Helvetica

I'm currently watching a movie from the 99 cents rentals on iTunes from my iPad. It's a documentary called Helvetica and it consists of interviews with typographers and designers responding to the immense impact this neutral font has had on the modern world. An hour into the film I decided to pause and have a look around and I thought: oh my. Helvetica is EVERYWHERE. 

Literally everywhere. 

Almost every brand uses this typeface - from American Apparel to Lufthansa. 

After being convinced of this font's superpowers I headed straight to this blog to give it a Helvetica Makeover. I settled with keeping Trebuchet for my body but I wanted to change the post title to Helvetica but unfortunately it wasn't an option, so I had to use Arial. It's the closest.

But. It's. Still. Not. Helvetica!

It's amazing how the smallest things, ones we take for granted can have such power and influence with the way we think, perceive and respond to things. 

In one of my elective courses in university, we touched on the topic of typography and I wish there was a whole course built around it. I love to write which means I love words. I love design too and if you combine the two, you get the art of typography - a possible career path!

But seriously though I'm starting to really appreciate and love typography. 

And I've decided Helvetica will now be my life partner.

P.S. One of the people interviewed in the film (a designer, forgot his name) said that a designer's job was to fight ugliness. I laughed out loud when he said that, what a funny way of putting it, but yet oh so true. He also talks something about 'visual diseases' that's sweeping the world - reminds me of one of Andre Leon Talley's remark about the 'famine of beauty'. 

P.P.S. I highly recommend the film and if you live in Australia, I think it's still available as a 99 cent rental in iTunes until next Tuesday, so take advantage of it!

Image Credits: Helvetica Poster, American Apparel, Lufthansa