From the course: Helvetica

Mike Parker

From the course: Helvetica

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Mike Parker

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As a design student, the big thing for all of us was that figure grade relationship that the Swiss did so well. And Trade Gothic just didn't have it, it was News Gothic under another name. It was intertype name so we couldn't use it. It was a good job, but it was a 1900 design, that had been popular ever since. And it was clear that whoever got in there first with a really good figure ground Swiss sans serif. It would be the big hit. Jacksonburg was the director of typographic development at Morgenthaler, which was a hugely powerful position. Jacksons, just thought of it as European, not for us. So, pne day he called me in the big desk, he said I'm going to retire shortly, six months maybe nine. Is there anything, and I will recommend you for the job, is there anything you'd like me to do. And I thought, oh hell. You know do I, so I said I think the single most important thing is for us to cut a Swiss sans-serif and Helvetica would be the logical choice. And he looked at me like I just shot him. Thought about it, said nothing, and I left. And about four month later, I met him in the car, and he said, oh by the way Mike you'll be please to hear, I think, that the German drawings for Helvetica will be at the drawing department upstairs next week. And perhaps you'd like to go look at 'em, and maybe there's something you'd like to do with 'em.

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