Type well used is invisible as type, just as the perfect talking voice is the unnoticed vehicle for the transmission of words, ideas
Beatrice Warde, The Crystal Goblet, or Why Printing Should Be Invisible
In 1930, Beatrice Warde, a publicist for the leading typeface corporation, Monotype, gave a lecture called The Crystal Goblet, or Why Printing Should Be Invisible. In it, she uses a metaphor of optimal typography as a crystal goblet, beautifully built yet transparent, allowing for the clarity of words and ideas to be shared without distractions.
After reading the writings from Jan Tschichold, “The Principles of the New Typography” pg35-38, Karl Gerstner, Designing Programmes pg55-61, Joseph Muller-Brockman, “Grid and Design Philosophy” pg62-63 in our main text Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field by Helen Armstrong. And watching the documentary “Helvetica” consider the following…
Is Helvetica invisible?
When answering this question, reference the theories presented by Tschichold, Gerstner, and Muller-Brockman and any of the opinions presented in the documentary that resonated with you.
Add your ideas in a comment in the Discussion post by Friday, October 15th at 11:59 pm to allow time for responses. Add at least 5 follow-up responses to your classmates’ comments by Sunday, October 17th, 6 pm. Reminder: free sharing of ideas helps us learn and it’s also part of your participation grade. 🙂
I would say yes, Helvetica is invisible. Due to it being used almost everywhere it has started to just become a part of the space. Similar to how we know the air is there but don’t really much pay attention to it, Helvetica has become a sort of staple in our everyday lives. You can see Helvetica being used everywhere from billboards, posters, to even street signs. Helvetica is a typeface that replays information as efficiently as possible, by not using any ornate decorations that would distract from the overall communication. This is exactly how Jan Tschichold believed typography should be instead of fonts being made to look beautiful and decorative.
I agree because even though I enjoy looking at text that has ornamental detail, I prefer understanding the message right away
I definitely agree with this point as well. Especially in our fast paced society, we are often so quick and on the move that it is crucial to incorporate typography that can be easily interpreted and contextualized within a mere few seconds. Cars on a highway would only have seconds to read an advertisement on a billboard, and the odds are that if a simplistic typeface such as Helvetica is used, it would be concise and straight to the point, in opposition to an ornamental typeface that would take a bit longer if it is incredibly detailed and intricate.
Helvetica is also a very neutral typeface that is why it can be used anywhere and everywhere
I agree. While Helvetica is simple and easy to read, I believe its use in logos has become somewhat oversaturated. A logo should tell you something about the company’s personality and when a company uses Helvetica for the logo with no concern over branding and the mood they want to bring, it feels thoughtless and basic. Helvetica is a great font that should be used under certain circumstances.
You bring up a great point on how the use of Helvetica can make a brand appear thoughtless and basic, and it’s something that I subconsciously notice when I observe advertisements in public. The little advertisement panels on the trains really look much too similar sometimes and I think to myself what a brand has to offer other than the few words about themselves and say, an image or logo besides it. There are certain boundaries when it comes to representation as a brand but also taking it way too simplistic where you may not grasp the audience’s attention when read.
Yeah, Helvetica is used everywhere depending on where you live. In some places, people don’t see them or the typeface never existed there which gives another reason why this typeface might be invisible.
Helvetica is something we see so often that we don’t even notice it anymore. It’s the most basics and easiest form of type that anyone could read it.
Whether Helvetica is invisible or not really depends on how people look at this typeface. Helvetica is a clear and modern typeface that’s well-known around the world. The designers in the documentary were talking about how convenient this typeface was. How it’s clear and neutral. In the documentary, they mentioned that the way you use this typeface change the meaning, whether you’re using Extra Light or Extra Bold. One point in the documentary that sparks to me is the same thing Kyle mentioned in his comment. Instead of the texts being beautiful and decorative, typography should be clear and legible according to Jan Tschichold’s principle. Another point in the documentary I found interesting was what one of the designer, Wim Crouwel, said about the typeface (How it’s clear and legible), how he like modernism, and his interest in clarity. Just like Joseph Muller-Brockman, he also uses grids for his works. He was dubbed “Gridnik”. It’s amazing how influential Helvetica is around the world. Like the two example mentioned, people also use this typeface in many other ways. Not only these two ways. Whether it’s for poster design, catalogues, ads, or other graphic design elements.
I like that helvetica still uses alternate characters like bold and italic to get a little extra detail without changing anything
Yeah, it’s like how those other avant-garde designers believed that the typography should develop its form from function and Helvetica is so malleable that it embodies that
Helvetica is very useful thanks to its modern design that allows for easy readability. However, not a lot of designers have really pushed the envelope and did something new with Helvetica. Some companies use Helvetica in their logos with no concern for brand identity or mood. Helvetica looks more formal and when an informal company uses it, it feels offputting and doesn’t communicate information about it to the people all that well.
