Midcentury Modern Corporate Identity

1. Midcentury Modern Corporate Identity

2. Otl Aicher designed the icon set and way finding system for the 1972 Munich Olympics. Aicher and Max Bill and Anton Stankowsi distinguished their approach to design by an emphasis on semiotic theory.

4. Corporate identity systems European design aesthetics and a desire for an efficient, updatedlook to international corporations led to a move towards corporate standardization. The International style and its useof neutral abstract geometric forms was ideally suited to the needs of international businesses. (the geometry of the circle figures prominently in logo design by creating a strong gestalt) Lester Beall (top left) Paul Rand (middle and top right) William Golden (bottom) Identity Systems

5. Corporate identity systems The logotype is only one element - the “keystone” perhaps, in a systematic identity system. The success of the identity depends on how it is applied throughout the company. Design firms are often called upon to devise the rules by which the identity is to be applied. Textbook describes this as “the impoverished descendents of the Gesamtkunstwerk that captured so many artists’ imagination in earlierdecades” Identity Systems

6. Elements of a corporate identification program • The logotype - which is the centerpiece for the program, but also include: • Corporate signature (the name) • The annual report • Corporate typeface • Packaging, • Identification on vehicles, clothing, • Signs on building • And corporate attitude All these elements add up to something called Corporate Voice. Identity Systems

7. Lester Beall Identity Systems

8. Lester Beall Standards Manual including color palette, typeface, and Logotype configurations Connecticut General Identity Systems

9. John Massey: Unimark in Chicago becomes the premiere Design company specializing in corporate identity Shown here: publications for the Container Corporation of America-all done within the guidelines laid down by their corporate program Golden Age of Corporate Systems Identity Systems

10. Ivan Chermayerff and Tom Geismar Logotypes from some of their Corporate clients Chermayeff and Geismar Identity Systems

11. Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar Mobil Oil Logo, Chermayeff and Geismar: 1965 Chermayeff and Geismar Identity Systems

12. NBC Corporate Signature Standards (notice how the sizes and spaces are specified) Chermayeff and Geismar Identity Systems

13. NBC Corporate Signature Standards (notice how the sizes and spaces are specified) Chermayeff and Geismar Identity Systems

14. NBC corporate standards Chermayeff and Geismar Identity Systems

15. Paul Rand Identity systems for IBM, abc, Westinghouse, UPS, Morningstar, Next, and Enron His explanations of his design concepts are famous for their succinctness and logic. He did not like to make personal presentations: instead he would put together a booket that explained the rationale for his design solution.

16. Paul Rand Combination of Word and image Turns images and forms into symbols by simplifying, juxtaposing and manipulating the context - t Visual systems opics - t Paul Rand opics

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18. Rand created some of the most enduring corporate marks of our time - t Visual systems opics - t corporate identity opics

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22. - t Visual systems opics - t Paul Rand 1996 s

23. Saul Bass: Logos for ATT, Bell, Girl Scouts, etc Film titles and graphics for: Man with the Golden Arm Exodus Good Fellas Cape Fear, etc Film: directed shower scene in ‘Psycho’

24. Saul Bass: Identity for Girl Scouts: strong figure/ground relationships. Identity Systems Identity Systems: Saul Bass

25. Bell logo, 1905 (anonymous) Bell logo, 1969 (Bass and Yeager, Associates). Redesign of Bell Systems Logo Identity Systems: Saul Bass

26. Look at Quicktime video clips on the CD in the ATT folder. They show how a logo concept can be adapted to a variety of animated variations Animation of the ATT Logo Identity Systems: Saul Bass

27. http://typophile.com/node/68920 Animation of the ATT Logo Identity Systems: Saul Bass

28. Massimo Vignelli: Knoll furniture National Park Service Internal Revenue Service New York Subway System

29. Federal Design Improvement Program: 1974 Dedicated to improving and making more consistent the design standards for the federal government. Projects included streamlining all government forms and publications. For example: The National Park Service (using the “unigrid” by Vignelli and Associates. 1977 One set of standards for hundreds of individual publications so they could be created and modified locally and still retain a consistent quality 1985 Massimo Vignelli received National Design Award Identity Systems Massimo Vignelli

30. Identity Systems Massimo Vignelli

31. Identity Systems Massimo VignelliWay-finding for New York Subway

32. Way-finding systems and navigation systems Important design functions that benefit from a uniform approachare way-finding, navigation and information systems. These can vary from being purely functional,conveying objective information, such as highway signs, and railroad timetables, to systems that take on an appropriate expressive quality - such a graphics for a theme park or museum.

33. Lance Wyman: Lance Wyman has specialized over a long career in designing multiculturalenvironmental graphic design. His creditsinclude: Mexico City Olympics 1968 American Museum of Natural History Minnesota Zoo

34. Lance Wyman

35. Lance Wyman: His design system for the Mexico Olympics reflect graphic elements he found in Pre-Columbian Mexican art and architecture - in this case, the repetitive lines and circles. .

36. Lance Wyman: waytinding icons for the Museum of natural history

37. Lance Wyman: Minnesota Zoo - identity and wayfinding

38. Lance Wyman: Minnesota Zoo signage

39. Lance Wyman: This demonstrates the versatility of these icons - they have to work small in print and translate to enormous scale for three-D signs.

40. Deborah SussmanDesign coordination for the 1984 Olympic Games, Los Angeles This work reflects a move to greater flexibility in design systems. She set a palette of colors, selected the typeface, graphic elements, such as stars and confetti, and then published guides as to how these elements could be combined.

41. Corporate identification systems

42. Corporate identification systems

43. wayfinding How are identity and way finding systems for zoo, airports and other public spaces, similar to interactivity design issues suchas navigation in web site and multimedia design? How does consistency help in creating an easy-to-navigateweb site? How do content-specific icons or other graphics helpthe user in finding locations and feeling at home in a museum,an airport or a web site? Are different sections within the site indicated with symbols, titles or colors? Find examples of web sites that have interesting navigationgraphics. Collect some maps or other brochures from museums or theme parks. Visit web sites for some of these institutions and see if there are similarities in the graphics between the print and the web material.