Helvetica Questions

Watch the documentary Helvetica and answer the following questions in full sentences (20 marks)

1.


Describe Helvetica – what are some core visual characteristics of the font?

The font is a very simple font balancing itself between positive and negative space. The shapes are all dependent on another. Ex, the lower-cased letter ‘p’ is the same as ‘q’ ‘b’ and ‘d’ only flipped and turned. The Font gives a very neutral feeling for the audience.

2.


Provide a brief history of the typeface. What was so different about Helvetica from other typefaces?

Helvetica was developed in 1957 by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann in Münchenstein, Switzerland. This font was created primary for use in the advertising industry. The design gives characters more of square appearance combining straight lines with simple and uniform curves.

3.


Choose one of the people in the film who supported Helvetica, explain his/her argument.

Ye ol’ folks featured in the film supported Helvetica for many reasons. The simplicity of the font makes it very durable. It is very simple to read and can be used anywhere. The font is also non-bias. It does not give any false impressions about certain ideas.

4.


Choose one of the people in the film who dislikes Helvetica, explain his/her argument.

Peter Carson mentioned not to mix legibility with communication. He doesn’t like the font because you can read it, but because the way the words are shaped. A different message can be conveyed, depending on the type of font used.

5.


Having just watched an entire documentary devoted to a single typeface, what is your position on Helvetica? Explain.

Helvetica is a font that people either like, or not. I personally like Helvetica because it is such a general font. It provides a great balance. The world needs a general font and I think that this font has what it needs. It is simple, but it gets a neutral message across without demonstrating a bit of bias.