Helvetica
Yesterday I finally got around to seeing the much talked about typography documentary, Helvetica. It was a bit slow but I really enjoyed seeing how a typeface so common (it’s practically on every store sign, airline and automobile; Heck even your IRS tax forms) has so many political connotations (modernists love it and post-modernists equate it to the Vietnam War). I have to admit that I am bit of a font geek and I never (consciously) realized how much it’s a part of brand identity. In fact I spent all afternoon biking around town looking at the different fonts used on store signs. Typographers see inspiration everywhere. Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix is said to contain many cool typefaces (I haven't seen it yet) that the design observer ran a article on it (here's a slide show featuring 23 typefaces from the movie).
One of the designers [interviewed in the documentary] brings about an interesting point. Agencies like the EPA and many evil corporation use Helvetica for its nice clean look to convey the “we’re not that evil” image. The Helvetica tag on flickr has many examples of it's widespread use.
Michael Beirut, also featured in the documentary, has some advice on how to choose a typeface. Also check out ilovetypography.com
PS: If you don't want to wait for the DVD, you can watch it instantly on Netflix (assuming you're a member of course).
