It is possible to say, practically with complete certainty, that Helvetica is the type of letter that is most used around the world, since you will probably see it on any street corner in the city where you live, in all the magazines you read, the advertisements, on the websites you visit and even in trademarks, among others.
Helvetica consists of a completely innovative type of font within its origin, which has managed to create contemporary and current language. Due to its practical and neutral nature, this typeface features location and globality, which allows it to be the quintessential typeface.
The origin of Helvetica typography
This typeface was created by Max Miedinger and Edouard Hoffmann during the year 1957.
Helvetica had as its main objective optimize readability and provide greater clarity, modernity and neutrality. After the Second World War, the design of this typeface totally changed its development and began to move in a completely different direction, since it sought to be that typeface that perfectly responded to the need to elaborate a letter that could be used in any kind of contemporary information, always in a fairly legible and intelligible way.
The success of this fountain after its presentation was truly overwhelming. Multiple companies and governments were able to see in Helvetica the solution they needed to be able to show themselves to the world in the way they wanted, even if they were not really what this source represented: transparency, accessibility and responsibility.
Due to the design of this typographic font, in addition to some other elements, have allowed the Helvetica is one of the faces that is exhibited in front of the world, since it provides personality, talks about something about you and at the same time transmits different emotions. That is why it has become one of the main weapons of communication, Branding, in addition to contemporary advertising and marketing.
What are the characteristics of Helvetica?
It consists of a font that has a practically ideal balance between the weight and counterweight in each of its letters. It is also a neutral, firm, simple and, above all, legible typeface, which allows it to be interpreted in different ways according to the context it has and its frame.
Given the above characteristics, this typeface allows anyone to use it, no matter for what purpose it is done, since it is possible use it in multiple ways without the Helvetica losing its essence, for example in the signs and in the big cities or by some of the main air entities such as "American Airlines", which has shown great loyalty to this typeface, since it has not redesigned its logo.
Faced with these qualities, several experts have debated if this takes away some of its personality and although certain "detractors" believe that due to its speed and great extension Helvetica may have become such a familiar typeface that it has even become somewhat boring, so that today it has practically lost all the appeal it had when it was created.
According to these designers, a good typeface must have a certain spark and originality, which are qualities that Helvetica does not have, since for them it does not have strength, character or expression, being a standardized typeface as well as being overrated.
Long live Helvetica?
Image of Erik Spiekermann showing the Helvetica problem
Are you currently looking for new ways of expression that are more visual? The answer is yes and it is that today there are groundbreaking lines which turn out to be the opposite of what is established and ordered, which leave behind the need for purity and purity in each letter. However, those who are in favor of Helvetica They don't think of it as a globalized and standardized typeface and instead they think it is quite personal, if you add a different touch to it.