Fonts are an interesting thing. We see them everyday, on our computer screens, on buildings, on street signs, on billboards, on speedometers, but we never think about them. We pass them off as being insignificant. And yet, certain fonts make us respond in certain ways. Some make us more alert, some intrigue us, some are just plain appealing.
Helvetica is a documentary about a font that does all these things. Now, when I say “documentary about a font,” believe me when I say that I know that sounds like the most boring thing in the world. However, it’s exceptionally intriguing because it explores something that we take for granted. Most people never stop to think about what fonts actually do. This is a film about the people that do.
Helvetica is a wildly appealing font. It’s simple, and that’s what makes it so friendly. This is why so many graphic designers are drawn to it. It’s why it’s the font that all of the New York Subway signs use.
However, there are some designers that are vastly against it, saying that it was a good font in its time, but now it’s overused and played out. Both sides have a point, and their disagreement is what makes this film so deceptively entertaining.
