I watched Helvetica the movie many years ago, not when it first came out, but maybe when it was free on Netflix, lol. My family is big into font as my parents were graphic designers, i.e. some of the originals with draft boards and print blocks. Things were different back then, font wasn't as available as a download in Photoshop.
The typeface is everything and when someone starts to see it in everything then things change. The ordinary viewer is not as attuned to say a one-page ad in a magazine or newspaper as a graphic designer is. The educated viewer sees the intricacy of the font type and grid design.
What did you learn about the design process? Some people/designers do not think that type should be expressive. Some fonts can say everything and some designers think that Helvetica is that font that can say everything.
What did you learn about typography? Typography is cultural and time period-based. Helvetica is rational and legible, it is a dependable type of font. Some designers prefer clarity, while others prefer dramatic emotion with their fonts.
How do you see type design and/or graphic design affecting your life? I think this may be a problem now. I find myself in the grocery store line analyzing the front of magazine designs and even milk cartons. Ugh!
Did the film change your view about graphic design? It provided insight, but it has not changed my view. Helvetica provides an accessible, transparent style. IRS and the EPA use Helvetica for their clean and precise appearance. From a corporate perspective, this makes so much sense, even though my style tends to be more artsy and I know what I am supposed to do I don't always want to, Helvetica forces clarity on the message.
Which designer's theories about type can you most closely relate? Stephan Sagmeister - fear and disappointment with modernism, "the overall message that I receive is that do not read me because I will bore the sh**t out of you".Yes, I agree with this.
Do you see Helvetica as " a conceptual breakthrough" or as a lowest-common-denominator typeface whose use both reflects and perpetuates conformity"?Helvetica is a confirming type of font. I respect it, but I don't prefer it.
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