How could I forget?
The website, found here explains the foundation of one of the world's most commonly used and exquisitely simple fonts: Helvetica was developed by Max Miedinger with Edüard Hoffmann in 1957 for the Haas Type Foundry in Münchenstein, Switzerland. In the late 1950s, the European design world saw a revival of older sans-serif typefaces such as the German face Akzidenz Grotesk. Haas' director Hoffmann commissioned Miedinger, a former employee and freelance designer, to draw an updated sans-serif typeface to add to their line. The result was called Neue Haas Grotesk, but its name was later changed to Helvetica, derived from Helvetia, the Latin name for Switzerland, when Haas' German parent companies Stempel and Linotype began marketing the font internationally in 1961.
Introduced amidst a wave of popularity of Swiss design, and fueled by advertising agencies selling this new design style to their clients, Helvetica quickly appeared in corporate logos, signage for transportation systems, fine art prints, and myriad other uses worldwide. Inclusion of the font in home computer systems such as the Apple Macintosh in 1984 only further cemented its ubiquity.
While I truly understand the mundane boredom that follows suit when looking into the background of a simple font that you may use just for your homework assignment, or maybe not even at all, it becomes exponentially more interesting when you look around your everyday existence and realize that it is everywhere you look. Helvetica has become a hotly debated topic amongst designers: to use this sans-serif font, or leave it benched on the sidelines? It's simple, it's easily read but it may not inspire. The font was created to be relatable, easy to read and understand; somewhat unlike the cursive fonts and squiggly lines that comprise many other types.
Personally, I love helvetica. Hell, I'll use it for my wedding invitations if need be. Just to prove a point....
The trailer for the film can be found here.
(I know it's nerdy, but it'll at least explain a little bit why I find this remotely interesting....)
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