GRAPHIC DESIGN / FALL 2015 Log in
s
  • Ê
  • Â

Jess Caldwell

Paul Rand November 15, 2015

44735103_129658302111

Paul Rand, Interfaith Day, 1954

Though Paul Rand lived a long life full of design, in this exhibition we will be focusing more on his more simplistic artwork. The art that shows a lot with only showing very little. You will notice in these pieces, that they are not only simple, but also colorful. It was decided to use some of Paul Rand’s more simple art pieces because that is how he would prefer to work during his life.

Paul Rand, who was born Peretz Rosenbaum, was born on August 15, 1914 in Brooklyn, New York and later on passed away on November 26, 1996. He was known as one of the world’s most famous graphic designers. He created very many posters and helped business create their logo/identity, such as IBM, UPS and ABC. When Paul Rand would present his designs to clients, he would explain how his designs would meet their needs by presenting them in booklets. Rand was also very patient and clear with his clients who may have not been visual thinkers. This is rather intelligent because when explaining a design to a client it is a good idea to keep it understandable and having a patient attitude that will help make the relationship between client and designer better. In the 40’s, Paul Rand’s work in advertising helped businesses have a different way of approaching branding. He was very clever when it came to ads. Rand knew that an ad was only used to sell a product, but believed that the designer should be artistic to be able to visually convey a message. A philosophy that he followed was the use of symbolism. Rand believed that the relationship between the viewer and the designer should be formed and connected through a symbolic element and by making the abstract forms concrete to help the viewer understand the design. Without Paul Brand’s take on creating ads and logos, the world of advertisement may have been a different place.

Signature points of Paul Brand:
1. He helped art directors gain more power within corporations instead of having the copywriters in charge.
2.”He was very down-to-Earth, and fit into this Brooklyn boys’ world of corporate advertising in New York.”
3. He believes that to a serious problem, humor can serve as an aid.

All About Paul Rand
Graphic Design Legend Paul Rand
Thoughts on Paul Rand’s Design
Paul Rand Identity
Paul Rand Poster

 

 

 

4 GD History   b Add comment       

Leave a Reply

Christina Lyons

Max Bill November 15, 2015

Info about Gallery 

I find Bill’s work very interesting, especially in his Concrete Art. He has simple abstractions with geometric shapes. His use of color is also done in complimentary ways in similar hues. There’s no figurative or natural elements, just pure abstraction. His designs contain clarity and has precision to it. I find his forms to be very masculine and angular. It would create a great contrast in who the panelists are in the exhibition. It would be called Max Bill: Concrete Masculinity, Feminine Color Theory, where the use of color is explored in his masculine forms. This would touch upon his design in his paintings, since I believe they really capture his artistic talents and show a different light to his graphic design.

Old Bio

Max Bill was a Swiss graphic designer, painter, architect, sculptor, and product designer who lived from 1908-1994. He is associated with Concrete Art and Environmental Design. He studied at the Dessau Bauhaus where he was taught by renowned artists like Josef Albers, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Klee. He received a well rounded education at the Bauhaus where he learned various mediums of art. His work dominates in the medium of painting where he had begun in landscapes and portraits until in 1931 he began geometric abstraction in his works in Zurich. In the 1930s he was a member of the Parisian artist group known as the “Abstraction-Création”, where he began exhibiting his work. In Paris he befriended artists like Mondrian and Hans Arp.

While creating more abstract works, Bill began formulating the Principles of Concrete Art, where he is known to be one of the founders and great contributor to this genre. Concrete Art is a genre of abstract art which has no figurative or symbolic references, it has to be wholly devoid of natural elements. It is known as the purest form of abstraction. It is evident Bill definitely was able to develop and refine this genre from his education with Kandinsky.

