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.
Author
Released
7/11/2014The documentary explores urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and offers a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type. Helvetica encompasses the worlds of design, advertising, psychology, and communication, and invites us to take a second look at the thousands of words we see every day. Interviewees in Helvetica include some of the most illustrious and innovative names in the design world, including Erik Spiekermann, Matthew Carter, Massimo Vignelli, Wim Crouwel, Hermann Zapf, Neville Brody, Stefan Sagmeister, Michael Bierut, David Carson, Paula Scher, Jonathan Hoefler, Tobias Frere-Jones, Experimental Jetset, Michael C. Place, Norm, Alfred Hoffmann, Mike Parker, Bruno Steinert, Otmar Hoefer, Leslie Savan, Rick Poynor, Lars Müller, and many more.
Make sure to watch the bonus features included in the Extras chapter for more insights from these designers.
Skill Level Intermediate
Duration
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1. Helvetica
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Massimo Vignelli3m 45s
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Graphic design in the 1950s1m 32s
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Amsterdam and Wim Crouwel4m 15s
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Matthew Carter4m 46s
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The Helvetica story4m 54s
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Linotype2m 24s
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Widgco4m 20s
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Hoefler and Frere-Jones4m 37s
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Berlin and Erik Spiekermann5m 55s
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Type's2m 58s
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Lars Muller2m 47s
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Paula Scher4m 39s
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Stefan Sagmeister5m 16s
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David Carson5m 18s
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Experimental Jetset4m 43s
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Michael C. Place3m 42s
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Norm3m 54s
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Democratization4m 6s
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What we have now3m 31s
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2. Extras
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Massimo Vignelli9m 31s
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Wim Crouwel5m 53s
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Matthew Carter8m 22s
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Mike Parker2m 10s
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Hermann Zapf5m 20s
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Hoefler and Frere-Jones7m 43s
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Erik Spiekermann8m 6s
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Neville Brody3m 29s
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Michael Bierut2m 9s
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Paula Scher6m 29s
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Stefan Sagmeister4m 31s
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David Carson5m 18s
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Experimental Jetset5m 12s
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Michael C. Place3m 53s
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Norm3m 14s
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Rick Poynor5m 28s
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Video: Mike Parker