Font Nerdery, Creativity and Constraints

Tonight the combination of eerily targeted paid advertising and an eroding end of day focus landed me on the 2007 documentary film - Helvetica. I consider myself a typography semi-pro, maybe closer to a sophisticated novice, possibly more of an engaged amateur. I can identify a few fonts. Of course, not everyone can handle the heart-pounding thrill ride of a 13-year-old documentary about a font, but given my ankle-deep typography expertise, I was compelled to click play.  

Helvetica, the film, provides the origin story and context you’d expect from your typical font-driven box office blockbuster. I don’t want to give too much away if you’re interested in watching, I’ll just say...1957...Swiss...and a mysterious aka “Neue Haas Grotesk.” Beyond the shadows, typographical intrigue and non-stop action, the film does manage to surface some interesting creative insights and ideas.  

Respect for the Typeface OG’s - Today we change fonts in a quick click or two. Back in the day, type foundries would design and then manufacture typefaces into wood and metal elements that would be utilized in print machinery. There was such craft and precision involved in the manufacturing of type and the old school printing processes. Most of us take for granted how our modern tools and tech have empowered our creativity.  

Amazing tools don’t equal amazing work - Using the world’s most powerful creative tools, standing on the shoulders of previous creative genius, we collectively still manage to create an epic volume of painfully boring, ugly, rambling, convoluted, horrendous content. Of course, we create breathtaking and inspiring work as well, but it’s clear that access to a whole new universe of tools hasn’t eliminated the need for skill, vision, and craft. In the wrong hands, our modern tools simply enable the creation of more bad stuff faster. Helvetica, the film, reminds us that tools are just tools. Talent and skill, even without the best tools, can still create incredible things. Talent and skill empowered with modern tools are a potent combination. 

Beauty, and possibly a stick, is in the eye of the beholder - Helvetica, the film, brings to light a bit of a font-roversy. There are those in the creative community who see the use of Helvetica as a creative cop-out, cliched, a lazy and unimaginative choice. This group sees Helvetica as the Honda Accord of fonts, a safe, reliable, but ultimately forgettable and uninteresting typeface. On the other side of this issue is a group that sees Helvetica as a mysterious and magical form of design genius. The pro-Helvetica group believes Helvetica is infinitely extensible, relevant and effective in virtually any context and almost miraculous in its design. The Pro-Helvetican Honda Accord can be a monster truck, sports car, SUV or flatbed truck. There’s nothing Helvetica can’t do. 

Yes, our polarized world has made its way all the way down to battles about fonts. Sigh. 

Constraints are creative fuel - I heard a very successful entrepreneur talk about how “money can make you stupid.” He wasn’t talking about the rich young actor/musician/athlete variety of money can make you stupid. He was referring to how many young companies, flush with new investor cash, make unsustainable and often reckless decisions. Companies with more constrained financial resources struggle in other ways, but because their options are more limited, they have to be more creative and thoughtful. More resources can enable bad decisions. 

Two designers featured in the film, Helvetica fans btw, specifically mentioned how they loved using Helvetica because of its flexibility, but also because they felt like the constraint of working within the Helvetica family forced them to ultimately be more creative in other areas,

“The more restrictions we have, the happier we are.”

Never in my career have I encountered a marketing leader who was fully satisfied with their budget, no matter how massive. Every marketer has at some point in their career been forced to “get creative” when it comes to making do with resources. Next time we’re faced with budget or other limitations maybe this kind of thinking can help us reframe things. Probably much easier said than done.  

Intimate Appreciation - Helvetica, the film, touches broadly on creativity. There’s a terrific segment with David Carson, of Ray Gun Magazine fame, on creative rules and taking chances and throughout the film, there’s a smattering of little insights on creativity. One of the best pearls comes from graphic designer Paula Scher talking about how truly outstanding creative work becomes even more impressive as you get closer and more connected to it. Scrutiny and a more intimate view surface even more from a brilliant work. 

“The closer you come to it and can see it the more you can appreciate when it’s terrific”

- Paula Scher 

So give a nod to the typeface OG’s, know that tools don’t equal talent, beware Helvetica politics, see constraints as creative opportunities and remember genuinely amazing work shines more brightly as you get closer to it.