In 1952 Bill was the architect and head of the department for architecture and product form at the Ulm School of Design. He continued the traditions of the Bauhaus at the Ulm School of Design. His forms and teachings were always re-interpreting the Bauhaus theory. The theory basically was form follows function. He studied at other various institutions and continued to lecture and write about his counterparts and artistic theory. His publications turned him into the most “fruitful stimulators of Modern Concrete Art in post-war Europe among the Bauhaus generation of students”.

Bill was an incredibly diverse artist. He designed a series of clocks and watches for a company called Junghans. He also designed various pieces of furniture. He also created various sculptures which were spherical in form and made from stone, metal, wood, and plaster. Many of his sculptures were created for outdoor viewing. One of his most popular sculptures is the “Pavilion Sculpture”. It’s clear lines and structure are simple and abstract.

I really find his work wonderful and fascinating. I’m becoming more and more fascinated in abstract art. I am always drawn to the Bauhaus style and schooling method. I really connect to Max Bill, because I want to be a graphic designer who also works in studio art and other mediums as well.

Old Signature Bullet Points 

  1. He was a major supporter and artist in the genre known as Concrete Art.
  2. He created forms that could be understood by the senses. It is characterized by its clarity in the design and precise proportions.
  3. He was an incredibly versatile and well-rounded artist. He was not only a graphic designer, but was a sculptor, silversmith, architect, painter, furniture maker, and more.

Max Bill. Variation 12. 1938

Old Post Links 

Definition of Concrete Art

Meaning of Bill’s “Pavilion Sculpture”

General Information on Max Bill

MOMA’s info on Max Bill

4 GD History   b Add comment       

Leave a Reply

Patrick Regan

Massimo Vignelli November 14, 2015


Then, Here, Now : Massimo Vignelli and His Wife

 

I believe that Massimo Vignelli’s work id best used to show his versatility. He had the architect background and brought that to all aspects of design. He did not only use his skills to make logos or graphic designs but instead he also created home where and furniture. He wanted to bring his simplistic views to all aspects of design to make the world an easier place to live. The exhibit should show his strive for simplicity yet a focus on beautiful design.

Massimo Vignelli was born in 1931 in Italy. He studied to be an architect during World War II. He used to say that if he was born a generation earlier or later he would not have been a Designer because he would either have had to participate in the war or be involved with the reconstruction after. He met his wife Lella in college and because of there shared interests in architecture and design they got married and became business partners. They both moved to New York to start their own design company Vignelli Associates. He is best known for designing logos for such companies as American Airlines and Bloomingdales as well as reconstructing the New York City subway map. He is also known as the man who brought Helvetica to the US. He had a very modernistic design approach, which could also be considered timeless because his designs are everywhere even today. He believed a good designer looked at the world and tried to make it better. Take away the things that are not needed and make everything much more simple. There is an ease to all of his work that I find comforting and smooth to look at. It takes a truly talented designer to take something so simple yet be able to make it there own and new.

Massimo talked about how the materials that he would use to create the final outcomes for his design helped inspire him. He made a table out of just a sheet of metal and pipes that was so simple yet a beautiful design. He also used the grid and believed it was essential for design. Finally he had a need for his work to be immortal and timeless.

4 GD History   b Add comment       

Leave a Reply

Julia Peet

Bradbury Thompson November 14, 2015

Bradbury Thompson was an influential designer of the twentieth century. His use of pop colors to accentuate certain areas of a design was intriguing to audiences around the world. People loved his work because it was generally vibrant and fun. He used color to add highlights and emphasize certain components of his work, like in his “Rock Roll: 1969-1979” or “Mademoisel: 1952”. Thompson also used shape and form to create his own hierarchy within his design and make certain elements stand out. The color schemes are simple and easy to absorb. Thompson would often work in conjunction with multiple designers over extended periods of time in order to perfect a design; whether it be a magazine cover, a poster, or another medium. Often Thompson makes use of the technique of silhouetting, where he blacks out or whites out one shape in order to make it come forth from the background. Thompson manages to do this with color too, which makes for quite an interesting piece.. Bradbury Thompson is thought to be a powerhouse designer of “pop art”, where color, form, and shape take precedence over the intimate details. Bradbury Thompson’s works connected powerfully with later designers and artists, and inspired them to continue the tradition of pop art into the modern era.

