Helvetica

-
In todays lecture we got the chance to broaden our knowledge on Helvetica history and the Helvetica font. We watched a documentary produced and directed by Gary Hustwitt. Helvetica in my opinion is interesting as a concept not juts a typeface - it represents post modernism to its fullest and is everywhere in todays society. If I ever am unsure on what font or type to use the easiest and safest choice is to choose Helvetica. The film explores its popularity due to its 50th birthday in 2007. The film also ties in with how much we take this type for granted in the modern world. The movie has won several awards.  


Whilst watching the film we had to fill in a sheet to fully enable us to interact with what has been said. The sheet asked for a brief question or concept, why does this interest me personally, and any other notes. 



Key Ideas from the documentary on Helvetica: 
  • Massimo Vignelli believes that type should not be expressive - 'dog' can be written in many different typefaces but the definition comes from the actual work not the type. He further explains that there are only really two or three typefaces that actually are effective - simplistic fonts are better. I personally love simplicity within design. Helvetica emerges in 1957 that is instantly imprinted into corporate identity. This is a shared interest of mine - I have used helvetica in my own work to document information in a simplistic way
  • Helvetica is heavily used in government advertising as well because of its clean looking aesthetic and its efficient use. American Apparel, and American Airlines are two big companies who use the font but both brands have different identity and association. I love the branding of American Apparel and how its simple and elegant can attract such a cultural audience that it does. The idea is that the audience shouldn't be aware of the typeface at all, but the simplistic nature of the brand. Subconsciously everyone is effected by it  - the less convincing the most effective. 
Overall I was very hooked at the film; I found it very interesting and inspiring that such as simplistic feature can have such an impact in an evolving post-modern society. I will continue to use helvetica in my work. 

Popular posts from this blog

Bauhaus; Form Follows Function

-
Image
https://d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net/?resize_to=width&src=https%3A%2F%2Fartsy-media-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2FgNXQ3GM5L9A1RLKt7oJ9jQ%252F4682696561_d851e8af0a_o.jpg&width=1100&quality=95 In this recent lecture we looked into Bauhaus, its historical relevance, the alumni it created as well as the Bauhaus Movement and how this has been one of the most significant inspirations in design.  Bauhaus was a experimental art school, located in Germany that mainly was created to challenge questions such as the city of the future and how design influences society. The school is influential for its modern take on art; any design nowadays that involves clean aesthetics, modern features or function following form will have originated within the walls of the Bauhaus School of Art. The Bauhaus was also noted for allowing creative disciplines that expressed feelings, emotions or ideas and anything prior to the Bauhaus t...
Read more

Semiotics: Christmas Advertising

-
Image
In this seminar we looked at how semiotics were also used within Advertisements. This was one of my favourite seminars; I love looking and analysing pieces of art and I've never really thought about the effectiveness of semiotics within advertising and especially Christmas adverts as they have become a sort of trend nowadays; the best way to sell a shop at christmas in todays market place is to have a very effective, most times emotional and relatable, Christmas Advertisement. Christmas Adverts really have become their on genre with intentional festive messages that are so relatable and emotive. When looking at the different adverts we were asked to question the following;  What techniques are used?  Meaning?  Signs?  Relationship/Meaning? Which are the most effective?  John Lewis Christmas Advert 2016 - #BusterTheBoxer Relatable: putting up presents on Christm...
Read more

Kinetic Typography 2: Z-Space

-
Image
In this workshop we learned  about 3D space - exploring depth and the z-axis in after effects.  C himamanda Ngozi Adichie's Speech used in Beyonce's World tour Prior to the workshop we were asked to prepare a text, quote, or song lyric to work with which we would then move, rotate and manipulate with Z-Space using After Effects. I chose to use C himamanda Ngozi Adichie's motivational speech about feminism - it has been a hit globally, with thousands of hits on Youtube and even an appearance on Beyonce's 2013 Album. The speech talks about women rights and the role of women in todays society so I believe it is a strong and powerful message to use within my work.  I inputted each word by word and decided to move past the recommended 10 second video so that the audience can really get a full grasp of the quote and the full nature of my intention which was to manipulate the words to what...
Read more