Helvetica
February 3rd, 2008 |
“Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives.”
I watched this documentary by Gary Hustwit a couple of days ago and it immediately set one thing for sure- Helvetica is my new favorite typeface. You know what, shame on you, Microsoft, for taking this clean, efficient, modern (even though it has been around for 50 years) typeface and “editing” it and calling it Ariel.
Helvetica is seen everywhere: the storefront and logo of Urban Outfitters and American Apparel, the lettering on the Space Shuttle, and the interface of iPhone… to name a few.
This film contains interviews with designers such as David Carson, Michael Bierut, Wim Crouwel, Eric Spiekermann and more. That’s icing on the cake for me and made the documentary worth checking out already. Helvetica is complete with examples from every day life, from the previously mentioned logos to signs that read “No Smoking” and “restaurant”.
This 80 minute motion picture is a required watch in my opinion for both, aspiring and seasoned designers.
Happy birthday, Helvetica!
PS- Just for kicks, take the Arial vs. Helvetica test