Bradbury Thompson: bibliography, facts, design
Bradbury Thompson: Graphic Design Archive

Three concepts I learned from Bradbury Thompson are:
1. Thompson stressed the importance of Background and Foreground imaging to bring his designs to life and add a 3 dimensional element to them.
2. Thompson made use of color to add highlights instead of shading.
3. Thompson really emphasized Shape and Form over the intimate details of a composition, which seemed to make the piece really pop.

Bradbury Thompson, Yale University Capital, 1968

4 GD History   b Add comment       

Leave a Reply

Elizabeth Robinson

Jan Tschichold November 14, 2015

Tschichold, Transit Typeface, 1931

Tschichold, TYPOGRAPHISCHE MITTEILUNGEN, 1925

Jan Tschichold was a creative man; a man of many beliefs. In Tschichold early years he had one specific beliefs about typography. He believed that the most powerful and important designs are made with san-serif typefaces. He criticized all other typefaces during this time. In 1928, Tschichold writes a book called, Die Neue Typographie (The New Typography), which introduces his new found philosophy. The book also conveys his opinion on asymmetry layouts. He designs a layout called the Tschichold grid which shows the right and wrong ways to design a layout. He thought that non-centered layouts can only bring more strength to your design, out with the classic and in with the abstract. His early career demonstrates this philosophy. In posters he designs for movies like, Casanova, Napoleon, and The Woman Without a Name, he layers with intense diagonals and contradicting angles. The pieces show his value for modernist design. Tschichold did not stick with modernist designs for much longer in his career. In 1947-49 he designed the Penguin Books, which, compared to his older designs, were extremely different. These books had centered type, simplified designs, and basic formatting. He abandoned all his former beliefs and called the Die Neue Typographie, too extreme. He went as far to say that the modernist design all together was fascist. In 1966/67 he then created a serif font, Sabon, which became a bestseller from then on.

Born in Leipzig, Germany on April 2, 1902, Jan Tschichold started working with typography at a very young age. He fled to Switzerland during the start of the Nazi party. Germany had strict rules against typography and only used Blackletter calligraphy. When Tschichold expanded typography and used san-serif  typefaces, which were said to be a threat to the cultural heritage of Germany, the Germans took much of his work before he fled to Switzerland. He would become a writer, teacher, and designer of typefaces. He created the typeface, Sabon, which is still an extremely popular font. He published books like, Penguin Books, Die Neue Typographie, The New Typography and he oversaw the creations of more than 500 books between 1947-49. Tchischold was one of the most powerful influences of 20th century typography. His career has made a huge impact on how we think and use typography today.

I really enjoy looking at his work. Almost all the covers he designs are created with angles, levels, bold, and are distinctively no more than three colors. His work is simple, but rugged at the same time. His words are jumbled together onto one page, but the viewer is able to understand the flow and read it clearly. His work seems to have a modern feel with what people design today.

Research Links: Design is History

 

Jan Tschichold

Images

Typography

Designer

Timeline

4 GD History   b Add comment       

Leave a Reply

Randall

Graphic Design History November 13, 2015

AcrobatScreenSnapz039

Download and read the following PDF: Graphic Design History / Chapter 2.

Make note of the various visual styles and movements in this history. Which styles do you respond to? How is the world of graphic design today informed by yesterday? What similarities and differences can you identify in the way graphic design functions? What makes a work of graphic design great?

List of Designers from the twentieth century.
You  have been assigned one of these designers to explore in an email. Research this designer and their work.

