Articles

A selection of graphic design articles based on the design artefacts in the archive. Articles discussing aspects of design such as logos, advertisements, posters and book covers. Explore historical context and its impact on the field of graphic design.

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Hans Michel and Günther Kieser. Advertising for the German Federal Mail
  • Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content

Hans Michel and Günther Kieser. Advertising for the German Federal Mail

The advertising has a certain contrast of hand-drawn and mechanical. Produced entirely in black, it reminds us that the absence of colour can be highly effective. Hans Michel and Günther Kieser's illustrations bring a sense of both playfulness and a stylistic approach to a corporate client.
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Siegfried Odermatt advertisment designs for Grammo Studio
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Siegfried Odermatt and the Swiss Design for Grammo Studio

A fantastic example of Swiss design for brand systems is the brand and advertising by Siegfried Odermatt commissioned by Grammo Studio in Zurich.
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Glorious Devon, S.P.B. Mais, Great Western Railway Company, 1934. Cover design by Edward McKnight Kauffer
  • Design Archive Feature

The E. McKnight Kauffer 1955 Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum by F.H.K Henrion

A review of the memorial exhibition of Edward McKnight Kauffer at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1955 by F.H.K. Hernion
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Scan 47 copy 2
  • Design Archive Feature

House Style – Why it important? by Alec Davis

House style can give identity to the diverse products or activities of a firm. It stimulates loyalty, helps to reduce costs, and has advertising value.
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Inspiring-the-students-at-Arts-University-Bournemouth--1024x723
  • Workshops and Lectures

Inspiring the students of Arts University Bournemouth

My lectures and workshops also help bridge the gap between academia and industry. Through my lectures and collecting, I strive to promote design as a ever-changing dynamic industry that has the power to shape and improve the world we live in.
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Poster for the film «The Little Truant» designed by Hans Hillmann, 1960
  • Design Archive Feature

German Posters 1960 by Erich Pfeiffer-Belli

Every year the 20 best posters are selected in Germany and once more brought to the attention of the public. We do not publish all the twenty posters today; instead we add some which failed to be distinguished and which nevertheless are distinguished.
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Newspaper ads for the metal works Siam di Tella designed by Guillermo Gonzalez Ruiz
  • Design Archive Feature

Guillermo Gonzalez Ruiz by Sigwart Blum, 1964

A few years ago the publicity department of Siam di Tella found a collaborator who early in his studies of architecture was attracted by the problems of visual art. His name is Guillermo González Ruiz he was born in Chascomus (Province of Buenos Aires) in 1937. Between 1957 and 1960 he received 18 awards in poster competitions, some of which were of particular importance.
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Full-page ads for the newspaper «Stuttgarter Nachrichten» designed by Herbert W. Kapitzki
  • Design Archive Feature

Abstract Publicity – Self-Advertisements of the Stuttgarter Nachrichten by Fritz Seitz, 1963

The graphic designer had to create a series of ads whose new publicity effects were to confirm or accentuate the already existing • image • of the paper. In this case, the planning was not based on a would-be psychological analysis of the reading public.
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Almanaque, July 1960 designed by Sebastião Rodrigues
  • Design Archive Feature

Covers of Portuguese Periodical, Almanaque by Franz Hermann Wills, 1963

The covers of the periodical ALMANAQUE, which was published in Lisbon, are perfect examples of this pleasure in the unusual and the force of with which all sorts of foreign influences are assimilated.
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Graphis 148, 1970 deisgned by Gottschalk + Ash
  • Design Archive Feature

Gottschalk + Ash by Bill Bantey, 1970

When Fritz Gottschalk and Stuart Ash joined forces in Montreal, it was a partnership ideally suited to the city's hybrid environment. Gottschalk's training in graphic design in Switzerland, Paris and London was rigid, his background European; Ash, Canadian born and educated, was trained in the North American fashion, though he was influenced by his work with European designers
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Typographical Poster for an Exhibition of Present Day Photography by Walter Dexel
  • Design Archive Feature

New Paths in Poster Work, 1931 by Jan Tschichold

In minor printed matter we constantly meet the new typography, but it is relatively rare to find posters designed on the new lines. And yet poster-designing is a field where new typographical methods might be employed with great effect.
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Poster designed by Ernst L. Franke
  • Design Archive Feature

The Inventive Publicity of Austria, 1930 by John Harrison

A country is never dead so long as it has an art. Austria is a proof of this maxim. Its liveliness since the war is liveliness which has displayed itself in the arts to a remarkable extent : it deserves the world's admiration and respect.
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Pharmaceutical Ad Design by Hans Jürgen Rau
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The Design and Photography of Hans Jürgen Rau by Hans Kuh, 1962

In Rau's case, the combination of graphic design and photo produces a particularly positive result, since he uses the photo not so much as an object of representation but rather as a suggestive means of expression.
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Taxilan Adverisment designed by Atelier Theo Häussler
  • Design Archive Feature

