Studio Brief 01 - Helvetica

Helvetica was created in 1957 by Swiss designers Miedinger and Hoffman as they saw a need for a typeface that was versatile and neutral. Originally called Neue Haas Grotesk, the name had to be changed to appeal to an american audience, therefore was renamed Helvetica which is a reference to the latin name of Switzerland and is seen as 'the swiss typeface'.

One of the key features of Helvetica is it's interrelationship with the negative space, the creators have evidently focused on the background and the counters as much as they have focused on the actual letter forms. Due to the fact it is so cleverly crafted it is unfixable and impossible to improve upon.

Another one of it's key features is the horizontal terminals on letters such as 'a,e and f'. This gives the typeface a machined appearance and makes all the letters look the same which enforces it's neutrality which is what makes it such a popular typeface, it has no personality prior to use therefore making it easy to use for multiple purposes.

Some might say this is the cause for it becoming overused, it is a safe option as it has no personality.  It has become a default as it is a very simplistic typeface which is very easy to use and can be adjusted to most situations and look appropriate.

It is rational, and doesn't contain any ornamentation which gives it an accessible feel as it isn't too corporate or unapproachable. It also fits into a grid system which gives it a sense of order and uniformity therefore making it easy to use for serious organisations yet maintaining a friendly tone. It is something we don't always notice yet we would miss it if it wasn't there.

3 brands that use helvetica



First rebrand in over 40 years, gone from a very traditional and timeless looking design to something I imagine will date very easily. The logo has gone back to using two separate words therefore no longer needs to use the colours red and blue to separate them, the only colour used is in the logo. I think the previous design worked better as it looks more corporate where as the new one looks unfinished in a way, which could be due to the colour of the font that has been used I don't see how it relates and feel that the logo and the logotype are two separate things.





Here is an example of Helvetica used in an official way. The Environmental Protection Agency must look clean and professional as well as looking approachable and not too corporate. I think helvetica works well for this as it doesn't look too official or serious like it would with a serif font yet it still maintains authority in a friendly sort of way. The blue and green colours used represent this idea of the 'environment' such as leaves, grass, sky and water which relate well to the brand. As a whole I think the brand looks modern as it has used a cartoon style simplistic drawing as well as a simplistic typeface.



American Apparel is a fairly modern brand as it was founded in 1989, however by using such a familiar typeface it seems much more established. Using such a minimalistic colour pallet works well as it seems very contemporary but also represents the minimalistic nature of the brand as all of their clothing is very simple. It also works well in clothing tags as their clothes are usually quite bright in terms of colour therefore the white background of the label will stand out against them and emphasise the black letters even more.