52 weeks of Inspired Design Decisions #27–32
Since going on holiday during July, I’ve fallen behind with my commitment to designing 52 designs for a series of Inspired Design Decisions. Now II’m back in the studio and II’ve settled back into work, II’m making up for lost time. Here are six new designs, inspired by Otl Aicher,Saul Bass, Ken Garland, and Armin Hofmann.
#27 Inspired by Saul Bass
In a career which spanned over 40 years, Saul Bass not only designed some of America’s most iconic logos, but also designed title sequences and film posters for some of Hollywood’s best filmmakers, including Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese. For Hitchcock, Bass created innovative title sequences for films including North by Northwest, Psycho, and Vertigo. The opening sequence of Mad Men—one of my favourite TV shows—pays homage to Bass who died in 1996 aged 75.
#28 Inspired by Ken Garland
With his work on graphic design, logos, photos, and books spanning over sixty years, Ken Garland has made a significant contribution to graphic design since the mid-twentieth century. In 1964, Garland authored his book, First Things First Manifesto, which “which attempted to radicalize designers who were lazily serving the more dubious needs of consumerist culture. (1)”
#29 Inspired by Saul Bass
In a career which spanned over 40 years, Saul Bass not only designed some of America’s most iconic logos, but also designed title sequences and film posters for some of Hollywood’s best filmmakers, including Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese. For Hitchcock, Bass created innovative title sequences for films including North by Northwest, Psycho, and Vertigo. The opening sequence of Mad Men—one of my favourite TV shows—pays homage to Bass who died in 1996 aged 75.
#30 Inspired by Otl Aicher
After WW2, Otl Aicher studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich and in 1947, he opened his own studio in Ulm, Germany. In 1953, he co-founded the influential Ulm School of Design. Aicher worked on corporate branding for Braun and Lufthansa and he considered a pioneer of corporate design. For the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Aicher created a set of pictograms meant to provide a visual interpretation of each sport. This influential signage helped athletes and visitors find their way around. Aicher died in 1991 and a Munich street is named after him.
#31 Inspired by Ken Garland
With his work on graphic design, logos, photos, and books spanning over sixty years, Ken Garland has made a significant contribution to graphic design since the mid-twentieth century. In 1964, Garland authored his book, First Things First Manifesto, which “which attempted to radicalize designers who were lazily serving the more dubious needs of consumerist culture. (1)”
#32 Inspired by Armin Hofmann
Armin Hofmann is a Swiss graphic designer whose work is known for its abstract shapes and lines. Born in 1920 and now 99 years old, Hofmann first taught, then became head of the Basel School of Design. His work has been widely exhibited in major galleries, including the New York Museum of Modern Art. Throughout his long career, Armin Hofmann designed posters in the Swiss International Style, in particular for the Basel Stadt Theater. He valued visual communication above everything else in design, used techniques including photo-montage, experimental compositions, and primarily sans-serif typography.