Finally a movie for graphic designers: Helvetica
Friday’s Creative Review for Successful Graphic Designers
Helvetica was created in 1957 in Münchenstein, Switzerland. Created by Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann at the Haas’sche Schriftgiesserei (or, the Haas type foundry) this sans-serif font was created to compete with the popular Akzidenz-Grotesk in the Swiss market.
As an homage for its 50th anniversary, (Helvetica turned 50 in 2007), director by Gary Hustwit made a movie/documentary about it. Yes, about the typeface! And it’s 80 minutes long.
I didn’t know what to expect when I bought the DVD a couple of months ago. I thought I might be bored watching the movie. It’s about 80 minutes and, honestly, I couldn’t figure out how they would have so much to say about Helvetica.
Turns out, there’s A LOT to say about Helvetica!
Helvetica solicits very strong feelings among typophiles. Designers and typographers either absolutely love it or totally hate it. This film examines both sides of that coin. And it got pretty heated and lively at times!
The film goes through the regular historical stuff about the typeface, shows us where it was created and the original drafts of the typeface. It then goes on to show us the everyday uses of it. I never really paid much attention to it, but when they showed us the uses, I was amazed!
Guaranteed you’ll look at Helvetica differently after watching this movie. I know I do.
What I loved about the movie
I loved the way it was shot. I really liked the way it was broken up and kept moving along by alternating between interviews and the common uses of the typeface.
“Helvetica” is comprised of conversations between director Gary Hustwit and leading graphic designers and typographers. It includes the likes of: Wim Crouwel, Erik Spiekermann, Matthew Carter, Michael Bierut, Hermann Zapf, Neville Brody, Stefan Sagmeister, David Carson, Paula Scher, Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones, Lars Müller, Stefan Sagmeister, Michael C. Place of Build, Otmar Hoefer, Neville Brody, Danny van den Dungen, Manuel Krebs and Dimitri Bruni, Leslie Savan, and the greats Hermann Zapf, Massimo Vignelli.
Then between the interviews, he shows Helvetica in action. You’ll see it on store signs, street signs, posters, subways & buses ads and signs, government forms, instructional signs, newspapers, ads, and much, much more.
He literally travelled the globe: London, Zürich, Amsterdam, New York, Berlin (and the Berlin Wall), Frankfurt (with Manfred Schulz), and where it all began the former Haas Type Foundry in Münchenstein, Switzerland.
In this movie, Gary Hustwit goes beyond the mere use of Helvetica in design. He delves into the psychology of advertising, marketing, the urban, and historial implications of Helvetica.
You’ll see exactly why some hail Helvetica as a wonderful neutral typeface that can be molded into expressing whatever you want it to. While others think it’s been overused, a “safe” choice, and is the easy way out.
T A K E A W A Y S :
One major takeaway is that I never understood how a typeface can be described as neutral, as Helvetica often has. Now, I do.
Helvetica can really take on any role: you can make it look any way you want it to. It can appear modern and clean, more severe and boxy, or straightforward and practical. What decides this is the content of your message and then choosing the correct weight, kerning, face, and size of the font.
Definitely worth seeing.
Related posts:
