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Helvetica - Typography Film

  • Typography - space between and within characters makes it - Swiss pay more attention to this.
  • One opinion: type should be expressive - one point of view e.g. when they type 'dog' it should bark.
  • Helvetica = modern - 1957
  • Post war 1950s - idealism among designers, design was part of the need to rebuild - run more smoothly - early experiments of modernism driven by Swiss designers - rational typefaces.
  • Clarity - clear, readable, straightforward - grids - creating order.
  • Computer speeds up design, doesn't make it better.
  • Helvetica is neutral - no meaning - meaning in content of type/image, not in the typeface.
  • Serif vs san-serif, heavy vs light, thick vs thin contrast.
  • Reading something is critical in how you view a typeface.
  • Die neue Haas grotesk = original name for Helvetica. Was then changed to the Latin word for Switzerland and then changed to Helvetica which sounded similar so it could get into American market.
  • Instantly took off. 
  • Linotype owns Helvetica.
  • Smoothness of letters make them feel almost human - accessible, accountable and transparent.
  • Invites open interpretation.
  • Typefaces are a brand - brand loyalty like that of users to Apple.
  • Typefaces make things recognisable.
  • Perfect balance of push and pull in letters - contained.
  • Don't notice it but would miss it if it wasn't there.
  • Typography can have personality - convey mood/feeling.
  • 70s - psychedelic type.
  • 80s - postmodernism - using lots of typefaces - against helvetica.
  • Just because something is legible doesn't mean it communicates - dingbats can communicate.
  • Simple, clean and powerful vs Simple, clean and boring.
  • 90 - return to Helvetica with new theories. 

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