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Category: Corporate Identity & Branding

Articles on the history of corporate identity and branding. From postwar modernism to the systematic visual identity programmes that shaped twentieth century design.

Corporate identity emerged as a distinct design discipline in
the postwar decades, when companies began commissioning systematic
visual programmes to present themselves to the world. These
articles document the history of corporate identity and branding
through the artefacts in the archive . From early logotype design to
the comprehensive identity systems of the 1960s and 70s.

Articles Related to Corporate Identity & Branding

Membership from £2.49/month unlocks articles researched and inspired by the artefacts in the collection.

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Blue Circle Group Brand Identity design by Henrion Design Associates
  • Corporate Identity & Branding

design systems for international corporations by Henrion Design Associates

A 1971 portfolio and exhibition catalogue documenting the corporate identity work of Henrion Design Associates, a rare find revealing the full scope of FHK Henrion's branding practice.

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IBM, Traffic Planning Service Brochure designed by Banks & Miles. Scanned from Banks & Miles, Agency Portfolio Book, 1970s
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Regional Histories, Studios & Collectives

Banks & Miles. Designing Public Information

Banks & Miles, were founded in 1958 by Colin Banks and John Miles and became renowned for their design work with major British institutions and companies. They made significant contributions to type design and corporate identity.

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Design Coordination and Corporate Image, Studio Vista, 1967. KLM - Henrion
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Regional Histories

A Brand Evolution for KLM by Henrion Design Associates

KLM's brand evolution by Henrion Design Associates. Founded in 1919, KLM is the world's oldest operating airline. In 1961, Henrion Design Associates redesigned the iconic brand, overcoming challenges of standardisation and outdated aesthetics.
Systematic Surface Design
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature

Systematic Surface Design by Tobias Christoph, 1980

Systematic Surface Design eliminating the hindrance of searching for strategies and starting points, allowing designers to quickly find optimal solutions.

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Banco do Estado de São Paulo Logo designed by Aloísio Magalhães, 1969
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Typography & Type Design

The Logos and Symbols of Brazilian Designer, Aloísio Magalhães

Magalhães developed over 180 brands and in addition to developing visual identities, he also developed designs for Brazilian notes and coins.

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The Swiss designer Adrian Frutiger (1928–2015) created some fantastic typefaces such as Univers, Avenir, and Frutiger, alongside posters, catalogue designs and architectural lettering. He began his career at Deberny & Peignot in Paris as a type designer and set up his own studio in 1960 in Paris focusing on typography and advertising design. Working alongside André Gürtler and Bruno Pfäffli, Frutiger designed many logo designs. Here is a selection of the designs which were featured in Der Druckspiegel, December 1961. I have also translated and rewritten the descriptions to provide more depth. When describing the work of Adrian Frutiger, Kurt Weidemann states, “We live in a time of increasing abstraction,” says Frutiger, in a time of visual, intellectual symbols. If a miller wants a company logo, then a windmill or watermill does not provide a sufficient symbol of his profession. Rather, its job is to crush grains between two masses. Finding a pictorial metaphor for this process might be more difficult, but also more expressive, more apt and timeless. Memorable shapes are simple. A mark that can be immediately drawn in the sand by a child is good. The accompanying typography must not compete with the brand; it must be brought into harmony with it, supporting its expressiveness.) - Der Druckspiegel, October, 1961 (Translated from German) Logo for the advertising agency Arma Publicité. The symbol is based on the letters A R and M. The logo has an emphasised flatness that corresponds to the essence of advertising thanks to its black and white contrast. The triangle shape is a symbol of advancement and dynamism. The embossed form is used in cases requiring discretion. Lettering for the title of a scientific journal. The letterforms are made of straight lines and circles in the spirit of the exact measurements and structures in science. Small and capital letters are mixed together as a deliberate move away from tradition. Business brand for the Brancher Frères paint factory. On the one hand, it is based on the letters B and F, and on the other hand, the silhouettes of the paint can, seen from the side and from above (square and circle). The logo is designed more to the colour than to the formal expression. Original colours: grey, green and blue. Lettering for a printing company. The close sequence of circular elements makes one think of printing cylinders and ink rollers. Logo for the Scripta pantograph milling machine. The arrangement of the arms and joints of the machine have resulted in this S-shape. Right angles were avoided to evoke mobility. The contrast of the strong arms to the fine white space indicates the solidity of a precision device. Company lettering and signs for the Hermann scientific bookstore. The basic element that provided the impetus was the construction plan for the new business facility. Monogram for Jacqueline Iribe, designer of modern decorative fabrics. Irish favourite motifs are rectangles and triangles; the symbol attempts to symbolize this style in the letterform. Original colours: cobalt blue for j, broken cobalt blue for i. Two designs for a sign for the Prache bookbindery. The speciality of this house is spiral and ring binding. The first draft is a name made up of wire, interlocking letters in a circle shape. The second draft follows the same principle but is only based on the P. The rectangle (book, sheet of paper) was included. Monogram for the French architect Georges Johannet. Its architecture is strictly based on geometric elements, in very finely coordinated spatial proportions. Ipreig is the official abbreviation for the Institut professionel de recherches et d'études des industries graphiques. With a view to serving professional progress, it seems justified to give the symbol of this institute the character of an experiment that could be renewed from time to time. (Design not executed).
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Typography & Type Design

Logos and Lettering by Adrian Frutiger, André Gürtler and Bruno Pfäffli

Working alongside André Gürtler and Bruno Pfäffli, Adrian Frutiger designed many logo designs. Here is a selection of the designs which were featured in Der Druckspiegel, December 1961. I have also translated and rewritten the descriptions to provide more depth.

