ELEGANT WORDSTYPE JOURNAL2012

HELVETICAby Gary Hustwit

Helvetica is one of the most recognizable typefaces today with many varying opinions on it’s use as well as the typeface’s advantages and disadvantages. Throughout watching the film Helvetica by Gary Hustwit, we were introduced to many typographers and designers in the industry and how they think Helvetica should be used or even if it should be used at all. More then any other typeface, Helvetica proves to be one of the most controversial with opinions at radically different spectrums. There are many advantages and disadvantages to Helvetica. Starting with the advantages, the typeface is timeless, neutral, smooth, and generally good for everything. Because it is a very neutral font choice, the meaning of the typography must be in the context of the text and not in the typeface. It is a very legible design and that is why Helvetica is widely used on road and street signs. Helvetica’s broad use is also one of its disadvantages. It is so widely used by everyone and with everything, that Helvetica no longer stands out. According to many designers it has lost all capacity to look as nice because of how much it’s been overused.

Helvetica is legible, but because of its neutrality, it does not help nor hinder in communicating text. For the most part it is just simply there like air, it is average and doesn’t help in displaying creative or innovative typography. Graphic designers have a great responsibility in todays world in designing what we see each day. It is important in conveying ideas and giving products or services a specific feel to them. It has to be clear and serve a purpose. Type can make or break a product in how people conceive that product and company. It is the graphic designers responsibility to be conscious and aware of how it effects the people everyday. This documentary has made me think more of how important type should be in design. It is not something that should be forgotten, and is something to be considered in communicating ideas and making something pleasing for those that look at it. My opinion on the typeface of Helvetica has changed a bit. Even though it is way overused by everyone, I like it’s neutrality and can make anything look professional and legible.

The documentary Doyald Young, Logotype Designer, inspires, teaches, and entertains through the history of an extraordinary typographer. Doyald Young is an inspiring man who has designed many logotypes and fonts, has published books, won awards, and has been teaching new designers his skills of the trade. From his interviews and friends opinions on him, he is a very kind, gentle man which being a good person is a critical part of being a good designer. The majority of his work is simple, yet complex in its construction as Doyald shows what all goes into writing a letter. Emphasis on weight, size, and definition are critical in designing even the simplest letters. He has a very beneficial way of teaching his students one on one to ensure they learn the most they can from him. He “builds the rules” of typography through his exploration and dedication in the ways of designing type. Young teaches through this documentary in the elements of logo design. I found it interesting with his top and bottom example that we only perceive the top half of a word and can even read it if the word was missing the lower half, but not the other way around. He says multiple times throughout the documentary that one of the most important things in typography is legibility. The logotype has to be easily read to be successful. Young has taught me about the sheer amount of typefaces and ways in designing type. Doyald inspires in his emphasis of the variations of writing a letter. After watching the film, I have become more aware of type. Each letter can come in hundreds of variations from very noticeable ones, to the slightest change in serif. His simplicity in design is also inspiring in showing that less if more in typography and that you have to sometimes try things over and over again until the type is satisfying to you. Doyald Young is revolutionary designer and critical asset in the world of typography.

Doyald YoungLogotype Designer

There are many elements that make up a good design. It is important in design to emphasize not only beauty, but also functionality, clarity, and efficiency. Good Design In The Digital Age talks about

the misconception that design is only about the styling to the visual appearance of products. It is much more then that. Design is about conveying an idea or a product visually to effectively draw in consumers, promote the product, and give it a style to give the brand, product, or idea a feel. My response to these readings and artists is a new understanding on what design should be. That it is so much more then just visually impressive packaging. Which that is an element, but not the only one. It is even more important to have a concept and idea to effectively design things to appeal to its audience. Legibility, clarity, and elegance are all crucial to good design. For design to work, it has to be engaging to the public. People need to desire the product or idea from seeing the design. The concept of design and context of the object its designing should correlate to one another. They should play off one another instead of being separated into the visual styling and then the idea of a product. Consumers choose a product or relate to an idea because they desire to use it or have an engaging response from how it is presented. It is good design work that streamlines this process into getting consumers to believe in that

GOOD DESIGN

Margo Chase is very inspiring in her work in lettering and type. She says how there is not just one way to do things and that there are many techniques to lettering. She carries sketch-books with her wherever she goes to handwrite letters whenever she has the inspi-ration. There is never one process to inspiration, but many different ways to solving the problems you can be faced with. For Margo Chase, ev-erything starts from drawing in her sketches her inspirations and ideas that later get progressed into the final prod-ucts for the clients. When she started there were no com-puters so for hand lettering she used croquill pens and other calligraphy tools. Now after hand drawing the letterforms, she scans it into illustrator and goes over it again on the com-puter.

