What is classic? -Helvetica

Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, great music composer like them left us magnificent music to appreciate. Like classical music, in realm of graphic design, there are something can be regarded as classics as well.

Helvetica is a great typeface created in Switzerland in 1957. This typeface has been very popular since it was invented. It was growing up with the wave of popularity of Swiss design. With the help of advertising agencies selling this new design style to their clients, Helvetica quickly appeared in corporate logos, signage for transportation systems, fine art prints, and myriad other uses worldwide.

Nowadays you can aware its ubiquity in US if you pay attention to its shape and appreciate its beauty. It has two different strongly opposite characteristic in it and makes it a perfect balance. These opposite characteristic are solemnity and sleekness. With these characteristic, Helvetica soon became a hot shot for government publicity usage. It not only give us an impression of official, efficient, and clean, but also an amiable impression, which are just governments want.

With no doubt Helvetica does have some proponents, especially for those modernism fan. However, people like David Carson, Stephan Sagmeister, who prefer typeface with more emotional, strong metaphor and meaning in typeface, don't really appreciate the value of Helvetica as the other do.


To be written...