Late 1970s – late 1990s
A reaction against modernist uniformity, embracing eclectic styles, historical references, irony, and visual complexity in communication.
Postmodernism in graphic design was a reaction against the uniformity of the International Typographic Style, embracing historical reference, decorative excess, layered imagery, and typographic experimentation. From the Memphis group in Milan to the Cranbrook Academy in Michigan to the radical typography of Wolfgang Weingart in Basel, the movement produced a decade of graphic work that challenged the Swiss Style. Key figures include April Greiman, Neville Brody, David Carson, and Tibor Kalman. The archive documents postmodern graphic design through designer profiles, magazine covers, record sleeves, and printed matter from the 1980s and 90s.
Designer Profiles, Members Only Content, Movements
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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Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Typography & Type Design
A 1928 article on typographic carnival posters, originally in German, published in Typographische Mitteilungen, Vol 25, No 02, February 1928
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Advertising Design, Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Regional Histories
This article is part of my ongoing effort to spotlight the unsung heroes of design history. I'm especially passionate about sharing voices and designs that have been overlooked or forgotten. In this piece, I focus on the work of 1980s American graphic designers, in particular, the women who broke boundaries and shaped American visual culture.
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Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Movements
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.
Read ArticleExplore designers connected to this movement, including April Greiman, Tibor Kalman, David Carson, Neville Brody, and Rudy VanderLans. See also New Wave and 1980s graphic design history.
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Design Archive Feature, Designer Profiles, Ephemera, Members Only Content
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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Members Only Content, Design Archive Feature, Designer Profiles
An article on Valentin Zietara , originally in German, published in Gebrauchsgraphik, 10, 1930, written by H K Frenzel translated by E. T. Scheffauer
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Members Only Content, Designer Profiles, Studios & Collectives
A 1903-1904 article on Die Steglitzer Werkstatt, originally in German, published in Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration, Vol. XIII, October 1903–March 1904.
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Regional Histories, Ephemera, Illustration, Members Only Content
A collected visual record of the Kanto, Chubu and Tohoku Lottery tickets.
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Designer Profiles, Members Only Content, Movements
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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Illustration, Ephemera, Members Only Content, Regional Histories
A collected visual record of the first eight years of Japan’s Rural Medical Care Promotion Lottery.
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