The documentary film Helvetica directed by Gary Hustwit explores the world of typography, and how graphic design shapes how we receive messages. Although it specifically focuses on the font Helvetica and its significance to graphic design, it also explores the broader theme of how typography and different typefaces influence our perceptions and opinions.
One of the first things the film brought up was how type “gives mood and atmosphere.” It also emphasized how different typefaces would lead to different reactions. A graphic designer who was interviewed for the film stated that the choice of type is a designer’s “weapon” to convey a message. This is interesting because although typography is undoubtedly prevalent in our world, many people easily brush off the importance of typefaces. When reading a message, most people focus on the words itself and ignore the role of the font chosen. However, typefaces can create certain atmospheres, moods or feelings. The example given in the movie was how an advertisement for jeans written in a simple, clear font would give the audience the impression that the clothing being sold was also simple, effortless and uncomplicated. Clothing lines that tend to portray these characteristics, like Gap or American Apparel, thus use simple and clear fonts in their stores or advertisements. Essentially, the film highlighted how messages do not only lie in the choice of words, but also in the choice of type. Typography has the power to convey a message on its own.
Moreover, typography can also lead to branding. The film points out that over time, certain fonts have come to symbolize certain brands or companies. For example, people can recognize the brand of Malboro from miles away simply because of its font. The font the company used has become synonymous with the brand. Thus, the effect of using particular types or fonts to establish a brand is a powerful use of typography that most people take for granted. Because using certain fonts has led to brand recognition, some fonts are therefore timeless and remain unchanged. American Airlines have used the same font of Helvetica for over fifty years, and despite changes in era and trends, the simple font of Helvetica still translates the message that the company is trying to convey.
Lastly, an interesting point that the film highlighted was that with globalization and the increased accessibility of social networking channels, people are starting to recognize the power of typography to convey identity. In websites like myspace or personal blogs, people intentionally use certain fonts to emphasize different characters. The film then showed a variety of myspace profiles. Some people preferred to keep it simple and clear, while others played around with color, layout and fonts. They used different types of font and adjusted their sizes. Just based on my personal experiences, looking at my friends’ blogs tell me a lot about their personality. A friend of mine who is rather feminine and soft-spoken used a cursive, smooth font on her blog. Another one, who is more serious and straightforward, used the font Calibri – a font that conveyed more formality and seriousness. Thus, as stated by the film, people have begun to recognize the influence of typography and how it can be used to “express who we are.”
In essence, the film Helvetica emphasized how the power of typography should not be taken for granted. Contrary to what we may assume, the intentional choice, size or placement of fonts has a significant influence on how we receive messages.
