Dan Mousseau - Helvetica Questions

HELVETICA QUESTIONS

Dan Mousseau

            Helvetica is a font that is, as you can see, quite plain and neutral. Despite this fact, or possibly because of it, Helvetica is one of the most widely used typefaces in North America. Helvetica is a clear typeface that was considered by most designers as the typeface of the modern world due to its wide variety of uses and clear, intelligible design. Helvetica was created in 1957 by Max Miedinger with Edüard Hoffmann in the Haas Type Foundry in Münchenstein, Switzerland. At the time graphic designers had a sense of “social responsibility” to find a typeface that truly embodied their nation after the war; almost as a symbol of moving on into a new era. It was then that Helvetica was created and widely adopted by graphic designers all over the world. This was due to the fact that the majority of graphic designers saw Helvetica as a rational typeface that could be used anywhere that was neutral enough to allow the content of the text speak for itself. An example of someone who supports Helvetica is Wim Crouwell. He believes that Helvetica is a sign of the advancement of technology and, as mentioned before, Helvetica does not “betray a meaning” of the text that the text itself does not imply. Unlike other more eccentric typefaces, Helvetica is for the text to fill.  However, not everyone loves Helvetica; in fact there were several examples of people who hate Helvetica in the video, “Helvetica”. Although I can’t remember her name at the moment, one seemingly hippy-ish, older woman was quite against Helvetica for a classic protesting reason because she saw Helvetica, due to its wide use by corporations across North America, as a representation of “the man”. She claimed that Helvetica was the type face that represented the Vietnam War and the War on Terrorism. Personally, I don’t think that the Hippy Lady was being entirely reasonable or serious due to the fact that she was laughing as she said it. My view on Helvetica is a particularly neutral one due to the fact that most of the documentary went over my head. This could have been because of the day I was having, my mood, who knows. But in all seriousness, I agree with those who enjoyed Helvetica because its neutrality allows the content of the image to speak for itself. However, I also find myself siding with those who believed that a type face should echo the content of the text in its own individuality or characteristics. Therefore, my stance on the subject is that I don’t overtly like the typeface but I don’t outwardly hate it; we co-exist relatively peacefully and I’m more than satisfied with that.