Wednesday, March 13, 2013




After watching “Helvetica” it made me realize really just how much text surrounds me on a day to day basis. I never even realized that all of these companies logos and signs use Helvetica but since watching the film it has brought to my attention that Helvetica is literally everywhere. It also made me realize that people probably never really think about how much thought goes into choosing a text design. Every little details is considered such as, space between letters, the negative space, or the shaes inside the letters, they all matter. The man in the first scene talks about AmericanAirlines and how they are the only airline that has not changed their text or logo in forty years and he claims it’s because they are already the best because they use Helvetica. Helvetica is a standard, neutral text that is used for many different things because it offers clarity and legibility to the viewer. The shapes within characters and the negative spaces between all matter and play a large role in keeping the text legible, neutral, and smooth. Helvetica leaves an open interpretation for the viewer which makes it more accessible to the viewer. One man in the film states “the way something is presented defines the way you react to it,” and I could not agree more; text really does impact the viewer and stirs emotions. Towards the end of the film it shows many new artists and graphic designers thought Helvetica was boring they were more experimental with text and type face texts. These designers were looking for something new; they didn’t know what they just knew they didn’t like Helvetica. Then there is some artist who put their own twist on Helvetica to give it their own uniqueness while still keeping the original font as a guide. Regardless of these new typefaces or new designers Helvetica is an original text that is still and will always be used globally.

No comments:

Post a Comment