From the course: Helvetica
Linotype
Now we go down to the cellar and see in our archives where we can find Helvetica. >> And here we have number 24. And there it is woo, the Helvetica drawings. >> The marketing director at Stempel had the idea to give it a better name because Neue Haas Grotesk, didn't sound very good for a the type face that was intended to be sold in the United States. >> Stempel suggested the name of Helvetia, this is very important. Helvetia is the latin name of Switzerland. And my father said that is impossible, you, you cannot, you cannot call a typeface after a name of a county. So, he said why don't we call it Helvetica. So, in other words, this would be the Swiss typeface. And they agreed. >> And I think it really was the perfect name at that time. And since we at that time, also was well known world-wide, so it was the best solution for Helvetica to get into the market. >> Once we'd introduced Helvetica, it really ran away. It was exactly what the designers were looking for. I mean I don't think there's been such a hot thing since as the figure ground relationship properly executed. And it was, oh, just a landslide waiting to go down the mountain. You know, and away it went.
Contents
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Opening (with Manfred Schulz)3m 14s
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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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