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Helventica

Helvetica

I thought the movie was very informing, before I was not very aware of the history of typefaces or how it had been influenced/created. This movie moved throughout history by interviewing graphic designer and art directors from the time and their experience and lastly how this functioning art evolved.

Wim Crouwel had this to say about Helvetica “The meaning is in the content of the text and not in the typeface, and that is why we loved Helvetica very much.” This is a modern, clean, clear, legible typestyle. Making it the perfect neutral typeface to use within the commercial business. This typeface was created on a grid by Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann in 1957 in Switzerland.

image by Wim Crouwel                          Wim Crouwel

By this typeface becoming so popular and becoming the norm for the typeface in the word it had influenced graphic artist and art directors to start looking at words in a different way to provide and alternative looking typefaces. This begins a movement of artist like David Carson experimenting with design. David Carson was quoted in this movie. “Don’t confuse legality with communication just because something is legible doesn’t mean it communicates and, more important doesn’t mean it communicates the right thing” which I think perfectly describes his work. His work has a message more important then the message trying to convey within the words, he adds the emotion to the words by altering these things placement, spaces, portion, and weight.

David Carson                                        image by: David Carson

This movie also goes in-depth about Erik Spiekermann who created typefaces that used words to communicate a message in a less “grunge”/abstract style. In fact it looked more personal as he describes in this quote “A real typeface needs rhythm, needs contrast, it comes from handwriting, and that’s why I can read you’re handwriting, you can read mine” His work look like hand writing with little creative thing to give it definition of style.

Erik Spiekermann                  images by: Erik Spiekermann