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Category: Movements

Articles on design movements. Bauhaus, Swiss International Style, Constructivism, Art Nouveau, and the movements that shaped the history of graphic design.

Articles exploring the major movements in graphic design history from Art Nouveau and Constructivism to Swiss International Style and Postmodernism. Articles drawing on the artefacts in the archive to document how design movements emerged, spread, and influenced visual culture.

Articles Related to Movements

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

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Art Direction, Magazine of Visual Communication, 353, July 1978. Cover design by April Greiman and Raul Vega
  • Designer Profiles, Members Only Content, Movements

April Greiman and her Hybrid Imagery

April Greiman is known for her experimental approach to graphic design,  her role in the development of Californian New Wave and being one of the first designers to fully embrace the computer in her work.

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The Studio, Vol 97, June 1929. Cover design by Edward McKnight Kauffer
  • Advertising Design, Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Movements

Euro Deco. European Art Deco Graphic Design

Art Deco graphic design history: its Paris origins, key pioneers Cassandre, Carlu and McKnight Kauffer, and how the style evolved across Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain and the US.

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Arts and Crafts Movement - Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Business Men, Elbert Hubbard, Vol 25, December 1909
  • Magazines & Publishing, Members Only Content, Movements

Documenting the Arts and Crafts Movement

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Art Nouveau and the Magazine Cover
  • Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Movements

Art Nouveau and the Magazine Cover

Art Nouveau spread through magazine covers across Europe, from the German Jugend to the Czech Typografia, and regional variations shaped the movement's visual style in print.

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Typographische Jahrbucher, 40 Jahrg., Heft 4, 1919 Inner Content
  • Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Movements, Typography & Type Design

Art Nouveau to Modernism – Graphic Design History

From Jugend and Ver Sacrum to Penrose Annual, an essay on design movements, shaping modernism, and early graphic design.
Typografische Monatsblätter, 04, 1961. Cover design by Emil Ruder
  • Design Archive Feature, Design Education, Movements

Swiss Design Principles Today

A short free-to-access feature on Swiss Design. The movement was influenced by Bauhaus and De Stijl, sought clarity and visual unity, making it a powerful force in global graphic design that remains influential today.

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Postmodernism - Wet Magazine, Vol 4 Issue 2, 1979. Designed by April Greiman
  • Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Movements

A New Visual Language: From New Wave to Postmodernism in Graphic Design

A 1,500 essay on the transformative era of graphic design from the 1970s to the 1990s. Moving beyond the constraints of modernism, designers like Wolfgang Weingart and April Greiman redefined visual communication through bold experimentation with type, colour, and early computer graphics. This essay highlights how postmodernism and New Wave design introduced complexity, individuality, and digital innovation in to graphic design.

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50 years Bauhaus, German exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1968
  • Design Archive Feature, Design Education, Members Only Content, Movements

Bauhaus Principles Today

The Bauhaus approach to design emphasised simplicity, functionality, and the integration of modern technologies and materials. A century later, many of the principles taught at the school remain fundamental to contemporary design practices.
The Birth of a Style. The Influence of the Basel Educational Model on Swiss Graphic Design, Triest Verlag, 2024 
  • Book Reviews & Press Releases, Design Education, Movements, Regional Histories

The Birth of a Style The Influence of the Basel Educational Model on Swiss Graphic Design

Founded in 2015, Triest Verlag für Architektur, Design und Typografie have published notable works on graphic design history, including biographies of Othmar Motter, studies on Eugen Gomringer’s typography and poetry, Ernst Keller’s teachings. Thier latest book The Birth of a Style, focuses on the influence of the Basel Educational Model on the evolution of Swiss graphic design into the renowned international style.

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Graphic Design 30, 1968 | Ikko Tanaka | Japanese Magazine
  • Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Movements, Regional Histories

Japanese Modernism

Japanese modern design was heavily influenced by European art movements, particularly modernism and the Bauhaus school. As Japan's advertising industry expanded, it increasingly drew from Western culture, especially television and film, resulting in designs that were eclectic, vibrant, and infused with modernist energy.

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Wolfgang Weingart - Pioneer of Swiss New Wave
  • Design Archive Feature, Designer Profiles, Members Only Content, Movements, Regional Histories

Wolfgang Weingart – Pioneer of Swiss New Wave

Wolfgang Weingart's artistic design delved into the intricacies of Swiss typography, skillfully dissecting its elements while venturing into texture and type experimentation. His layered montages radiated dynamic kinetic energy, standing in stark contrast to the minimalist approach of his instructors, embracing a more maximalist aesthetic.

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RAT, June 26 - July 10, 1970
  • Design & Politics, Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Movements, Regional Histories

1960s Counter-Culture Publications: Voices of Change, Rebellion, and Liberation

The 1960s was an era characterised by political, social, and cultural shifts. The counterculture movement emerged as a response to the perceived failures of the mainstream establishment, sparking a wave of activism and alternative ideologies. And with these an array of printed matter. Counterculture publications, often referred to as the "underground press," became powerful platforms for dissent, expression, and the exploration of new ideas.

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FUN, October 16, 1869
  • Design Archive Feature, Magazines & Publishing, Members Only Content, Movements

Victorian Graphic Design in Britain and America

Victorian Graphic Design left a mark on both British and American design history. In Britain, the ornate embellishments served as a symbol of prosperity and cultural values. Meanwhile, America embraced the combination of various design elements to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing society driven by industrialisation and consumerism.
Typographical Poster for an Exhibition of Present Day Photography by Walter Dexel
  • Design Archive Feature, Movements, Poster Design, Typography & Type Design

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.
Slanted-Publishers-American-Bauhaus-Kickstarter-Mockups_01
  • Book Reviews & Press Releases, Movements, Regional Histories

American Bauhaus – Enriching the legacy of Black Mountain College

Support American Bauhaus on Kickstarter to pre-finance the project and its production: www.kickstarter.com/projects/908813786/american-bauhaus

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Scan 415
  • Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Movements

Manifestos on Kinetic Art

Kinetic art refers to art the depends on movement for its desired effect and is closely related to op art. Upon scanning a few of the inner inserts from the Kinetics exhibition catalogue from the Hayward Gallery, London, 1970, I came across these five small manifestos on kinetic art.

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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