Helvetica and Its Uses: An Analysis Studio Brief 01 OUGD403

As mentioned in some of my earlier research and analysis I need to not only analyse the letter forms themselves but also the uses they have been put to in a commercial sense. This is intended to clarify the personality of the typeface and give some insight into the connotations it has collected from the many brands it has associated with. To start out I have analysed the branding of the New York Subway System as designed by massimo vignelli. 

In this situation Vignelli has taken the Helvetica font and shaped all the graphics of the subway system around its soft curves and elegant strokes. The Kerning is relatively minimal with a repeated parallel line up with the straights of some letters a little more space is allowed for the bowls of some letters, presumable because if they were the same distance as the others then the would appear to be closer, as a result of the overhang. It is also probable that the kerning is changed for each differently sized piece of text. The proportions of the spacing may be considerably bigger on a smaller text; if they remained the same they would appear squashed together. I could use this idea in my project by looking at maintaining the kerning from larger font sizes in smaller ones, arguably damaging the aesthetic of the typeface. However, this would compromise the requirements of the brief in that I would have to present the letters together to show this yet we have to present the in individual letter form. 

The kerning for the actual word "Subway" is a little more spacious than the sign shown above. This could have been done to draw the eye to the word, fulfilling its main requirement as a word; to inform. 

The weight of the lettering is relatively heavy but I believe Helvetica bold is used on the main signage, yet smaller details are in the roman form of Helvetica. Arguably the lettering needs to be heavier in order to hold its own as white text against a black background. In any case the line weight appears to be perfect for Helvetica's punchy yet subtle identity. 

The use of Helvetica in this situation does add to the connotations connected to the font, for those who have seen it in this setting at least. The font was chosen because it is practically transparent as a design, the words it is written in much more noticeable than the glyphs themselves. This matches exactly with what the subway designs were intended to achieve; seamless and easy communication of information. It is testament to the universal application of this Swiss design that it has been used in this situation. However, more than anything, I think it grounds the design, giving it a direct and assertive tone, slightly grittier than its ethereal clean cut looks started out being.

In this situation the typeface has been the inspiration for the look of all other aspects of the design, or at least appear to be. The letter forms have a strong two dimensional presence and this is a theme continued throughout the signage and maps. There is a definite functional look to the way this has been created, once again fitting with the functional nature of the designs and the subway its self. This simplistic two dimensional look allows the use of multiple colours with out it looking too busy and once again for the designs to perform there function.

The latest map for the subway is a clear example of the way vignelli used the letter forms of Helvetica as the starting point for the rest of the designs. The mix of straight lines and soft corners are a perfect match for the glyphs of Helvetica.