Yeah I’ve seen Helvetica used quite a lot across so many things, magazines, book covers, video game covers and so on.
Helvetica is so commonly used I didn’t even realize it’s also used in media formats such as gaming. I do think it helps out certain games where communication is required between players, an easy to read typeface does simplify many aspects digitally and also in covers.
There’s somewhere out there that probably actually likes Helvetica. Because it is simple.
It depends on what you mean by “invisible”. Everyone interprets how they see helvetica differently. In terms of extravagant complicated details, helvetica doesn’t have any of those & is really simple. It is not invisible and it proves Tschichold’s theory of functionality over appearance due to the fact it is used worldwide despite its simple look. It’s used on everything such as subway street names on the columns and brands like American Apparel.
Yeah like that documentary mentioned how neutral Helvetica is so it allows itself to develop its feeling from the way it is used. It can give off feeling from the way it is used.
yes, a font that can change with modern times without the need for major revamps.
I believe it has become “invisible” in the sense that it is so present in our lives that we don’t pay much attention to it. It is functional but it doesn’t offer much in the terms of expressiveness. It honestly works better in more formal works like white-collar company logos or essays.
Thats a really good way to express the font. We see it so much that we don’t pay mind to it any longer
Great point and I definitely agree. Helvetica has become so saturated in many businesses and aspects of our lives that I often look past it. In another comment Rahel mentions how it is used in subway and street names and I often found that the use of this typeface made traveling in the city much simpler that I don’t have to think twice when reading the signage. In addition, tourists who may come from different states or countries with different typographical norms seem to find the system much simpler when understanding the clarity of the Helvetica typeface. No questions asked, it is really concise.
I think that it is “invisible” in a sense that we see it so much to the point that we pay it no mind. For example we see cars everyday to the point where we don’t focus on them when they drive by for the most part at least.
kinda like background noise that is used to fill in the silence. We know it there but at the same time, it is effective enough for use.
I agree Helvetica can be invisible in comparison to typography which is more expressive and dynamic in form. We would pay more attention if a Mustang rode by us than the average car.
That’s a really good analogy. People are still going to use the typeface regardless. And it’s really well known
That’s true. Depending on how you use this typeface, the message or emotion of what your trying to convey might change.
When the topic of “Invisible” I would consider Helvetica as a font hiding in plain sight because it’s just so common and everyone knows what it is, you don’t even notice it.
I personally believe that Helvetica might be invisible to the everyday person but to an artist/designer, it’s hard not to notice Helvetica all around you. It’s a widely known typeface and is used internationally in corporate advertising. It’s known as the typeface of socialism because it’s everywhere. The figure-ground between the white space and type is balanced, smooth, consistent with clarity, and neutral. Helvetica resonates with the New Tyopgrapghy which tenants contained expressive type, without ornaments used to communicate, emphasize, and organized legible text that makes sense when read. Helvetica does just that, it makes sense when read in different compositions, colors, in various sizes and weights. I think it was Massimo in the documentary who said “the meaning is within the content of the text, not the typeface”. This stood out to me because it reminded me of Tschichold’s theory that the function of printed text was communication and a logical sequence of contents. Both meaning to me that if executed with the right components, (clarity, neutrality, and sans serif fonts) the message should be communicated.
even though helvetica is everywhere, I guess its invisible because people don’t really think about it
You are entirely correct. Unless they are a graphic designer or an extremely observant person, the ordinary person does not discern distinct typefaces in general. It’s like Times New Roman; practically everyone who went to school and typed papers is familiar with it; yet, if the typeface Helvetica were used by the average person in the same way that Times New Roman is, they would realize how often it is used.
I like the connection you made with Helvetica and Times New Roman. Come to think about it, every time there’s a paper that needs to be written, you have to use the times new roman font because just like Helvetica. It’s a font that is appropriate for texts and great legibility and spacing.
I like your take on Times Roman and Helvetica. Both are used universally yet recognizable to some depending on the format or message.
Yeah we as designer have a more keen eye for design and typography so we notice thing that others who don’t study design might not like the way type is being used in a certain way.
I agree, as i got more into typeface its easier to notice the differences
I agree. When you’re an artist/designer, it’s easier to notice certain fonts and analyze design trends. I believe that while its simple, it doesn’t work well for every situation. Despite being a very simple font, its simplicity doesn’t allow for good versatility. It’s hard for Helvetica to be used as a more expressive font.
I agree, yes simple, clean, and clear Helvetica typography might not work well for every design. You can alter Helvetica’s size, weight, and arrangement but either way, you look at Helvetica, you will always see its simple straight-to-the-point principle.
