Hells-no-vetica!

I'm aware the title for this post is not witty.
I just try too hard.


Visual Characteristics
- simple
- linear
- legible
- square, brick-like (SOLID)
- bold, light, narrow --> adaptable


Helvetica:
- derived from need to rebuild, be democratic
- experimentation
- broken down, rationalized
- Swiss Design --> international design style
- “presents visual representations of modern world to the public in an understandable, intelligent way


Yay Helvetica!
(I couldn't understand what these people were saying, so I have no idea who said these things)
- easy to read
- simple
- grid-like
- “used to create order – creating order is typography”
- able to be integrated into many different media forms with logic/stylistic understanding
- communicates many different things at once
- “the meaning is in the words, not in the typeface”
* conveys messages without creating its own


Nay Helvetica!
- over-used, redundant
- “it was used for the Vietnam War, so if you use Helvetica you must support the Vietnam War” --> ideas attached to typeface that transcend new branding
- “typography can have personality”  Helvetica has none (OBURN!)
- “horrible slickness … wanted to produce something with vitality”
- “do not read me, because I will bore the shit out of you” (Stefan Sagmeister) -->“trying to look good limits my life”
- “designers wanted to express their feelings through their designs”


Yay or Nay?
Totally YAY! Although I’m an individual who values diversity, uniqueness and colour as a way of life, when it comes to fonts and presenting information I am EXTREME HARDCORE into things that are simplistic and easy to access visually/conceptually. Helvetica is a tried and true method of relaying information, due to the fact that it’s clean, clear and under control, and on TOP of that, you can easily adjust it to suit your needs – you can tamper with its boring insides while keeping its skeleton in tact. (I don’t actually know if that makes sense, but I’m pretty sure it does, so we’ll go with it). Within its own boring-ness and simplicity, it becomes unique, for what other font is so easily adaptable and translatable to a wide range of brands?


kiiiiiiiiirbalicious.