Oh, Helvetica.

Helvetica Film Reaction

 In class, we watched the film Helvetica which explores the proliferation of one typeface, Helvetica, since the 1950s to recent times through the eyes of many renowned designers and major urban cities such as New York. It was very interesting seeing how much one typeface has impacted design. I never realized how frequently the Helvetica font is used – it is literally everywhere from the NYC Subway map to street signs and literally around every corner. The designers that were interviewed can be split up into two main groups: Modernists and Post-Modernists. The Modernists were very stern on the use and effectiveness of Helvetica, while the Post-Modernists opposed it in the most passionate ways.

Massimo Vignelli was one of the Modernist interviewees in the film. He was an Italian designer who worked in many areas of design such as furniture design, showroom design, package design, and public signage. His designs were very minimal and used a very narrow range of typefaces. In the film he made a reference of type to music, in which he was trying to explain how perfectly formatted Helvetica was. He said that type isn't about the letter forms but about the negative space surrounding them, just like music isn't about the notes but the spaces between them that actually make the music what it is. Vignelli was an extremely successful designer and went on to found a design firm in New York City which came to be known as one of the largest design firms in the world. Some of his most notable works were the design of the New York City Subway system, the American Airlines logo, Bloomingdale's logo, and even IBM. Below are some examples of his work.



Paula Scher, a grpahic designer from the US was one of the Post-Modernists who were interviewed in the film. She was more concerned about the aesthetic of design rather than structure. You can tell she was much more of a risk-taker and likes to think outside the box, compared with the modernists.
 She enjoyed making text expressive in her work and using movement as a design technique to create a visually interesting piece. Below are some examples of her work.

Modernism vs. Post-Modernism

 My next project is to design two posters: One inspired by Modernist design with a Modernist quote and the other inspired by Post-Modernist design with a Post-Modern quote.

For my modernism poster I chose to use a quote from designer Massimo Vignelle. Vignelli lived by the saying, "If you can design one thing, you can design anything." This was very apparent because he had completed such a wide range of designs in different areas. I chose to use this quote for my Modernist poster because I agree strongly with it. Not to sound cheesy but, anything is possible with hard work and creativity. The best way to describe modernism design is very structured (strict use of grid), black & white, sans serif fonts such as helvetica, not much movement.

For my post-modernism poster I am using a quote from Chip Kidd. The best way to describe Post-Modernism is a rebellion on Modernism. Post-Modernism embodies craziness, and color, and is much more whitty than Modernism. It uses many Japanese art styles, Pop Art, layers, and eclecticism. Chip Kidd is the perfect example of a Post-Modern designer. His work is playful and fun, and he is a very successful designer. I chose to use his quote "Nothing worth knowing can ever be taught in a classroom." for my Post-Modern poster. I have always believed in this because you truly learn things when you are out in the real world and have no other choice but to do them, not by sitting at a desk being told what is right and wrong, and black or white. My poster will combine many Post-Modern ideals to create a fun, and eclectic poster that sends a message of independence and rebellion.


Poster 1 – Modernism

As stated before, I am using Massimo Vignelli's quote, "If you can design one thing, you can design anything." for this poster. I drew my inspiration from his design of the NYC Subway System and I used two different color schemes – Red & Black which is typical of Modernist design and CMYK which can be seen in the NYC Subway maps and also became very popular during Modernist time period. I also incorporated geometric shapes into my poster because that was used very often in Modernist design as well. I am a very Black & white person, so I am definitely leaning more towards that poster.

Poster 2 - Post-Modernism

I am using the quote "Nothing worth knowing can ever be taught in a classroom" by Chip Kidd for my Post-Modernist poster. I wanted to incorporate Marilyn Monroe into my poster because images were often used in Post-Modern art and topped with and surrounded by layers of elements and other designs. I am going for a rebellious and eclectic vibe with my poster and I hope it conveys that.

Thanks for reading,
Brittany Rendon
www.behance.net/brittanyjade
Bjrendon31@gmail.com