The everyday person might not really pay attention to Helvetica since they most likely have seen it everywhere. But as designers, since we are keener at seeing how the typeface is being used, we can think of different solutions for typographic problems instead of defaulting to using Helvetica.
I was thinking the exact same thing. As a designer, you see them everyday. However, ordinary people don’t see them as people live their own life. Helvetica is important for designers because they can use this typeface to make designs for people to see.
I agree, ordinary people don’t see Helvetica. They see a familiar typeface that is used to deliver a message. Helvetica is also important for designers because its simple format makes it easily read and a go-to for corporate identities.
I was thinking the exact same thing. As a designer, you see them everyday. However, ordinary people don’t see them as people live their own life. Helvetica is important for designers because they can use this typeface to make designs for people to see.
Oops, it sent twice.
You made an excellent because even though it’s everywhere, I’m sure that designers that look at this type would automatically know that it’s Helvetica versus someone who’s not a designer. Helvetica is simple and easy to use when you need to design something that includes text.
You made an excellent because even though it’s everywhere, I’m sure that designers that look at this type would automatically know that it’s Helvetica versus someone who’s not a designer. Helvetica is simple and easy to use when you need to design something that includes text.
I believe that Helvetica is a typeface that is seemingly invisible as it blends and doesn’t stand out as a stylized typeface would. It is a neutral typeface that is meant to be malleable. It is a typeface that is san-serif with geometric features to it and one that is able to deliver information clearly and concisely without distraction. It is a typeface that follows the way that new type was meant to be displayed. Tschichold, Gerstner, and Muller-Brockman all believed that type should be objective, develop its form from functions, and Gerstner and Muller-Brockman especially believed that type should be refined within the grid system.
I agree. It’s a very formal typeface that honestly works better as something for more serious companies that deal with white-collar work. I don’t think it works as well when it is used for something like logos for clothing stores or restaurants. It needs to fit the mood of the brand for it to be used effectively.
I agree it can be very malleable to fit and a situation like Gerstner’s idea of having many solutions for one problem and from those solutions picking the best solution.
With its geometric and sans-serif features, Helvetica is a typeface that is able to convey information both clearly and concisely. Being used in almost every situation has become so oversaturated in our daily lives that we’ve become used to it turning the Helvetica invisible since we already know it’s gonna be there.
Very true. Since it’s a neutral typeface, almost any designer can use them and any message can be brought forward with Helvetica.
That’s true that Helvetica just blends in now with most works and I like how you used the term “neutral” because that’s is another good way of describing Helvetica because it could go with almost everything.
I would agree that Helvetica is invisible now as a font. Its versatility and sleek modern design allow for easy readability. However, I believe the reason why it became “invisible” is due to overreliance on it by the public. While it is a very versatile font, many corporations, companies, and even people have used it in almost everything from essays to logos to building sprawling banners. Because of this, Helvetica has become the standard and to some, any instance of Helvetica being used is seen as “basic”. It has become so overused that it tends to blend into the crowd. It is simple but that’s all it is.
Since Helvetica is a very versatile font that allows for easy readability, almost used everywhere by everyone. Because it’s used by so many it has started to blend into the background, since wherever we look Helvetica will already be there.
ah so your saying since it is overused it has become something that our eye is used to so it becomes something that doesn’t stand out or draws attention but has been used so much that it is somewhat exhausted
I can see your point. It’s invisible to the point that Helvetica has become the world’s standard font. We know this typeface’s neutral so it’s easy for this typeface to blend in with other objects.
In my opinion Helvetica is invisible in a way mainly because it is used so much to the point where it becomes overly saturated in the industry of design. This makes sense since the font is one of most simplistic and easily readable font. Designers such as jan Tschichold discussed this idea in his New Typography essay, when talking about the use of “clarity” in typography instead of just using type that is beautiful like the did in the past.
This is very that Helvetica has become oversaturated in the design industry to the point designer do denture from picking that face a look toward other san-seif fonts. Helvetica is perfect for everything in Corporate business work or logos.
That’s true to a point. This typeface doesn’t really stand out as much since it’s a neutral typeface. Jan Tschichold’s principle applies to almost every design. If that principle isn’t applied, it might be one reason your design might fail you.
I agree Helvetica is overused to the point where it has become saturated in the design industry. Even just writing an essay a Helvetica seems very formulaic and that is was makes it feel so invisible.
I think Helvetica is seemed as invisible since many people don’t really pay mind to it or know of it. Before studying typography and design i think I could have possibly heard of the font, but I never cared enough to know what it could even look like. But while working twords an artist eyes, I’ve seen it more often. And it is a pretty normal don’t with no decorations like Tschihold likes and thinks fonts should be like. It is pretty invisible just because of how plain it is.
