Helvetica: A Review by Priya Kumar Feb. 16, 2013 Whats black, white, and read all over?

The ubiquitous font Helvetica. Gary Hustwits documentary of the same name introduces viewers to the fonts history and explores the opinions ranging from obsequious to disdainful that graphic designers profess for the font. Though the film opens primarily with positive views of the font, it serves to educate viewers on the impact of typography, Helvetica in particular, more than promote Helveticas use. Even if [people are] not consciously aware of the typeface theyre reading, theyll certainly be affected by it, says type designer Tobias FrereJones. A designer choosing typeface is essentially a casting director. Many love Helveticas clean, modern look. For me, Helvetica is just this beautiful timeless thing. And certain things shouldnt be messed with. says designer Michael C. Place. Others bemoan its prodigious use. Most people who use Helvetica use it because its ubiquitous, remarks typographer Erik Spiekermann. Its like going to McDonalds instead of thinking about food. Because its there. Its on every street corner so lets eat crap because its on the corner. Interludes between interview segments display examples of the ever-present font: storefronts, street signs, corporate brands, posters, fliers, billboards, even spraypainted labels on pavement sport Helvetica. Viewers with no typography or graphic design experience immediately recognize the font, which makes the documentary accessible to those unfamiliar with design principles. The film offers students of graphic design an entry into the thought process of type selection. While the term graphic design initially calls to mind visual concepts such as color, image, and layout, graphic designers rarely create products without text. Typeface is as much a part of visual communication as these other components. The proliferation of fonts and the ease of changing them within a document can paralyze a budding designer. Some fonts (like Herculanum) evoke an immediate response and are easy to apply (though doing so may reveal a designers inexperience.) The characteristics of type white space between letters, positive and negative space in letters, letters heights, curves, and ratios, the individuality or sameness of letters, the rhythm and flow of letters when they become words all subtly influence the message. Corporations and government agencies want to look accessible, accountable, and transparent, says journalist Leslie Savan, so they use Helvetica. But such sterility quashes creativity and reduces the power of the message, explain graphic designers David Carson and Paula Scher. Carson points to words printed in Helvetica. That doesnt say caffeinatedits just sitting there. Theres nothing caffeinated about it, he laughs. After the movie, I examined my name in several fonts. The exercise attuned me to the subtle nuances that separate fonts: a heavier curve around the a or cutting off the r at an angle compared to straight up. I typically use serif fonts, but I do prefer Helvetica to other sans-serif fonts. I will likely use the less-common Helvetica Light to differentiate my work. Helvetica premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2007, the fiftieth anniversary of the font.