Atelier Theo Häussler – Designing for the Pharmaceutical Industry by Carl Heussner, 1963

Theo Häussler's commercial art is distinguished by its clear and disciplined form and its distinct advertising message.
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Scan 143 copy 5
  • Design Archive Feature

Geigy Chemical Corporation, USA. An Example of Integrated Advertising by William B. McDonald

An advertising programme is fully integrated only when its effect is powerful enough to play a major part in determining a corporate image. Geigy advertising is an example of this successful integration.
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What has been said about the styling of advertisements goes for the field of publicity for chemical and pharmaceutical products as well. Whether it is a soporific, an analgetic or a protein remedy for defects of malnutrition - nearly without a single word, the efficiency of the product in question is symbolically characterized in the composition and the choice of colours equally to the point, on the covers of these prospectuses. Suppositions for such achievements are the highest level and a freedom of artistic means which our businessmen, when employing commercial artists, are only too seldom ready to grant. Designs Matthew Leibowitz
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Advertising Pharmaceuticals, A Comparison of German and American Advertising in 1950

As a chemist, I have an obligation to be curious – I grab a stack of our chemical journals and start with the advertising section. I start it, the walk through the sand. I don’t want to deny some oases. But soon I’m bored and tired.
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Kew Gardens Poster deisgned by George Plante
  • Design Archive Feature

The Aims of Young Designers: George Plante, 1934

“They’ll never stand for that” and “It’s too modern” are, as George Plante aptly puts it, the restraintive thoughts which beset a commercial artist who tries to let himself go.
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Front and back pages of the cover of a catalogue designed for Brann of Zürich by Ch. Vohdin
  • Design Archive Feature

Advertising the German Store by Jan Tschichold illustrated with design by Brann, 1931

An article by Jan Tschichold illustrated with examples of publicity produced by Brann of Zürich.
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Analysis of Paris Poster Hoardings - Photograph by Maywald, Paris
  • Design Archive Feature, Design Outlook

A 1938 Analysis of Paris Poster Hoardings by Dr. E. G. Paulus

The Paris Poster Hoardings of 1938. Posters gleam forth accentuating the melody of this city as they direct the eye to articles of everyday use and above all to people who are the talk of the hour.
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Publicity for Higher Education in the USA by J. J. De Lucio-Meyer
  • Design Outlook

Publicity for Higher Education in the USA by J. J. De Lucio-Meyer

The first American university to accept graphic designers as members of the faculty was the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, called M. I. T, for short. The work created by the design group reflects the high level of instruction, the realistic setting of the training and the progressive philosophy of this institute.
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Typografia, ročník 61, 01. Cover design by Oldřich Hlavsa.
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Oldřich Hlavsa and his design for Typografia magazine

Oldřich Hlavsa worked primarily in publication design and typography and played a major part in Czech graphic design history. He designed over 2000 book covers and published a series of his own books related to typography.
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max-huber
  • Designer Profile, Members Only Content

Max Huber

Max Huber worked across advertising, packaging, design and industrial design. He had a distinctive style that skillfully blended bright hues with photomontage.
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Interiors, February 1969. Cover design by Harper & George
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The Mid Century Cover Designs of Interiors Magazine

Interiors was an American magazine published by Whitney Publications, New York and ran from 1940. Before being relaunched as Interiors, the magazine was originally called The Upholsterer which ran from 1888 until 1940.
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Olivetti, advertisement, 1962. Designed by Walter Ballmer. Found on the back of Graphis 115, 1964
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Walter Ballmer’s Mid-Century Italian Graphic Design

Walter Ballmer was a Swiss graphic designer born in Liestal, Switzerland in 1923. He worked across various design disciplines including advertising design, packaging, typography and exhibition design.
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Publimondial 75, 1956. Cover design by Guy Georget
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The Illustrative Covers of French Journal, Publimondial

Publimondial was founded André Roulleaux in 1942 and remained in circulation until 1960. The French journal was published by Art et Publications and was subtitled ‘The Magazine of Graphic Arts and Advertising Technique’.
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Greeting Cards designed by Stephan Kantscheff. Scanned from Gebrauchsgraphik, 2, 1958
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Stephan Kantscheff (Kanschev) – A Bulgarian Master of Illustration

Stephan Kantscheff (Stephan Kanschev) was a Bulgarian artist born in Kaefer, Todental. His colourful palette and joyous, folk-esque illustrations won him many commissions and his work was celebrated for both its quality and social significance.
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karl-oskar-blase-design-graphic
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Karl Oskar Blase

Karl Oskar Blase was born in 1925 in Cologne, Germany. He was a prolific painter, designer, sculptor and exhibition curator. His work included magazine covers, for publications such as Form and Gebrauchsgraphik, stamp designs for the German Postal Service and film posters for companies such as Atlas Films.
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Radici, Graphic Design from Hypertextuality to Hyperknowledge (Radici, La Grafica dall’Ipertestualità all’Iperconoscenza), 2021.
  • Designer Interview

Katia Pecoraro: The dualism between system and freedom, design and life.