Helvetica isn’t invisible, but because of its overuse, it’s easy to overlook it. Helvetica, for example, is employed in a variety of places and things, such as street signs and train station signage, and is instantly identifiable. As a result, you’re more likely to call out that the typeface is Helvetica rather than anything else. Like Times New Roman, Helvetica became the new standard font. Helvetica had that simple form and comes in a variety of strokes and weights, according to Jan Tschichold’s idea of New typography. Helvetica fit was a lot of solutions for various organizations in legibility and durability, according to Karl Gerstner’s theory. I mean durability as in time and length of use of the typeface
Interesting point. It might be true since this typeface is used for almost everything. I do think you have a point when you mention Helvetica is the new standard font.
Yes, I agree Helvetica is overlooked due to its saturation within many organizations and signs. Companies no longer push the envelope to explore font options. Helvetica is can be seen as a simple safe font. Although overlooked it’s easily recognized and as you said the new standard font. Helvetica’s longevity makes it an asset for organizations and mass production.
I agree with you Helvetica isn’t “Invisible” we see it every day and we have our phone where we are glued to and it types in Helvetica.
In most cases, I believe Helvetica is invisible because of its simplistic design and because we are used to seeing it everywhere, as a sort of default (it’s even the default for MAC). Less invisible typefaces usually are the ones that we don’t see as often or have some ornamentation to them so they stand out more. However, in some cases Helvetica can stand out a bit; in the documentary, David Carson mentions Helvetica’s lack of expression, which is what makes it stand out in cases when we’re expecting some more expression from type.
I think because we’ve seen Helvetica overused in almost everything, we have started to notice typefaces that aren’t Helvetica much more. Even if Helvetica is clear and concise, after seeing it everywhere anything different stands out.
I agree. Helvetica has basically become the defaulted typeface and that brings up the point of whether it is the right choice when trying to make something stand out or seemingly “fit in”.
Yeah, it turns out Helvetica is one of the default fonts you get if you use Mac OS, and it is the same thing for Adobe creative cloud which just shows how common it is. You can even add it to google docs.
Expecting a different expression from the fonts is a good way to view the typeface. It does stand out when put next to other more decorative typefaces in that case
I agree with the part that Helvetica isn’t “Invisible” because like how you said it we see it everywhere and every day. It is pretty much built into our brains how Helvetica looks like.
I would say Helvetica is invisible because it is something that has been used or seen by anyone. It is one of the default fonts you have if you have an adobe product or when using Mac OS. This is something that Jan Tschichold wanted to achieve with it being so simplistic and having much clarity that just about anyone can read it. Anyone in design can notice and name it which doesn’t make it seem invisible but it’s just one of the unspoken truths like comic sans being a terrible font for many situations. So yes Helvetica is invisible.
Id say it is mostly visible because anyone can easily recognize it & everyone automatically knows the name helvetica
I agree with you. Everyone is on their phones typing away and the typeface we see every day is Helvetica right in the palms of our hands.
I think Helvetica is ”invisible” because anywhere you go, you see that this typeface is everywhere. It’s the typeface that is recognized as simple, clear, objective and non-decorative. But it also gives a clean look to the design. It may be considered boring but it’s very effective. Helvetica is designed to be used as according to the film that discusses about The New Style, that when information becomes more complex and dense, it needs clarity and Helvetica is made for that.
I don’t think Helvetica is considered “boring” it is pretty neutral to where you don’t really have a specific meaning using the typeface Helvetica but having your design tell the viewer what you want to portray.
I would say that there are two different ways to approaching whether the typeface Helvetica is perceived as “invisible” or not, but due to two reasons. When it comes to brand advertising and marketing, there are boundaries in which a company should decide on whether they want to utilize the typeface as their sole representation in their marketing devices. It is definitely, like a fellow student said, an oversaturated typeface and the context in which it is used definitely has an impact on how it is interpreted by an audience. While the use of more ornamental design typefaces could prove useful, the question is whether clarity or content is more prioritized for a company, brand, or work of art, and does that truly make Helvetica one that is over-seen or undervalued.
I haven’t thought about companies but after reading your comment I agree with you. It is overly used and underappreciated in that aspect to where the company had to think about the advertising and marketing and Helvetica is a choice they can choose to use but many companies have used Helvetica as their logo and some just want to stand out.
Thats a great question and in a way the answers to that question is that it can be prioritized for both depending on the situation but the second question is a hard one to answer.
I don’t really think Helvetica is “Invisible” because that typeface is always in the back of our minds, and it is the first typeface we think of when naming a typeface. You would be like “Helvetica, Bodoni, Garamond, Times New Roman, etc.” We see Helvetica everywhere we go and it is the typeface that is the “go-to” it is a neutral typeface and it is easy to read. Like if you are going to read an article online or read this comment it is Helvetica.
Yea true as well, It can be argued that it isnt exactly “invisible” since it is constantly being used.