Stuffed Toy.-EJ

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.

paper fetish

I HATE MORNINGS!!

1. My alarm ring at 8:27am making the most obnoxious tweeting sound.

2. Lie in bed debating whether or not I should get up and turn it off.
3. Without even opening my eyes, I drag myself out of bed and hit my alarm clock to turn it off.
4. Turn around and go back to bed and throw the covers over my head.
5. Fall back to sleep for another 5 minutes that feels like half an hour until I hear my mom call my name.
6. I know she’ll get mad if I don’t get up, so I pull myself out of bed.
7. I saunter to the washroom and turn on the lights to a low dim. Still too early to have bright lights shining.
8. Open the top drawer and pull out Crest Complete toothpaste and then grab my toothbrush.
9. Run my toothbrush under lukewarm water and then squeeze toothpaste on tooth bristles.
10. Brush my teeth for two minutes. 30 seconds for each side.
11. Rinse. Floss. Rinse.
12. Put the cap back on the toothpaste and push all the toothpaste to the end.
13. Put everything back in its place and go in my washroom downstairs so my family can have the upstairs washroom.
14. Pull back hair and wash face.
15. Shake eyeliner and put a thin line on top and bottom of each eye.
16. Go upstairs to my bedroom and pick out an outfit and put it on.
17. Go past the washroom and bang on the door telling my brother to get out of the shower.
18. Go back downstairs to my washroom and put on one spray of perfume.
19. Run back upstairs, pour a bowl of cereal for my brother and then add milk.
20. Yell at him to hurry up and then he yells something back. (Not usually the nicest things.)
21. Put my coat on with a pairs of matching shoes/boots.
22. Call shotgun, go out to the car and wait.
23. Honk the horn.
24. Brother gets in the backseat and hits me on the head.
25. And then we drive off, already late for school.

And that’s why I hate mornings...


-LE

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Helvetica

Helvetica

1. Describe Helvetica – what are some core visual characteristics of the font?

Helvetica is simple, straight edged and efficient.

2. Provide a brief history of the typeface. What was so different about Helvetica from other typefaces?

Helvetica was designed in 1957 by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann in Munchenstein, Switzerland. Originally the font was named Neue Haas Grotesk but was later changed to appeal to an international market in 1961 to its current title.

3. Choose one of the people in the film, who supported helvetica, explain his/her argument.

Michael Bierut believed that everything, typeface wise, was crap before Helvetica. He compares the beginning of Helvetica to someone walking through the desert with sand caked in their mouth and then being offered a cool glass of water; “the feeling would have been fantastic”. He believed Helvetica to be simple, crisp and concise.

4. Choose one of the people in the film who dislikes helvetica, explain his/her argument
Erik Spiekerman in a sense loathed Helvetica, he believes that it has no rhythm and is less legible then an individual’s handwriting. He even went as far as to say, “Most people who use Helvetica, use it because it’s ubiquitous. It’s like going to McDonald’s instead of thinking about food. Beacause it’s there, it’s on every street corner, so let’s eat crap because it’s on the corner”.

5. Having just watched an entire documentary devoted to a single typeface, what is your position on Helvetica? Explain.

Before the movie I had never really thought about the use of Helvetica, now it seems like its everywhere. I definatly appreciate typefaces more and especially Helvetica.

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KTMAC's Assignments

Newspaper Issue 1 (instead of Helvetica Questions)
Newspaper Issue 2 (instead of Illustrator Doll)
Concept Backdrop (instead of viking logo)
Stencilization
Stencilization
Paper Fetish

Viking Logo - by JS

 

W.C.I. Vikings!!

I didn't know if I should put "W.C.I" on him or not...