"Talking about myself as a designer is something that requires a powerful dialogue with my life experiences. In a radical way, I apply an exercise in which design forms become projections of life, extensions of meaning that constantly involve senses."
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Gebrauchsgraphik, 5, 1961 copy 3
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The selected poster designs for the Swiss Posters of 1960 award

The Best Swiss Posters Award was an annual competition, judged by a Swiss Jury. They selected a range of posters, showcasing a range of poster styles from completely typographic designs such as the work of Robert Büchler, to the illustrated posters of Donald Brun.
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Unimark International and the visual identity of South-African manufacturer, DEFY.
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Unimark International and the visual identity of South-African manufacturer, DEFY.

The identity manual consisted of 130 pages of information and brand usage with Arie J. Geurts heading up the project as design director, (who later headed up his own design studio in Los Angeles). The identity uses minimal colour and focuses on a consistent brand blue in all communications.
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pintori-olivetti
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Giovanni Pintori and his definitive visual language for Olivetti

Giovanni began his work with Olivetti in March 1938, and his work was showcased in various exhibitions and had a clear distinctive style that amplified the Olivetti brand image. His design defined the company’s visual image, and the iconic geometric designs are still as powerful and engaging today as they were in the 1950s.
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Otl Aicher - The Waters of Badgastein Poster
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The Publicity Design for Gastein Valley by Otl Aicher

One of Otl Aicher's lesser-known works was the identity and publicity for the Gastein Valley. Gastein valley was a resort for the elderly, an Austrian Alpine village in the Austrian state of Salzburg
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IBM, Federal Systems Division Brochure designed by Arthur Boden
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The Mid Century Graphic Design of IBM

They were many other designs who played an important role in IBM's graphic identity and implementation. Some of the other designers included Arthur Boden, Clarence Lee, Charles Keddie and Mary Beresford.
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Juan Carlos Distefano, Ruben Fontana and Carlos Soler, Poster, 1969
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Further examples of the collaboration of Juan Carlos Distéfano, Ruben Fontana and Carlos Soler

In my previous article about the design work produced for Insituto di Tella, I touched upon the artists Juan Carlos Distéfano, Ruben Fontana and Juan Andralis. After further research, I found a suite of other designs they had produced, including exhibition posters, concert programmes and record sleeves.
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Wolfgang Bäumer, Singular Graphic Composition, the advertisements of the Klöckner-Werke AG
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Wolfgang Bäumer, Singular Graphic Composition, the advertisements of the Klöckner-Werke AG

Bäumer gave the company a unique brand image amplifying its graphical image after a time of post-war economic recovery. This style of advertising composition can be seen across many 1960s campaigns, especially from other German designers such as Anton Stankowski.
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Juan Carlos Distefano, Exhibition Catalogue
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Juan Carlos Distefano and the Design and Publicity for the Instituto di Tella, Buenos Aires

Jean Carlos Distefano is an Argentinian artist, designer and teacher. He designed a range of posters, programmes brochures and book covers alongside Juan Andralis, Humberto Rivas and Roberto Alvarado for the Instituto di Tella, Buenos Aires.
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Scan 482 copy
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Posters and Publicity by Ken Briggs and Ian McLaren

Ian McLaren and Ken Briggs produced exceptional work for a range of clients in the arts and culture sector. Their client included CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament), The National Theatre and the Arts Council.
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Posters for the Shell Service Stations by Frank Eidlitz
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Arrows of Advertising – An Australian Shell Poster Campaign designed by Frank Eidlitz

A total of 24 posters were created for the campaign during 1964, using the arrow symbol as a key features, representing power, motion and speed. The handmade lithographs use up to 19 colours, which were individually printed at large scale. The posters also utilise the brand colours red and yellow from Shells corporate identity.
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Rudolph de Harak - Rational-Simplicity
  • Design Books

Rational Simplicity, the first major monograph of Rudolph de Harak by Richard Poulin

"Rudy is one of the unsung pioneers of American mid-century modernist graphic design. He had a unique and definitive point of view that was really never celebrated. This may have been attributed to his strict adherence to the formal principles of modernism and the International Typographic Style."
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Leeds Beckett University students utilising the design archive
  • Workshops and Lectures

Inspiring students from Leeds Beckett University

Last month (March 2022), I spoke to over fifty Graphic Design undergraduates about the archive and my passion for design history, after which the students had full access to items in the collection and participated in discourse amongst their peers and lecturers. As part of their critical studies unit, the students will be producing essays and content related to the impact, history and aesthetics of selected artefacts.
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Designer Profiles