Response to Helvetica

This blog post is my response to the film, Helvetica that was shown to me in my DESN290 (Graphic Design Basics: Web Design) last week. I was required to answer two questions are seeing this film. The two questions I have chosen and answered are:

Q1) In HELVETICA, design writer Richard Poynor says, “The designer has an enormous responsibility” as the person who is “putting wires into our heads.” What does he mean? How would you define that responsibility?

My answer to this question is that it is the responsibility of the designer to know their clients and audience in terms of the goals for a design brief or project. The goal for the designer in regards to the relationship with their client is to know what they want and how they want it accomplished. The goal for the designer in regards to the relationship with the clients’ audience is to know how to appeal to the clients’ audience by receiving a detailed brief from a client detailing what design techniques to use to create a unique project that will appeal and get the attention of the audience.

Q2) Imagine that the post office, your local bank or other government or corporate entity whose signage is familiar to you started using a different typeface. How would that change their image or your feeling about that business or organisation?

Last year Transport NSW changed the symbols of public transport from small pictures of ferries, trains and buses to the letters “F”, “T” and “B”. These changes were very simple and obvious and the aim for it was to make travelling simple for those unfamiliar to the Sydney area, especially international tourists or people visiting the area from out of town. Despite what seems like an obvious changed, it received mixed reviews. To regular commuters, the changes seemed irrelevant and unnecessary and others just found the letters confusing. I know I have sometimes, with trains symbols, when you have to change train lines during a trip, there are multiple “T” signs in different colours when you search for a schedule/time, which is confusing. Another great example of signage or typeface or just design in general is with social media websites. Facebook is the world’s most used social media website and their design changes constantly, in fact there was another design change last week, which I didn’t like at first, however it has grown on me.

I’m giving a long answer, but I think it is relevant and my point is that post offices, local banks, government entities, corporate entities, social media websites and really any companies/entities/website/businesses are eventually going to change their typeface or design in general over time as they have to keep up with the changing times and the changing needs of their clients/audience, especially since we are now living in a digital age or computer/device age. My feeling about any design change with any organisation depends on the organisation and the design changes themselves.