a half century of helvetica

Film production in 2007 this included a documentary film genre, which tells the story of a professional field and specific knowledge - Graphic Design, Typography more specific. Permissibility Gary Hustwit as the director and producer, is the ability to make the movie "only" about a typeface, Helvetica, but it can be interesting. Film duration 1 hour 20 minutes was made to commemorate 50 years of the birth of Helvetica. The director made this film based on a sense of wonder Hustwit, why a letter is used so popular, despite being half a century old (www.helveticafilm.com). Editing is done in this movie very well so as to repel the audience boredom. Similarly, a very dynamic musical illustrations, combined with the editing scene scenery Helvetica letters in the city everyday.
After reaching half-century age of Helvetica, the font type is still constantly used for various purposes in all parts of the world. Ranging from architectural sign systems, highway signs, until logoype, and more. Helvetica film contains a variety of designer opinions about Helvetica. They for instance, Massimo Vignelli (New York), Rick Poynor, Wim Crouwel (Amsterdam), Erik Spiekermann (Berlin), Stefan Sagmeister (New York), Neville Brody (London), David Carson (Portland), Erwin Brinkers, Danny van den Dungen (Amsterdam), Michael C. Place (London), Manuel Krebs and Dimitri Bruni (Zurich), and others. Their opinion divided between designers who enjoyed and designers who are not fond of Helvetica
The difference of two points of view tersebutlah designers displayed with attractive by Hustwit. The existence of typeface Helvetica is like air or gravity of the earth who - consciously or not - always manifest everywhere. The birth and development of Helvetica occurs, when the world had just ravaged by World War II. At that time the international community atmosphere is positive and optimistic attitude on the future of modernization, technology and democracy. Designers tend to look for other forms of 'good' is not the nature agitative (Dormer: p. 74). This letter was born in 1957 and designed by Max Miedinger Edouard Hoffman, and published by a company letter type (typefoundry) Switzerland, Haas. Helvetica was originally born by using the name Haas Grotesque / New Haas Grotesque.But after being published in Germany by the company seal and Linotype in 1961 its name was changed to Helvetica (Livingstone and Livingstone: 1992: 98). This name is used to avoid name Helvetia - another name for Switzerland. This name change simply because of considerations of commercial value - to be easily accepted by the global community. Design letter Helvetica sans serif font based on well-known previously as well, Aksidenz Grotesque made in 1898. Then at the Bauhaus era, designer Herbert Bayer created the letter of the Universal (1925). Then in 1927, Paul Renner Futura create letters, called Danton Sihombing as sans serif font of the most influential in the 20th century (SIH 2001: 54). Sans serif lettering above is a manifestation of modern culture is simple and objective.
Helvetica is the font type that describes the powerful attitude of modernism when factors function to produce high clarity and legibility. A good font should be clear, legible, and easily understood. That is why in drafting letters, a designer like Crouwel for example, uses the grid system to create order. Meaning is only conceived by the words, rather than the form letter itself. In other words, the letter must be neutral. A font does not require the nature and expressive forms. A fonts only require a high degree of legibility. If want to express something more meaningful or emotional, just use Helvetica bold, Helvetica or black.
Helvetica is still popular because it is a good letter shapes, Helvetica is the font that is not oppressive. The use of Helvetica letters for the benefit of the United States administration, for example, imposing a modern public administration, reliable and acceptable (accessible) and not oppressive - at least looks that way.
As the world entered the decade of 60-70s, local identities in different parts of the world community increasingly received attention and recognition of its existence. This happens for many reasons, such as modern technology defeat the United States in the Vietnam war. Other things such as multinational corporations with an incentive to find the global marketing of local identities that are difficult to penetrate. Modernism with its functionalism began to question its worth. When design just looked at purely from the point of community life functions and ahistorical attitude, then the result is a boring uniformity. Helvetica as a representation of modernism in typography began to question its existence. Some graphic designers think Helvetica is boring, not expressive and communicative. Even ideologically Helvetica, as a key element in the design of corporate image of multinational corporations, was criticized as a supporter of the Vietnam War and the Iraq war - his war American multinational corporations. David Carson for example, distinguish between legibility with communication. Helvetica has a high legibility, but he is not very communicative.

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