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Kupka, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 1968 designed by Wim Crouwel (Total Design)
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Designer Profiles, Members Only Content, Regional Histories

Wim Crouwel and the Stedelijk Museum

Crouwel was the successor to Willem Sandberg who used an avant-garde approach in his work, utilising torn-paper montage, mixing of sans serif and old Egyptian typefaces and often off-center positioning. Crouwel steered away from this artistic approach and implemented a cohesive design system and a strong identity that emulated the corporate identity boom of the 1950s and 60s.
Frank René Testemale’s IBM Advertising in France. Scanned from Gebrauchsgraphik, 4, 1964.
  • Advertising Design, Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Regional Histories

Frank René Testemale’s IBM Advertising in France by Alexandre Alexandre, 1964

IBM puts a premium on functional design, forms and colours which make it far easier for the potential customer to gain an insight. In this respect the IBM methods are exemplary. The IBM already opened studios of artistic and graphic design for its German and Italian offices and a few years ago another such studio was established in Paris. Frank René Testemale was entrusted with its organisation and was appointed its business and art director.

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Toho Paper Company logo designed by Yusaku Kamekura
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Designer Profiles, Members Only Content

Yusaku Kamekura and his Mark Design by Masataka Ogawa

The background of Kamekura's mark designs is his boldness in eliminating all the waste, combining simplification derived from Japanese traditional family crests and Western intellectual mechanics of formation with a sharp modern sense of composition.

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Siegfried Odermatt advertisment designs for Grammo Studio
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Designer Profiles, Members Only Content, Regional Histories

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.
Scan 47 copy 2
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, 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.
Graphis 148, 1970 deisgned by Gottschalk + Ash
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Regional Histories, Studios & Collectives

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
Scan 143 copy 5
  • Advertising Design, Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Regional Histories

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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Unimark International and the visual identity of South-African manufacturer, DEFY.
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Regional Histories, Studios & Collectives

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
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Regional Histories

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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IBM, Federal Systems Division Brochure designed by Arthur Boden
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Regional Histories

The Mid Century Graphic Design of IBM

Many designers played an important role in IBM's graphic identity and implementation including Arthur Boden, Clarence Lee, Charles Keddie and Mary Beresford.
Untitled-1_0002_Screenshot 2022-02-17 at 14.57.52
  • Book Reviews & Press Releases, Corporate Identity & Branding

Visual identity and branding at Olivetti published by Triest Verlag

I have always loved the design work created for Olivetti. The colourful midcentury designs by Italian designer Giovanni Pintori, the minimal typographic poster by Swiss designer Walter Ballmer and my personal favourite the 1959 poster for Olivetti designed by Herbert Bayer. I recently found out Triest Verlag released a new book, Visual identity and branding at Olivetti which contains further work by Xanti Schawinsky, Renato Zveteremich, Ettore Sottsass, Hans von Klier, Egidio Bonfante and Walter Ballmer.

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Trademarks of the World, Yusaku Kamekura, 1958
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content

Paul Rand on Japanese Trademark Design

Paul Rand, one of the most acclaimed American designers is known for his iconic corporate identities, playful illustration and commercial art. Paul wrote the preface for Yusaku Kamakura's book, Trademarks of the World, 1958. He states his influence of Japanese art and design, trademarks as a universal language and his struggles with English grammar.
THE IBM POSTER PROGRAM VISUAL MEMORANDA Robert Finkel and Shea Tillman
  • Book Reviews & Press Releases, Corporate Identity & Branding

The IBM Poster Program: Visual Memoranda

In the late 1960s, IBM was one of the world’s pre-eminent corporations, employing over 250,000 people in 100 countries. While Paul Rand’s creative genius has been well documented, the work of the IBM staff designers who executed his intent outlined in the IBM Design Guide has often gone unnoticed.

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Colourful theatre programme covers displayed
  • Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Designer Profiles, Members Only Content, Regional Histories

Ken Briggs and his iconic designs for the National Theatre

The typographic designs produced for the National Theatre by Ken Briggs are not only iconic and depict the Swiss typographic style of the time, but remain a key example of the creation of a cohesive brand style.

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Walter Frank Bomar - Resorts - Woman Playing Tennis, 1939
  • Designer Profiles, Members Only Content

Walter Frank Bomar, scanned from The Inland Printer, Vol 104, No. 03, 1939

A 1939 article on American designer, Walter Frank Bomar, published in The Inland Printer, Vol 104, No. 03, 1939.

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Japan Letter Writing Day, Stamp Sheet, 1999. Illustrated by Dick Bruna
  • Design Archive Feature, Designer Profiles, Ephemera, Illustration, Members Only Content

Stamps, Dick Bruna and the Making of Miffy

Beyond his books, Dick Bruna's vivid colour and simplified forms found their way onto posters, packaging, murals and stamps, many of which feature in my growing collection.

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Dieffenbach Punch Brandy and Liqueur Advertisement, Valentin Zietara
  • Design Archive Feature, Designer Profiles, Members Only Content

Valentin Zietara, by H K Frenzel translated by E. T. Scheffauer

An article on Valentin Zietara , originally in German, published in Gebrauchsgraphik, 10, 1930, written by H K Frenzel translated by E. T. Scheffauer