Helvetica is very well known typeface that I had never heard of till about a week ago. Then I got an e-mail followed by an announcement, asking for graphic design students to attend the showing at the DCA. That day was however my birthday and I felt a tad resentful at the thought of this on my birthday but soon told myself to get over it that is life after all. So after making the decision I paid my £3 pounds and put down my name thinking I would be educated in some shape or form yet I was not sure how.
Sitting there I was thinking about what would be said and personally didn't think that much could be said about a font, I was right. The film was interesting but I thought it contained a few over baring opinions. Now I feel over educated in those opinions of it from the film. My main confusion was the point in it. To some of those featured it just seemed like a place to vent the hatred for the blanned simplistic of Helvetica. For others it seemed like a way to worship Max Miedinger for his timeless design. There seem to be no conclusive decision by the end. The designer felt their own way about Helvetica at the start and all felt the same by the end.
The history of how graphic design developed was enjoyable, the order and crisp deigns that came straight after Helvetica was born to the rebels after that period determined not to use the plane Jane option. That stood out to me, I know I would have rebelled if I were there; I would do anything to be different from what everyone else had done and how they had done it. The idea of an individual still amuses me, and all these design were running so far from what appeared to make them blanned, boring and uncreative that it was what eventually united them again. These individual creative minds were all avoiding Helvetica so as to be original but coming up with the same messy designs. It was like that for my friend and myself at school, "moshers", "Goths" and "punks" all dressing to be different yet all dressing to fit in with each other to not be the normal boring kid and so as not to not fit in everywhere.
There is a reason good things repeat themselves like Helvetica it is because it seems to be a good thing, all though I only feel completely indifferent towards it I do feel now more aware. At first I felt disgust at it's over use and the corrupt aside of it, yet the ironic idea of using it out of content. I have found myself glancing around and not really being able to see much else. It is like a comfort zone almost, it is just Helvetica that doesn't need to tell you anything other than what is written. It might not fit but at the same time it doesn't clash. looking around to this boring but this simple and clean font I still just see what I am suppose to, a sign and a point of being readable from a distance and making the point that it doesn't need to be that fancy new times roman or Georgia. Although it is a blank canvas and completely boring, it does do what fonts are suppose to do. Communicates in the simplest way possible, though shapes that with other shapes together make sense.
I am not sure if I will use it part of right now seems to think the commercial side of the font has indeed put me off that idea and the other part makes me think it would be like a double bluff and if used correctly could be quiet clever. All I know is it is staying and I am still completely in different.