  1. Peter Behrens
  2. Lucien Bernhard
  3. McKnight Kauffer
  4. A.M. Cassandre
  5. Kazimir Malevich
  6. Laslo Moholy-Nagy
  7. Max Bill
  8. Alexander Rodchenko
  9. El Lissitzky
  10. Theo Van Doesburg
  11. Herbert Bayer
  12. Jan Tschichold
  13. Piet Zwart
  14. Herbert Matter
  15. Lester Beall
  16. Ladislav Sutnar
  17. Paul Rand
  18. Alvin Lustig
  19. Saul Bass
  20. Adrian Frutiger
  21. Bradbury Thompson
  22. Alexey Brodovitch
  23. Josef Muller-Brockman
  24. Armin Hoffman
  25. Wolfgang Weingart
  26. Milton Glaser
  27. Ivan Chermayeff
  28. Shigio Fukada
  29. Herb Lubalin
  30. Massimo Vignelli
  31. Neville Brody
  32. David Carson

 

How to make a gallery on the class site
Create a gallery of work by your designer.

 

Due Sunday, November 16

Part 1
Write a 200 word paragraph about your assigned graphic designer. Reference published material, but bring your personal insight and thoughts into your writing. Pay particular attention to the the designer’s approach or methodology, the context in which they worked. How did the work of this designer connect to the audience of the period?

Please mind the spelling and grammar. Don’t forget to include your primary research links.

Part 2
Highlight three distinctive and signature points that you learned about that person. These are details which gave you insight into the designer and their work as outlined in the first part above. Be succinct.

Part 3
Create a gallery of 5-9 important works by that designer. Identify the following in the caption: 

  1. Name of Designer
  2. Name of work
  3. year
  4. other relevant details

Example gallery  below:

Paula Scher, Name of Piece

4 10: History / GD History   b Add comment       

Leave a Reply

Jess Caldwell

Hierarchy Reading November 13, 2015

Hierarchy in design is very important. It helps guide the viewers eyes throughout the page. I found it interesting that most people think that hierarchy in design is just used with words on a page, but it is so much more. Photos and images can help display hierarchy within a page or the use of images and words can help represent it as well. Most people think that when you set up a page that the most important image, word and or title belong at the top  and the goal is to make the eyes travel downwards. As a graphic designer I find this to be rather boring at times and find it more interesting and a challenge to make the reader start from a different point and make their eyes move in an unconventional way, but also be able to have them understand the flow and not get confused by what is presented to them.

4 09: Hierarchy   b Add comment       

Leave a Reply

Elizabeth Robinson

Hierarchy November 9, 2015

Hierarchy is an important aspect in design, because it emphasizes the main components of the piece. Hierarchy allows your eyes to run through the design, picking out the most important words, pictures, graphics. This system is used to pull the significant material forward to show the viewer the order of things in the design. The order is so important to a successful design. Using larger font type in a design will draw the viewer in allowing them to see the visual hierarchy of the piece. This reading was a good refresher for me and reminded me that the simplest things in a design can be the most important.

4 09: Hierarchy   b Add comment       

Leave a Reply

Patrick Regan

Hierarchy November 9, 2015

a visual hierarchy is how importance is placed on an image and how that can change the feel of the overall presentation. This is a necessary aspect for graphic designers because that is a lot of ways is what they are paid to do. while everything needs to look nice if the information that needs to be conveyed is not properly conveyed then there is no point.

4 09: Hierarchy   b Add comment       

Leave a Reply

Todd Gaunt

Hierarchy November 9, 2015

I never realized how important hierarchy is until reading this article. I have always noticed hierarchy but never realized the significance behind it. This class and project made me much more aware about how hierarchy can be conveyed. Without hierarchy, it would be hard for you to tell apart the most important part of the design and less important part of the design. When you see a poster of some sort, you always notice that the text that is the biggest and stands out to you the most is what the designer wants you to look at first. The rest of the poster is broken down and consists of different sized texts based on the significance and importance of what that text is trying to tell you. Creating hierarchy is important because you need to know exactly what you want to stand out the most and what is most important, but in a reasonable consistent form.

4 09: Hierarchy   b Add comment       

Leave a Reply

« Previous Page — Next Page »