Helvetica & Univers
01.22.2009
I recently watched Gary Hustwit's documentary about the typeface Helvetica, a clean sans serif type. Most people at least have heard of Helvetica and some know it so well they claim love. Throughout the documentary ... most of the celebrity graphic and type designers interviewed praised Helvetica in every way imaginable ... it's perfect, it's simple, it's universal, it's this and that. Only a few brave souls dared to say a cross word about the typeface while all the others held a sort of religious respect for it ... almost giving Helvetica divine infallibility.
What surprised me, and now inspires me to write, is that the history of why Helvetica became so popular was skated right over. Yes, it's everywhere we look now ... on signs, ads, brands, all over the web, it's vogue.
The cart shouldn't come before the horse. Helvetica was designed by Max Miedinger in 1957 and It could be argued that the success of Helvetica could be largely based on the marketing money put behind it by Haas’sche Schriftgiesserei, the Swiss Type Foundry that commissioned Miedinger. It's popularity is directly tied to it's availability for both designers and printers in Europe and later universally. Abode really sealed the availability of Helvetica by incorporating it as a postscript typeface in most computers. People like coke because it's heavily marketed and readily available ... not because it's the perfect soda.
Helvetica wasn't chosen by designers but for designers by those selling it as a product. Adrian Frutiger designed the Univers typeface years before Helvetica was released. Univers was released by Deberny & Peignot which had very little ability to financially compete with the Helvetica marketing machine. Frutiger released 21 faces in the year before Miedinger released one version of Helvetica.
The idea that Helvetica is the authentic late 1950's typographic wonder is highly debated. Some love both Univers and Helvetica or choose a side and stand firm. I respect Adrian Frutiger immensely for his ability and contributions to design and typography. I felt the documentary missed the origins of Helvetica's fame and totally ignored the significant Univers vs. Helvetica debate. A few designer friends of mine had never heard of Univers ... sad.
I consider myself an open-minded designer and choose type based on a few fundamental things: 1. What does the project need to communicate? 2. What typefaces do I own or can I afford to purchase for the project? 3. After I've considered A&B - I decide using my instinct. What accomplishes the goal of the project best. I try to avoid typographic habits and consistently consider type as each project dictates.
If I had to pick a side I would, without doubt, pick Univers as the superior typeface. It looks great in body text whereas Helvetica isn't balanced as well. Although, I use Helvetica when I feel it suits the need. The heading of this blog is set in Helvetica while the top nav is all Vectora, another beautiful Frutiger typeface.
If nothing at all, every designer should try Univers and quit running autopilot with Helvetica ... there is a difference.
COMMENTS
Kenstattant wrote: Television design is the process of creating <a href=http://www.outoftheboxgroupinc.com/>film and video production</a><a href=http://www.outoftheboxgroupinc.com/>television production studio</a><a href=http://www.outoftheboxgroupinc.com/>television advertising</a><a href=http://www.outoftheboxgroupinc.com/>television show production</a>
visual aids to enhance television programme. It is also the art of organizing or arranging certain elements that are related to design to communicate an idea. These elements have to be in conformity with the design principles, and they include lines, forms, colours, textures, tones, space that create images as symbols, illustrations, pictures, etc.
<a href=http://www.debtcounsellinginfo.com>debt help</a>
In television production, design comprises of television graphics, television set or scenic design, costume and make-up. Visual design is what makes the television industries to function effectively. The aesthetic arrangement of things in the television is what draws audiences' attention, appeals to them and generates interest and relaxes their mind. Since pictures give clarity of message in television, and create convictions in the minds of viewers, it is expected that producers do their best to synchronize the audio and visual in a proper manner before transmission. The agreement of audio and visuals for communication purposes in television is also an act of design.
