Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Japanese cuisine. That is, on its own it may seem pretty bland. While I love
Japanese rice with any traditional Japanese meal, a bowl of white rice by itself
would be quite boring and not very satisfying. As a balanced complement to all the
other elements in a washoku meal, the rice is truly a delicious and harmonious
amplifier of the entire culinary experience. Helvetica is a bit like this—the typeface
is a great complement to other design elements on the page, poster, or slide.
Helvetica provides clarity without drawing attention to its own form. Because
Helvetica is neutral and lacks a strong personality, you could say its clean lines go
well with many elements, such as images, especially those with lots of detail where
the text needs to pop out without stealing the show.
I understand why some find Helvetica bland and why others find it beautiful.
Helvetica—although not new—is actually refreshing in its simplicity and neutrality. It
allows the meaning of the words themselves, in the context of various designs, to
express themselves with a feeling of trustworthiness and reliability.
While Helvetica works well in designs with many elements—such as those found in
large posters or projected screens, and inside images that are quite busy or
otherwise dynamic—the dignified yet humble typeface also works in isolation at
small sizes surrounded by big portions of empty space. Helvetica also works well
on its own at very large sizes. Helvetica may be neutral, but in a proper context it's
not bland; in fact, it's quite beautiful.
Helvetica was a real step from the 19th century typeface. We were
impressed by that because it was more neutral, and neutralism was
a word that we loved. It should be neutral. It shouldn't have a
meaning in itself. The meaning is in the content of the text and not
in the typeface.
—
Wim Crouwel, in the documentary
Helvetica
Slide with Helvetica type in different sizes and weights. (Image from
iStockphoto.com
.)
