Critical Analysis of a Typeface

I have chosen to use Helvetica as it is a world renowned font, many people may find it a dull, boring and standard font but in fact I find it interesting how it is so globally recognised. Helvetica is the most widely used san-serif font. It is a typeface has alot of history behind it it was developed in 1957 by Max Miedinger with Edward Hoffmann. It is a simple swiss design that is made to be legible by everyone. Helvetica is part of a type family which means you can find various types of it such as Helvetica light, regular, bold, black and rounded they are just a few. Helvetica is an ongoing font that is still being developed to this day. The latest one to be developed was in 2011 a Neue Helvetica eText, a new version of Helvetica optimised for on screen use. There are many typefaces that are very similar such as Arial, Bitstream Vera ect. 

It engages with audiences all around the world, many companies use it within their logos as it is so legible, clear and simple. 

Here are just a few examples of where Helvetica is used in logos, it is such a universal font. 

'Asked of this particular object was not 'How should it look?' but 'What must it do?' and to that extent all good typography is modernist' this quote from the Crystal Goblet fits in very well with Helvetica, as Helvetica does a lot of things as it is very understandable and is very ledge able. 

'There are always ways of settling type that may work well enough, and yet keep the reader subconsciously worried about the fear of doubling lines, reading three words as one and so forth.' There was a study to show that if the first and the last letter of a word is right and the rest of the letters were jumbled in the middle it would still be readable this is true. Helvetica is the most readable font, clear and simple is always best.

'The book typographer has the job of erecting a window between the reader inside the room and the landscape that is the authors words.' This is my favourite quote from the Crystal of goblet, I think that it is a great metaphor, that the typographers job is to make letters readable so readers can create the landscape that they are reading. 

Helvetica is a very important font for the world today, without it a lot of things would be missing as lots of signs symbols and logos are used with one very clear font.