Josef Muller-Brockmann / The Grid System Mag

issue one

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pioneer of the perfection of swiss style designs

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1/11/17

J M B

Born in Rapperswil, Switzerland in 1914, Josef studied architecture, design and history of art at the University of Zurich.

Muller-Brockmann began his career as an apprentice to designer and advertising consultant Walter Diggelman, and in 1936 he established his own studio specialising in graphics, exhibition design and photography (Schwemer-Scheddin, Y 1995).

Here he created a countless quantity of designs for posters, which he considered “barometers of social economic, political, and cultural events, as well as mirrors of intellectual and practical activities.” (Purcell, KW 2006). Being an accomplished photographer, he integrated experimental photography, photomontages, and light paintings into his work. He began his career as an illustrator, where his aesthetic sensibilities first took place, but it was in graphic design that he found his passion (Schwemer-Scheddin, Y 1995).

Josef is best known as graphic design’s supreme supporter of grid systems to assist in functional, objective design, which he discussed in detail in his book “Grid System in Graphic Design.” Grid system allowed Muller-Brockmann to organise subject matter to create more effective design, and not to be overwhelmed by the seeming chaos and complexity of design decisions (Schwemer-Scheddin, Y 1995). By the 1950s, he was established as the leading practitioner and theorist of Swiss Style, which sought a universal graphic expression through grid-based design purged of extraneous illustration and subjective feeling (Purcell, KW 2006. His large body of work was created as graphic design gained importance during the twentieth century, and to this day serves as a gauge for the study of graphic design (Schwemer-Scheddin, Y 1995).

Muller-Brockann loved music and during his career he made now famous poster designs for the Zurich Tonhall/Concert Hall, which were highly influenced by the “feeling” aroused by music in a seemingly more abstract design. This ‘Musica Viva’ poster series, drew on the language of Constructivism to create a visual correlative to the structural harmonies of music. He was the founder and from 1958-1965, co-editor of the trilingual journal Neue Grafik or New Graphic Design which, spread the principles of Swiss Design internationally (Schwemer-Scheddin, Y 1995).

Josef Muller-Brockmann is the perfect representative of the Swiss-Design movement and his work serves as a model for the study of graphic design, due to his design philosophies and his ability to create design systems (Purcell, KW 2006).

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Quality is largely an attitude. If we insist on it in every small thing, it will permeate everything we do.

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Six: Oswego.edu

Figure 1: Eye Magazine

Figure 2: Grafik

Figure 3: Design is History

Figure 3: Dezign Rouge

Figure 5: Design is History