As I was sweating it out in the unique climate of the New York City subway yesterday, I was admiring the tile mosaics on the wall. I had never really taken too much interest in the typefaces used before until Paul Shaw’s presentation at the Type Director’s Club this past February.
Helvetica is not the typeface Massimo Vignelli chose for the signage of the New York City subway. Massimo Vignelli did not design the signage for the New York City subway. Helvetica is the typeface of the signage of the New York City subway. Despite what Helvetica: The Film says or your eyes tell you as you take the subway to work—or for a leisurely tour of the depths of Brooklyn—these statements are all true. The contradictions are simply part of the convoluted history of introducing a rational, coherent, consistent and complete sign system to the world’s most complex subway system—and then trying to maintain it.
Now as I navigate the underground labyrinth I’m sure to compare each subway stop’s signage. Helvetica can easily be identified in the system’s modern signage (the official typeface of the MTA today), as pointed out in Gary Hustwit’s 2007 documentary about the typeface, but have you noticed other typefaces? How did the subway’s signage evolve over the years to eventually set on Helvetica?
Shaw summed up his presentation with a great essay on AIGA.org. Not only is it a very informative history lesson about the New York City subway system and the business behind it, but also a compelling story about how designers and typefaces can influence communication in a major way. I especially enjoyed reading that the Paris Métro was a mess of uncoordinated signage until 1971, when Métro, designed by Adrian Frutiger and based on his Univers typeface (one of my personal favorites), was introduced. I encourage you to read Shaw’s essay entitled, “The (Mostly) True Story of Helvetica and the New York City Subway,” in its entirety and then I would love to hear all, especially New Yorkers’, opinions on the subject.
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Mon, Jun 22, 2009
Brand & Identity, Commentary, Print Design