A very quick post this morning… We do a lot of graphic design for our clients and typography is a key component of this.
There’s something endlessly intriguing about the small changes between each font and general rules on when to use serif (like Times new Roman) and sans serif (like Gill Sans). There’s also fonts optimised for online use too… but that’s another story.
And, it was therefore with a pang of sadness that I read that the inventor of Helvetica – Mike Parker – has passed away. Admittedly, the font is one of the most overused – From the New York Subway to Lufthansa airlines and from Intel to Microsoft… and, of course, the technology industry’s bastion of design, Apple. But it has played a key role company branding since its inception in 1956… and certainly since the 80s.
It’s not without its detractors though and its ubiquitous use has led to some calling it the Comic Sans of typeface design – and I do love the self-defeating I hate Helvetica t-shirts – yes, using Helvetica.
