Helvetica gets a makeover, France wants to redesign Notre-Dame’s spire and Netflix moves to Bushwick

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It finally happened. After 35 years as one of the world’s most iconic and pervasive typefaces, Helvetica has been given a refresh. The sans-serif typeface was, of course, first developed in 1957 by the Swiss designer Max Miedinger.

The ubiquitous font has long been cherished by creatives.

Keeping that in mind, the designers and engineers at Monotype (pictured above), which itself is the world’s oldest type company, spend four years in planning and designing the refresh. The result, Helvetica Now, was developed, the studio says, so it could better address the needs of today’s creatives.

This week I asked designers and creatives what they thought of Helvetica Now.

Sean Johnson is a fan: “I like the updated version, it's clean, and very specific. I have to remind myself how Helvetica's served me well in the past on many projects and brand redesigns.”

Sharilyn Castillo spoke for many, however: “I like it, totally get the whole modernizing fonts and logos and such. But why change a classic typeface?”

Tim Stapleton suggested the refresh should surface a bigger conversation: “It's fine, I don't hate it. But it doesn't solve the problem I have with the font. To me, Helvetica has always been a really safe choice and I think it has made some designers a bit lazy. It turns everything to vanilla.”

Count Daniel Shannon as a skeptic: “I'm not really sure how necessary it is to lay out $150 to purchase a new font that most clients would never be able to tell from the existing old one.”

Sam Powell took it a step further: “Helvetica is like your grandma's cookie recipe. It doesn’t need changing. Talk about reinventing the wheel!”

Take a look at the font. What you think of the update? Join the conversation here.

Reimagining France’s architectural treasure. There was an outburst of grief and bewilderment around the world this week as Paris’ beloved Notre-Dame cathedral burned in a melodramatic fire. Architects and designers were swiftly called upon for their insights into how to best design a replacement spire for the cathedral. French prime minister Edouard Philippe shocked the design world however when he told reporters that not only is France already planning an architectural competition in Paris, but that rather than simply recreating the original spire, they are soliciting ideas for a new design that can be "adapted to the techniques and the challenges of our era."

What do you think they should do? Is a new design too bold of an idea? How ambitious is France’s plan to rebuild within five years? Join the conversation here.

The government takes on typography. It might surprise some in the creative world that an institution often ridiculed for its dearth of creativity has been busily preparing the launch of its first foray into typography design. Launched this week, Public Sans is the name of this very font. It’s a bespoke revision of Libre Franklin, which itself was an open-source variation of the classic sans-serif typeface Franklin Gothic, according to It's Nice That. The font, described as “a sharper, crisper version of its parent,” is the second element of a four-year-long project from the US Web Design System that helps guide the design framework for the government’s 200-plus websites.

Did you know the government designs typeface? What do you think of the result? Would you consider using it? Let me know what you think.

A house totally designed by computer algorithms. Designers have long feared that AI could intrude on or even subtract parts of the creative design process. So the news this week that the Los Angeles-based tech company Cover has taken the concept of using computer algorithms to help in the design process to the extreme will likely be greeted with dismay by some. The company has unveiled a one bedroom, one bathroom backyard unit that's designed entirely by algorithms. Owners answer a mountain of pointed questions to help resolve where the computer would position doors and windows and also how large the bedroom should be compared to the kitchen.

What are your thoughts on this type of design? Is it a threat to the profession? Tell me what you think here.

Netflix is coming to Bushwick. Netflix is the latest tech company to expand its creative footprint in New York City, with the company gobbling up 100,000 square feet at 888 Broadway in Flatiron and about 160,000 square feet in Bushwick, in a block that’s just steps from the area’s epicurean landmark Roberta's Pizza. The announcement was made with much fanfare in the city this week and promised 127 new NYC-based positions in the Flatiron facility. With six sound stages set to be constructed in Bushwick, “thousands of production jobs” should come to the site within the next five years, a press release confidently trumpeted.

What do you think of the announcement? Will this make up for the loss of creatives jobs after Amazon's exit? Are the claims around new jobs for creatives a little optimistic? I’d love to know your thoughts.

And finally…

LinkedIn’s own designers have taken the wraps off their latest project: reactions. To help provide members with more ways to quickly and constructively communicate with one another, reactions will be rolled out globally to all members in the coming months in the LinkedIn mobile app and on the web. The hope is that the reactions will help members like you better connect and talk with your community. You can take a peek at the reactions above and then read an excellent, detailed account about the design process here.