The Yves Saint Laurent logo is what I consider the little black dress of logos: chic, timeless and elegant. Since its creation in 1961, it has emblazoned many a dress, jacket and handbag. It has arguably become one of the most recognizable logos.
July 10, 1969. As billions of people watch with bated breath, Neil Armstrong climbs down the ladder of the Eagle and proclaims, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Buzz Aldrin follows after him. They explore the surface of the moon, collect samples and take photographs. They then planted an American flag, to honour the fallen Apollo 1 crew. It reads, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.” In Futura.
Born out of the modern movement, Helvetica became one of the most popular fonts of the 20th century. During the 50’s Eduard Hoffman who served as co-director of Hass Type Foundry in Münchenstein, Switzerland collaborated with Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger to create a font similar to Akzidenz Grotesk, which was initially designed in 1869. Originally released as Neue Haas Grotesk, it was adopted by Stempel and Linotype for hot metal composition, the standard typesetting method at the time for body text, and on the international market. To make it more marketable, it was renamed to Helvetica in the 1960s. The font was sold to Adobe, Apple, and Xerox, fortifying its identity in the world of design. The typeface soon gained popularity in Europe, after a multitude of companies adopted it as their brand identity. Helvetica was adopted by Apple as its official font. The iconic BMW logo uses the font, as does the electronics brand LG. Toyota, Panasonic, Target, Nestle, American Airlines, and an array of other companies picked up on the font.
“Comic Sans is a blight on the landscape of typography,” says Dave Combs, the founder of Ban Comic Sans website. Any person who has used a computer probably knows Comic sans. Every person who lives in the social media era probably knows how much the internet hates Comic sans. In fact, the font is despised enough to have its own anti-fan website.
Blackletter: a font known for its striking similarity to handwriting and renowned among both calligraphers and typographers alike. Although now mainly used for dramatic headings and displays, it was previously the most widely used text during the middle ages. The history of Blackletter predated printing and originated in Europe in the 12th century.
In 2000, Tobias Frere-Jones strolled through the cascading metropolis of New York City until he came across Manhattan’s Port Authority Bus Terminal. This mundane bus station served as inspiration for the creation of a refreshing familiar, sans serif typeface featuring four widths and eight heights and exuded the bold and inviting essence of the American vernacular, namely Gotham. To be specific, Frere-jones was inspired by the charming sign of the Port Authority Bus Terminal and the characteristic letterings on buildings and shops around New York City. “I suppose there’s a hidden personal agenda in the design,” Frere-Jones said, “to preserve those old pieces of New York that could be wiped out before they’re appreciated. Having grown up here, I was always fond of the ‘old’ New York and its lettering.”