<a href=http://www.nationalrelief.com>debt relief</a>
<a href=http://www.debtconsolidation.com>debt consolidation</a>
A good or effective design should be simple, bold, aesthetic in value and functional. The purpose of every television design is to entertain, inform, educate, stimulate and make the product (programme) unique. Television design is made to interest the viewer and to allow him derive fun in watching the programme. It must also be able to inform the viewer on the subject matter, educate him as well as playing the role of enhancing the subject matter to the understanding of the viewer. A design should not be irritating and confusing to the viewer.
http://tehotenstviaz.cz/forum/profile.php?id=365
http://shlingao.com/bbs/profile.php?id=106195
http://www.b-athletics.com/forum/profile.php?id=3381
http://www.hunt-team.ru/profile.php?id=163037
http://cortinaclubthailand.org/forum/profile.php?id=4533
http://infosrevenusenligne.webege.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=17014#p17014 Result: used self-learning system data; chosen nickname "ExpoxoriaEsok"; profile edited; logged in; success;
http://forum.itsyllabus.com/viewtopic.php?pid=2433#p2433 Result: used self-learning system data; chosen nickname "Feaniroptoorn"; profile edited; logged in; success (from first page); (reply to topic);
http://forum.remember-calories.com/viewtopic.php?pid=4443#p4443 Result: used self-learning system data; chosen nickname "Barexertded"; profile edited; logged in; success (from first page); (reply to topic);
http://gael-plantier.pro.toile-libre.org/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=79969#p79969 Result: used self-learning system data; chosen nickname "Teetiketrem"; profile edited; logged in; success (from first page); (reply to topic);
http://electricalnotes.com/viewtopic.php?pid=54048#p54048 Result: GET-timeouts 1; used self-learning system data; chosen nickname "blelaDestJelo"; profile edited; logged in; success (from first page); (reply to topic);
http://puissanceyugioh.free.fr/Punbb/upload/profile.php?id=8671
http://de8a18.com/foro/profile.php?id=1060
http://parkilinowe.org/pl/forum/profile.php?id=103
http://dodolon.com.ph/punbb/profile.php?id=232
http://subhro.tk/forum/profile.php?id=19886
http://temen.herobo.com/viewtopic.php?pid=412#p412 Result: used self-learning system data; chosen nickname "InepebobCop"; captcha recognized; profile edited; logged in; success (from first page); (reply to topic);
http://www.ryzome.net/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=10797#p10797 Result: used self-learning system data; chosen nickname "Dusiappexpeds"; profile edited; logged in; success (from first page); (reply to topic);
http://board.daclown.de/viewtopic.php?pid=4490#p4490 Result: used self-learning system data; chosen nickname "AttitupsSoste"; profile edited; logged in; success (from first page); BB-code not working; (reply to topic);
http://forum.kawhoom.web.my-ct.de/viewtopic.php?pid=154983#p154983 Result: chosen nickname "Crelealia"; profile edited; logged in; success (from first page); (reply to topic);
http://www.jellyb.mijnwebserver.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=161764#p161764 Result: chosen nickname "ReemReroJem"; profile edited; logged in; success;
http://www.manzelia.sk/index.php?action=profile;u=268002
http://www.npu.ac.th/npuboard/index.php?PHPSESSID=65dd3c70defc31cddb6346ec1a2c076f;action=profile;u=62118
http://www.designfloat.com/Photography/we-get-youdebt-consolidation
http://www.khonkaenmarathon.com/talk/index.php?action=profile;u=118742
http://xaviersamuel.net/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=241159
http://boys.chem.ua.edu/mediawiki/index.php?title=User:StruthersMontford2042
http://honors.byu.edu/mediawiki/index.php?title=User:AldonzaCliff3551
http://www.cs.plattsburgh.edu/wiki/index.php?title=User:DonnaleeColville2575
http://wiki.ifsc.edu.br/mediawiki/index.php?title=User:BeatrixShiel2380
http://itis.grid.sjtu.edu.cn/wiki/index.php?title=User:SassonDinsmor3762
(11.08.2011 @ 07:51AM)
Alex wrote: I am not a designer, but for some reason, the more i tried to use the Univers Font for web browsing, i still fell that my eyes feel better if i use Helvetica instead.
(11.21.2011 @ 02:58PM)
Natashanub wrote: I want download for free X Rumer 7.0.10 ELITE??
Send me URL please!
(01.31.2012 @ 09:16AM)
