Helvetica

Ok, so since we watched this film, I have not been able to stop noticing the Helvetica type face. I had no idea how influential something as simple as a font could be. It made me wonder how many other things that I glaze over without paying enough attention to, or what other small things influence me without my direct knowledge.

As far as the film goes, I found it interesting. But in my opinion, it was a bit choppy and disjointed. Even though it was able the Helvetica font, a brief history on fonts and their influence in general would have been a bit more helpful in creating a larger cultural fabric to understand the huge influence of this new hip font.

To be perfectly honest, I don't love the Helvetica font. I think its great for certain things. The film helped me realize that yes, it is a comforting font for certain things like federal wording and signage, and sure, in the Subway I do feel like I know where I'm going after looking at the signs. But my personal opinion is that this supposed "sleek and new" font is almost lacking in personality. And maybe the modernity of it is a personality in itself, but I don't think it is the answer to "all things advertising".

The store American Apparel uses Helvetica as their font. Which I find interesting. The whole idea behind this store is to be unique and individualistic which is ironic because they sell an idea of mix-and-match fashion in a one-stop-shop store. For a store that desires to be one-of-a-kind and full of self-expression, they certainly use a plain type fact to express their brand. One could argue that because Helvetica is sleek and "classic" in its design, it appeals to all users and customers. Personally, I feel like a store that sells neon latex capris pants and tube socks may want to change things up a little.

Why do most designers think that this font is the end all be all?