Essay 8 - Unit 3.2 - April 13

Today we looked at the American Corporate Design movement and saw how the influential works of Paul Rand, Chermayeff and Geismar, and Vignelli helped to shape a new way of looking at corporations and advertising. We also looked at the evolution of Pop-Culture, and the big ideas behind the "new Advertising". Finally, we examined Lubalins innovations with photo-typography and the exploration of individualism in accordance with 60's mantra.

Key Points:

–Paul Rand, the man to see for corporate design in the 50's-60's.

–New way of looking at corporations.

–Chermayeff and Geismar's "early design office".

–Vignelli and the Unigrid system.

–Knoll and the modern furniture movement.

–Growing distaste against the impersonal nature of corporate design.

–Pop-Culture emerging as a bridge to the Postmodernist movement.

–Wolf's conceptual images.

–The "New Advertising".

–Lois' work with Esquire magazine.

–Lubalin and Photo-Typography.

–Idea of Individualism pushed in design.

–Black Publication: Ebony.

–Graphic Design fully matures as a national profession, to be taught nationwide in schools and universities.

As perviously noted, I have a particular interest in identity design. It's fascinating to see where so many time-honored company logos came from, and amazing that they were all designed by just a handful of people. Additionally, it's interesting to see where many of the ideas, beliefs, and concepts we take for granted today originally came from.

Above all, one must remember the importance of clearly communicating their message when wielding the formidable weapon that is design.