me. Once I see Helvetica in any pre-1957 movie, all I can think is that the art director was so clueless he either used Helvetica in a historical drama, or hired someone stupid enough to do so, and never double-checked the work."

Hee!



From my friend, LM (a very big deal in the world of print):

“Though I’m sure a lot of designers may consider Helvetica to be a cop out and pretty vanilla, I think of it as a fail-safe. When I don’t have time to explore different typefaces I can always count on Helvetica. It’s almost always appropriate because it’s incredibly versatile. It’s very chameleon-like. Depending on the setting and use it can look timeless and sophisticated (say, in a museum). Or it can seem very basic & utilitarian (subway signage). Or fun and friendly. Helvetica in black all caps (serious) has a very different feel than in orange upper & lowercase (playful). Tight or wide letter spacing can also change it’s personality. Plus it comes in a huge range of weights and styles; from black to ultra thin to oblique, etc...

A lot of faces have only one personality. For example Trajan looks reserved and classic. You just can’t make it look otherwise.

Typefaces come & go. Some are incredibly popular for a while then fizzle out. Look at Tiffany and Cooper Black, two typefaces that were very popular in the 70s, but they’re both so distinctive that you can rarely use them today without seeming retro. Whereas Helvetica just keeps going...and going...and going.... throughout the decades.”


I also love that the font elicits reactions from people who otherwise wouldn't be concerned with such things.

For a while Helvetica was the default font in the email systems of many corporations. Fine with me. But I noticed that as people were able to personalize their messages, quite a few of them (mostly outside of the creative services departments) rebelled and chose another type face to show that they




thought about type,







had a creative spirit and




















were rebellious enough to reject the corporate font.




They were (perhaps unbeknownst to them) participating in the anti-Helvetica movement. Most of them chose Arial or Verdana. Which both seem to be slightly derivative of Helvetica. (now is the time to remember that I did not study type)


Maybe we all choose a type that we feel reflects us in the same way we choose what we wear.

Helvetica Neue has been my font for, oh let’s see, maybe 15+ years. To me it is Helvetica Refined. Oh yeah and I am all that. Hee!