Among typefaces, Helvetica is probably the most used sans-serif in the 19th century—it is the fifty year old font which we commonly see in subways, logos, signage, artworks, books, and even in income tax forms.
We see Helvetica almost everywhere, often times barely recognizing that we are looking at the same font. It’s very interesting to note that its simplicity actually stemmed from a very rich history: In 1957, Swiss gents, Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffman created a typeface named Neue Haas Grotesk. They envisioned a new font to rival Akzidenz-Grotesk, the first widely used sans-serif during their time. They wanted to design something that is very neutral and applicable to a wide range of uses. They wanted a font that is chameleon-like with its versatility. A few years later, they changed the name to Helvetica.
