Aicher M端ller-Brockmann Crouwel Frutiger Herdeg Hofmann Rams Ruder Vignelli
International Design Handbook
International Design Handbook
International Design Handbook
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Preface
Design— more than we realize— effects the world we live in and even more effects the way we see the world. As designers, we hold power that most overlook. The visual execution of design holds not only the aesthetic of a well rendered piece, but more importantly holds an idea that will influence everyone who comes in contact with it. The International Design Handbook walks through the core principals of design and how designers and typographers of the International Typographic Style used them intentionally in their work. The works in this handbookreach all areas of design—graphic design to architecture design and industrial design. The core principles of the International Typographic Style were the same in all areas of design. All designers used these principles visually to communicate the same ideas. Being a good communicator is knowing the message needed to be conveyed, the words then follow. Being a good graphic designer is knowing the message needed to be conveyed, the visuals then follow.
Index History Early_Modernism The Bauhaus International_Style
6 8 10 12
Designers Herdeg Ruder MĂźller-Brockmann Frutiger Hofmann Aicher
14 16 18 20 22 24 26
Gestalt Proximity Similarity Pragnaz Symmetry Closure Continuity
28 32 34 36 38 40 42
Principles Grid The New Typogaphy Objectivity Applications Crouwel Vignelli Rams
44 46 50 54 58 60 62 64
Rams’s Principles of Good Design Principles Conclusion Citations Designers
66 68 74 76 79
01 History of International Design
International Design Handbook
History of International Design
Early Modernism Arts and Crafts Movement Although many associate modernism in design with the 20th century, the influence of this new way of thinking spanned over 200 years. One of the core beliefs for modern design today is that design should be clear and have a distinct function. This core belief was first spurred during The Arts and Crafts Movement, which originated in Britain during the late 19th century and was characterized by a style of decoration reminiscent of medieval times. It was a movement born of ideals. It grew out of a concern for the effects of industrialization: on design, on traditional skills and on the lives of ordinary people. In response, it established a new set of principles for living and working. It advocated the reform of art at every level and across a broad social spectrum, and it turned the home into a work of art. The primary artist associated with the movement is William Morris, whose work reinforced the writings of John Ruskin. The movement placed a high importance on the quality of craftsmanship while emphasizing the importance for the arts to contribute to economic reform. This idea that the quality at which art is made and its purpose for impacting society was highly influential to the future modernist designers. Morris would be a large influence on the Bauhaus in Germany, which at its core philosophy proposed art as a craft that could serve a higher functional purpose in society.
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History of International Design
The Bauhaus New Typography Although many associate modernism in design with the 20th century, the influence of this new way of thinking spanned over 200 years. One of the core beliefs for modern design today is that design should be clear and have a distinct function. This core belief was first spurred during The Arts and Crafts Movement, which originated in Britain during the late 19th century and was characterized by a style of decoration reminiscent of medieval times. The primary artist associated with the movement is William Morris, whose work reinforced the
writings of John Ruskin. The movement placed a high importance on the quality of craftsmanship while emphasizing the importance for the arts to contribute to economic reform. This idea that the quality at which art is made and its purpose for impacting society was highly influential to the future modernist designers. Morris would be a large influence on the Bauhaus in Germany, which at its core philosophy proposed art as a craft that could serve a higher functional purpose in society.
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The Great War introduced the use of new weaponry like machine guns, chlorine and mustard gas, and air strikes, which were executed by airplanes. The use of these new weapons brought death to over 38 million people within four years. In lieu of the death and destruction in most of Europe many artists began using art as a form to express this devastation through questioning purpose of all art and even life itself. The idea being that art should have a function and a purpose, Just like we desire purpose and meaning in life.
Amid the artistic and political turmoil of post-WWI Germany, Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus in 1919. Elements of Cubism, Dadaism, and Expressionism combined with radical utopian aspirations to form a new communit y of ar ts and craf ts workers. This founding philosophy was reflected in the teaching of the Bauhaus.
After World War I, Germany itself was in turmoil: the German Kaiser fled the country and the German Empire became a republic. At that point, two parties rose to power; The German Social Democratic Party, or “right wing” and the Workers Council Movement, or “left wing.” Although the German Social Democratic Party claimed to be socialist, in its practice it was primarily monarchist.
The Bauhaus moved three times through out its life as an institution. In 1932 the Bauhaus made the intentional move to Berlin to strongly oppose the Nazi Power. The ideology of the Bauhaus went against everything the Nazi Party stood and because of this The Nazi Par ty burned down the Bauhaus in 1933. The students and teachers fled Germany, many of which, escaped to Switzerland because of its politically neutral stance. Not only did the German artists and designers of the Bauhaus spread throughout the world, but the ideals of the modernist Bauhaus did as well. The Bauhaus ideals and philosophy especially thrived in politically neutral Switzerland.
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International Style The Universal Visual Language Often referred to as the International Typographic Style or the International Style, the style of design that originated in Switzerland in the 1940s and 50s was the basis of much of the development of graphic design during the mid 20th century. Led by designers Josef Muller-Brockmann at the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts and Armin Hofmann at the Basel School of Design, the style favored simplicity legibility and objectivity.
Of the many contributions to develop from the two schools were the use of sans-serif typography, grids, and asymmetrical layouts. They also stressed was the combination of typography and photography as a means of visual communication. The primary influential works were developed as posters since they were seen to be the most effective means of communication.
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Chapter 01
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02 Faces of International Design
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Walter Herdeg 1908 - 1995 Walter Herdeg went to school at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zürich, created many different corporate identities, and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz. What he is best known for is the creating and publication of Graphis. An international journal of visual communication, Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War. The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences.
