I watched a
documentary last night about the history of Helvetica font. I know. Sounds riveting, right? Well, it actually was pretty interesting. Of course it talked about the basics - who originally came up with the font, where and when it originated, etc. But it also talked about how ubiquitously used Helvetica is and offered up some possibilities as to why that is. Did you know that Helvetica font is the official typeface of Target, American Airlines, Crate and Barrel, The New York City Transit Authority, The Chicago Transit Authority, Microsoft, Jeep, Panasonic, AT&T, most major airports, Sears, Gap, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Tupperware, and 3M just to name a few?
Here is what some graphic designers have to say about Helvetica:
- "Helvetica's message is this: you are going to get to your destination on time; your plane will not crash; your money is safe in our vault; we will not break the package; the paperwork has been filled in; everything is going to be OK."
- "It has a modern attitude which lines up with the aesthetic premises of the 1950s and 60s. Helvetica is a corporate typeface, but on the other hand it's the favorite of hairdressers and sandwich shops. It is the butter on the bread."
While there are many people who love Helvetica, there are also many who don't. Just do a google search and you will find hundreds of online forums devoted to pointing out why Helvetica will ultimately lead to the destruction of the world as we know it. Graphic designer and typographer Neville Brody states "When people choose Helvetica they want to fit in and look normal. They use Helvetica because they want to be a member of the efficiency club. They want to be a member of modernism. They want to be a member of no personality. It also says bland, unadventurous, unambitious."
The bottom line is that I like this documentary and I like Helvetica font. It made me consider something that I see everyday, but rarely ever think about. You can watch a clip of it
here. If nothing else, go to the site so you can take a
personality quiz that tells you what font you are. Me? I was Helvetica, of course.
Rob went to Cincinnati this weekend and while he was there, he went to our old church. On the way home, he called me and told me that I just had to listen to the pod cast of the message. So I did. After Harper went to bed last night, I sat on the floor in my living room and had my heart ripped out and my face rocked off (all in a good way). If you want something to think about, click here. You can also find it on Vineyard Westside's podcasts on iTunes. It's long, but worth it. Make the time to listen. 
