Helvetica (2007)

Director/Producer: Gary Hustwit Is it "informational" or "promotional"? support your argument. I think its an informational documentary designed to provide a historical account of one of the most ubiquitous typefaces in modern existence and its transition from print font to screen font. Its so neutral that people probably dont notice it, but they definitely recognize it as familiar, and as one person in the movie notes, would miss it if it were gone. Typeface design is complex and often difficult, and this documentary informs the audience about that design experience. It also provides food for thought how simplicity can be at the same time so complex to create. Who is the primary audience it aimed at? Those who take an interest in design, but perhaps have not considered typeface or font as a design medium, and the implications made by selecting one typeface over another, as well as the medium in which the text appears, or as a medium in and of itself. It additionally brings in a level of politics that one typically would not associate with typeface design, which adds to the narrative for those who are just looking for an interesting documentary. What is the relevance of it to specic areas/topics of our course? A font such as Helvetica wont get in the way of your message, but will make it legible so that you can focus on different aspects of the designs. Helvetica is neutral, so the meaning is in the content of the text, not the typeface itself. Its open to interpretation. Font designed within grids tool for creating order. Computers dont make design better, but the process faster. Helvetica is equally focused on the positive shape and the negative space between the letters. Each character commands its own space. Its the figure-ground relationship properly executed. Typography itself it can be design, and can be the message, presented as an illustration. According to the lm, how does type affects our lives? Type shouldnt be expressive, but simple and legible. Rational typeface that will universally get a point across. Typography is a tool for creating order. Others think that typographys power to be expressive should be utilized, and a font like Helvetica has almost become a clich in holding no inherent meaning. Will you use Helvetica for your future graphic projects? (optional) Ive used it for web projects before, but it is often unavailable on programs Im using, but I always like how it looks.