The in class viewing was not my first viewing of Helvetica. And I am starting to think that with each view, it keeps getting better. I am not making fun of the film, I honestly mean it. The first time I saw the film, I was shocked that there was enough content about a font to create a film based around it. And since then I think I pick up on more bits of it each time I see it. What really caught me this time was how many of the people that were interviewed in the film were the same people that were chosen for many of the quotes that my fellow sophomore classmates chose for the printing press postcard assignment. I wanted to focus the way that I watched the film this time, so anytime I really enjoyed a quote that someone said I wrote it down; they are located below this paragraph. I did not write down who said it, because if needed I could go find it.
"(Some people think that) when you write dog, it should bark." (This designer thought it didn't matter what font you wrote dog in, it still said dog.)
"Creating order is typography."
"You have to breathe. You have to use Helvetica."
"Helvetica caused the Vietnam War." (This man also blamed the Iraqi War on Helvetica)
"You will do what the typefaces want you to do."
"You were always a child of your type and you can't step out of that."
What I really loved about this film was all of the different ways that designers viewed Helvetica, as well as typography and design in general. I know that this is not a cut and dry field, that we all have our opinions, but it's interesting how wide our beliefs can be; yet we all share the same title. I am still inspired by older propaganda posters, which designers were then using the same font for all if not most of their designs. I think that people either focus on the text to express, image to express, the page to express, or a combination of all of them. The most successful design is one that incorporates all ways to express, but realizes with each piece which is the best way to express the idea.
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