Helvetica forever

If you think this, you should be taken outside and shot.

Comments

[davidthedesigner]

With hot or cold metal? Or perhaps you mean on film?

(hahaha - to save you the bother)

[Joey Sichol]

Could be worse - it could say "Comic Sans Forever"

[Steve Leard]

Isn't this inevitably true? You see it everywhere and doesn't appear to be diminishing. (I like Helvetica if used appropriately)

[Laura O' Mahony]

re Joey "Comic Sans Forever" I think I had a nightmare about that once!

[Mave]

The only thing I find more annoying than mindless Helvetica hype is mindless Comic Sans anti-hype. People truly could stand to learn some independent thought.

[Stephen]

Maybe Helvetica is 'everywhere' for a good reason, rather than just laziness ?

[Sam]

Mave, I'm with that. I was a senior GD student when the Helvetica flick was released. My college got there hands on a copy for a screening. The film was good enough, but the discussion my GD dept had following had me squirming in my seat with frustration. My position of backing a modified-Spiekermann stance was met with derision. I was surprised I wasn't pelted with shiny new white MacBooks.

Finally, those that didn't take the time to educate themselves on typography had a solution. For the rest of the semester, nearly every project had Helvetica in it somewhere. It made it impossible to have productive critiques.

Obviously Helvetica has it's place. Heck, Arial and Comic-sans have there place. This generation is doomed, however, to be subjected to gross over- and mis-use.

[Guy]

There is nothing wrong with Helvetica when used well. I like the fact that it's used everywhere.

[Tom H]

*Replaces 'I love Helvetica.' badge with 'I hate Helvetica.' badge*

[SteveM]

It will certainly be interesting to see if Helvetica is still as dominant in another 50 years.

[Bruno]

I have a custom-made t-shirt that shows my opinion on the subject.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blip/3254560403/?rotated=1&cb=1233823237580

[Pete]

On the subject of Comic Sans, my girlfriend who is a primary school teacher uses it all the time for stuff that goes up on the wall in her classroom (displays etc) and on the smartboard. I once asked her why as, you know, I'm no fan of the font. She uses it because the lowercase a is in the same form as the kids are taught to write it. So when they see an a in Comic Sans, they understand it, whereas if it were in, for example, Helvetica they quite possibly wouldn't recognise it or may ty to copy it. And it's one of, if not the only, standard windows fonts with a lowercase a in this form. I'm sure I'll be corrected on this point though!

One a side note, there is an unhealthy amount of WordArt going on in that school, there's just no excuse for that.

[Ben]

Pete, that's the most sensible thing about Comic Sans I've ever heard.

[John]

"If you think this, you should be taken outside and shot."

Hrm. I think that's a bit harsh. I don't necessarily read that and think the person who created it is a Helvetica fanboy. Perhaps he/she is making a statement about how Helvetica is part of the furniture; how it's "forever" because we probably won't ever escape it. It could be satirical. Who knows, really.

I think hating Helvetica is equally as annoying as loving it. The truth is, it's there. It's legible.

[Richard Holt]

Helvetica obliquely, hints light to my ear,
Forsake your set serifs, embolden me here.
Widow others, flow freely, flush right and red,
Kern closer to me on my hotmetal bed.

Helvetica boldly, draws closer beside,
Surrender sans struggle, in my curves confide.
Stroke shoulder, press pica, abandon your proofs,
True typelove offsets all subscripted truths.

[Chris]

did you know a documentary was produced on this fascinating Helvetica love-hate relationship? http://www.helveticafilm.com/about.html

[Geo]

You all just made my night GLAD.