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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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Ken Briggs was born in 1931 in Derbyshire, studied at Chesterfield School of Arts & Crafts and later at the Central School of Arts & Crafts in London, alongside notable designers like Ken Garland and Colin Forbes. After National Service, he worked briefly as a typographer at Everetts. In the late 1950s, Ken freelanced for clients like the Arts Council and Rathbone Books while teaching part-time. In the 1960s, he won the design contract for The National Theatre, where his use of photography and Letraset set the visual tone for its future designs.
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