I first watched this documentary back in 2009 during my first design internship. The more I learned about the industry the more I fell in love with it and “Helvetica” opened my eyes to typography specifically. I realized that font decisions may seem obsolete to the outsider, but subconsciously we all pass judgments and form opinions about brands, stores, and even individuals based on how the text is presented. I started noticing and identifying fonts in public, which turned out to be a blessing and a curse. It helped me learn about the industry and become more observant of trends and patterns, but it also changed the way I read everything. I became painfully aware of fonts that I despised and cringed when I saw them in public, especially on products. I still do. I agree that Helvetica is the definition of order and clarity when it comes to typefaces. It is clean and powerful. One of the individuals in the documentary describes it as something we don’t notice but would be missed very much. I think that is the reason Helvetica has been so successful. One of my favorite design quotes is from Antoine de Saint-Exupery, who says “a designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” When using this approach in design, there are times when Helvetica is a lifesaver. It takes on the meaning of the context without trying too hard or becoming convoluted.
I also have a deep appreciation for hand lettering but don’t think that it is competing with Helvetica at all. There are certain situations where the originality of hand lettering Is absolutely crucial. (Jessica Hische is one of my personal favorites.) It all depends on the objectives and direction of the design project.
Having just read Clay Shirky’s book “Here Comes Everybody,” I found it interesting to hear the typographers describe an upcoming democratic distribution of production capabilities. The fact that programs are becoming highly accessible ties into Shirky’s idea of mass amateurization. This process is giving lots of artists the ability to present their work and, overall, the scope of typography is being stretched and tested. I love this kind of experimentation but don’t know if we will ever have a font as widely adopted as Helvetica.