You have to gradually open the eyes of the client sometimes in order to convince them a bigger change is necessary more then what they think or want for their company. They use psychographic maps to know their clients and the brand

to develop the personas of the design for the branding. They make a specific person with a name and a personality to create packaging and let-tering that is right for the brand and the consumers that use the brand. Use an emotional color target to create visual boards and commu- nicate the de-signs clearly. This is going to help designers differentiate the brand while appealing to their customers. This

process is important so the de-signer doesn’t just make some-thing that appeals to them, but rather a design that appeals to the client and the brand. It should be read easily from a distance, typi-cally multifunctional, and a key thing for a design to be ownable. The logo should be an ownable design that is custom that no one else can copy to create an identity for the brand.

MARGO

CHASE

STICKS ANDSTONES

The article Sticks and Stones mainly spoke to me in the last paragraph. I learned a better under- standing of what type should be and that if something looks cool, it won’t look cool for very long. That the inclusion of numbers into letters is atrocious, and most importantly that if pictures can speak louder then words, then words speak volumes. That typography can help you react to certain words whether they are big and loud or small and quiet. It can help you understand or feel a certain way faster, but won’t actually help resolve conflicts or do much other then evoke emotion or feeling. To learn your ABC’s. Words are just ideas waiting to be read. They should benefit the content they are trying to enhance or portray. The documentary with Marian Bantjes was interesting. She was a free spirit and was going to do what she wanted to do for the job, not what the client necessarily thinks is best. She is independent in that fact and very personal in her dealing with clients and projects. She puts herself into the projects she takes on giving them a certain depth and feel to them. I think this is important in art in general, you produce the best works when it is personal and important to you. Marian has a creative mind and doesn’t believe she should be hindered by others or even what the client wants. Instead making graphic design very personal to her and her work.

KIT HINRICHS

Kit Hinrichs was very inspiring in this documentary / interview. He talked about being aware of typography but not fully under-standing it as art just yet. He then began to learn about what makes typography art such as leading, kerning, size, and font choice. Kit says how important it was to his career being bom-barded with all of the great ex-amples of typographical art from the great designers of the world. It is important to be exposed to good type in order to make good type. Hinrichs uses faces a lot to communicate stories. He tries to use them all in unique fresh new ways. It is important for him to not repeat things, he does not like the redundancy that can occur in dealing with telling stories through faces.

STEFAN G. BUCHERStefan G. Bucher had some of the most inspiring work to me. His illustration style and attention to typography and detail produced work that I really responded to. He talks about using print as a vital skill and instrument for designers. He says stum-bling sometimes is the only way to get things done. He pushes the boundaries of printing and typecraft. Stefan started at a young age drawing and printing christmas cards. He loved having the physical product in his hand because then it became real. The jobs that he does he would rather it be challenging and push what he can do then be easy. He always thinks there is more he can learn and push his skills.

Vinyl record labelsLocation: record shelfI was exploring the typography used on the circular labels of the records. They were all for the most part sans serif typefaces with fairly small font size.

Album coversLocation: Record shelfI was exploring the typography and covers of albums. Specifically from before the 1970’s. It is interesting to see the similarities and differences in com-parison to album covers today.

Criterion Blu Ray MoviesLocation: film shelfI always thought that Criterion makes the best packaging when it comes to film releases. They are always very stylized with good imagery and typography.

Shooter video game sequelsLocation: media drawer

I found it interesting the similarities of all these video games. From content to

packaging, and even that all five were sequel shooters. 4 out of the 5 dealing

with space / alternate futures.

Clothing logos / typeLocation: closetWith these I was viewing the differences in type for each variety of clothing. Some apealed to a more modern hip crowd such as TOMS, while others were sporty, or more skateboarding and punk culture like with Vans and Obey.

SportsLocation: closetI decided to explore typography within sports. I went through the typefaces in sports jerseys, t shirts, and equipment. There was nothing particularly special or creative. Almost all of the type can be changed for any team / sport / equipment, since they are all quite universal.

Air FreshenersLocation: Bathroom cabinetI was looking into Air fresheners and sprays. All of them had a similar design and type choices to make the product seem fresh. I tried to get a variety of brands and shapes of air freshners to see if there was any dif-ference, but there was not.

ShoesLocation: closetI was looking at the different typography on shoes and in shoe soles. I tried to choose a variety of types and brands of shoes to see what each one was doing.

Film discsLocation: Movie shelfHere I was exploring the disc art on some of the films from the director David Fincher. The most interesting one to me was the art for the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. It was written in sharpie on a DVR disc.