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DESIGN N THINGS.                                                                                                        ARTIST
              September/October.                                                                                                     PROFILES
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                                                                                                                                                He’s the creator of the Helvetica typeface
                                                                                                                                                  and a profound figure in typographic history.





                                                                                                                                                                                        Edouard Hoffman on the typeface which would lat-

                                                                                                                                                                                            Four years after its birth, Helvetica was given
                                                                                                                                                                                           an oblique brother. More weights were added later,
                                                                                                                                                                                         er be called Helvetica.
                                                                                                                                                                                            verse foundries, but these lacked consistency, and
                                                                                                                                                            ax Miedinger was a Swiss typeface de-
                                                                                                                                                                                             Helvetica became a hodge podge of different fonts.
                                                                                                                                                             signer. He was famous for creating the
                                                                                                                                                                                                 Linotype has since redrawn every style and
                                                                                                                                                              Neue Haas Grotesk typeface in 1957
                                                                                                                                                                                                 weight of the font to make a consistent family
                                                                                                                                                     Mwhich was renamed Helvetica in 1960.  ” ” ” ”  but they were made by different designers in di-
                                                                                                                                                                                                        of typefaces. Differences in alignment
                                                                                                                                                      Marketed as a symbol of cutting-edge Swiss technol-
                                                                                                                                                                                                               were corrected, subtle fea-
                                                                                                                                                                                                               tures were made consistent
                                                                                                                                                          Between 1926 and 1930 Miedinger trained as a
                                                                                                                                                                                                               from one face to another, and
                                                                                                                                                                                      tended
                                                                                                                                                       ogy, Helvetica went global at once.
                                                                                                                                                                                                               all the weights and widths were
                                                                                                                                                         typesetter in Zürich, after which he at-
                                                                                                                                                                                                               designed to work together as one
                                                                                                                                                          evening classes at the Kunstgewerbe-
                                                                                                                                                                                                               family. This new family is called
                                                                                                                                                                                                               Neue Helvetica,  and is available
                                                                                                                                                              At the age of sixteen Max be-
                                                                                                                                                          schule in Zürich.
                                                                                                                                                            came an apprentice typesetter
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Today, Helvetica is shunned by
                                                                                                                                                                                                               from, among others, Adobe.
                                                                                                                                                             at a book printing office for
                                                                                                                                                                                                        many designers because it is overused due to its
                                                                                                                                                                                                               “ “ “ “
                                                                                                                                                             Jacques Bollmann (in Zürich).
                                                                                                                                                                                                         being the default typeface on many desktop pub-
                                                                                                                                                                                                          lishing software packages. But, remember, it is the
                                                                                                                                                              After four years as an ap-
                                                                                                                                                                                                           default face because it is such a reliable, workhorse
                                                                                                                                                               prentice, Miedinger enrolled
                                                                                                                                                                                                            of a typeface. Together with Times New Roman,
                                                                                                                                                                in the School of Arts and
                                                                                                                                                                 old, he went to work for an advertising
                                                                                                                                                                 Crafts. When he was 26 years
                                                                                                                                                                  studio called Globe. Here he worked as a typog-
                                                                                                                                                                                                            Helvetica was the most specified face of the ’60s,
                                                                                                                                                                   rapher and improved his skills. After ten years
                                                                                                                                                                    of working at Globe, Miedinger then gained em-
                                                                                                                                                                     ployment with Haas Type Foundry as a represen-
                                                                                                                                                                     tative. This is where he made his mark on history
                                                                                                                                                                      and designed the most used typeface of the 20th
                                                                                                                                                                                                             ’70s and ’80s.
                                                                                                                                                                          In 1956 Miedinger became a freelance graphic
                                                                                                                                                                         designer and about a year later he collaborated with
                                                                                                                                                                       century, Helvetica.
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