Before watching the film I had no Idea that Helvetica was used everywhere for everything. One man in the video referred to it as being the “Off white” of typefaces and said that “Its just there”. Its unbelievable how this typeface was created for legibility over 50 years ago and is still so popular today. I wonder how long it will take before Helvetica will cease to exist but my guess is no time soon. It really is a wonderfully constructed font that is clean and very easy on the eyes.
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I loved that comment of it being an “off white” typeface that is “just there.” It’s very true that we don’t even see helvetica anymore because it’s just so common. This film really helped illustrate that typefaces have personalities and thought helvetica is a great typeface, it’s amusing that it’s “personality” is read as so commonplace considering the power it has in our capitalistic world.
I agree, the architecture behind the font is really quite amazing because it’s able to hold its own for more than 50 years, when many typefaces just die off after some time because they’re created for a specific time period. I really liked the comment about it being “off-white” as well—I think there’s something characteristic in Helvetica’s lack of character that makes it so appealing to the masses.
Helvetica is clean and easy to read but I wouldn’t feel comfortable designing a logo for a company with the same typeface that’s used in subways or street signs. If a corporation wants an identity they should choose a typeface that’s not so common and conformist.
I agree that helvetica will be in use for a long time. It is a typeface that is very easy to find use for, and although it is nothing very special and is overused, there is always a place for it.
I also loved the remark about Helvetica being “off white”. It is such a true statement and I’ve began to spot it every where when I never would have seen it stand out before!
I also didn’t realize how often Helvetica was used! I can’t imagine the typeface disappearing in 50 years, because it is so popular. Its readability can’t be beat.
I also wonder if this typeface will ever get tired. I still see people using Times New Roman on school documents all the time, and I have been doing this for school ever since I was in elementary school. So I also doubt that Helvetica will get old either.