In the beginning it served as one of what were only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe. Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues—The magazine is still in publication— as well as the Graphis Design Annuals. Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate, expand and foster the world of graphic design today.
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Emil Ruder 1914 - 1970 Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who in Switzerland in 1914. He helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as International Typographic Style. He taught that typography’s purpose was to communicate ideas through writing. He placed a heavy importance on sans-serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise.
Like most designers classified as part of the International Style, he favored asymmetrical compositions, placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions. A friend and associate of Hofmann, Frutiger and, MĂźller-Brockmann, Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 1950s. Many designers have emulated his style, and his use of grids has influenced the development of web design.
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Josef M端ller-Brockmann 1914 - 1996 Josef M端ller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism, De Stijl, Supermatism, and the Bauhaus. He is perhaps the most well-known International Style designer, and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period. He was born in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zurich school of arts and crafts.
Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zurich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions. He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design. These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies, and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession. He spent most of his life working and teaching, even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work. He died in Zurich in 1996.
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Adrian Frutiger 1928 - 2015
Adrian Frutiger has created come of the most used typefaces of the 20th and 21st century. Although interested in many fields, Frutiger has been passionate about typography for his entire life. Spending most of his career working for Deberny & Peignot updating typefaces and preparing them for photo-typesetting, as well as designing typefaces of his own accord, he has created almost 30 typefaces. Some of his most famous typefaces include: Univers, Frutiger, Egyptienne, Seria, and Avenir. Frutiger is one of only a few typographers whose career spans across hot metal, photographic, and digital typesetting. He has also been instrumental in refining his own typefaces to include more weights and true italics, such as Frutiger Next and Avenir Next.
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Armin Hofmann 1920 - Present
By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design. His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the International Style, which stressed a belief in an absolute style of graphic design. The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else, practiced new techniques of photo-typesetting, photo-montage, and experimental composition.
He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and he was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school. The International Style thought that one of the most efficient forms of communication was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters, in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater. Just as Emil Ruder and Joseph M端ller Brockmann did, Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices. His Graphic Design Manual was, and still is, a reference book for all graphic designers.
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Faces of International Design
Otl Aicher 1922 - 1991 Aicher spent time fighting in World War 2 for the German army, against his own beliefs. The experience affected him greatly and his first contributions as a designer were in an effort to revitalize the public after the devastation of the war. By 1947 Aicher had opened the doors at his own studio, Bßro Aicher, and had begun accepting work from a variety of clients. Together with designer Max Bill he established the Hochschule fßr Gestaltung—or the Ulm School and spent many years there teaching. Perhaps the most prominent and influential work that he created was the identity system developed for the 1972 Olympics in Munich. The final designs took several years of work. The graphics were developed on a strict grid system solely using the typeface Univers. They were created from a bright color palette developed from the colors of the Bavarian countryside. He was a very proficient typographer and created the Rotis family of typefaces, which include sans-serif, simi-sans, serif and semi-serif iterations. The typefaces were named after the property where he lived and worked from 1972 until his death in 1991.
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03 Gestalt in International Design
International Design Handbook
Gestalt in International Design
Overview The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts Gestalt psychology is the proposed theory of understanding objects as organized and structured wholes rather than a sum of their constituent parts. Gestalt psychology thus dissociates itself from the more elementistic approaches to psychology like structuralism and it accentuates concepts like emergent properties and context. Gestalt Philosophy is highly effective in design.
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In the 1930s and 1940s, Gestalt psychology was applied to visual perception by Ma x Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kรถhler, and Kurt Koffka. Their aim was to investigate the global and holistic processes involved in perceiving structure in the environment. They tried to explain human perception of groups of objects and how one would perceive parts of objects, and the form whole objects on the basis of these. The investigations in this subject crystallized into the gestalt laws of perceptual organization. The laws of Gestalt are as follows: proximity, similarity, closure, continuity, symmetry, and figure-ground.
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Law of Proximity Visual Grouping
The Law of Proximity states that when an individual is perceiving a collection of objects, one would see objects close one another as designated groups. The negative space separating these objects is used to indicate which objects are grouped. A semantic separation of objects is achieved through structuring the layout in accordance with the principle of perceptual organization.
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International Style utilized this principle in page and poster layouts, particularly with type. The type that is closely placed together is seen as a group, separating it from all other text on the page. It is also used for grouping images and text. Images with text close to them will appear as a group, separating them from all other objects on the page. The images demonstrates International Style using proximity. In the poster, notice the sections divided by the yellow rules and how the texts all group visually even though they are different weights and sizes.
In the page layout, images of similar visual weight are grouped with smaller text, associating them with the copy and not with the other images. Also notice how on this page items are grouped together such as the running title at the top, the headers, subheaders, and the body copy with images. This was done intentionally using this principle.
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Law of Similarity Like Objects Attract The Law of Similarity states that elements will be perceived as if they are similar to one another. Color, size, orientation, and shape are traits to the Law of Similarity. Objects possessing similar characteristics tend to be seen as a unit. In International Style, the Law of Similarity is best utilized through the application of way-finding design. Vignelli’s New York subway system way-finding design uses this law with shape and design. Ever y symbol in the subway is placed mathematically in a circle to have consistency with every sign in every train station. Some of these can be seen here in his design manual.
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Vignelli used the Law of Similarity to create emphasis by leaving an object out of a grouping, thus creating a focal point. Each station utilizes a different color, which gives the individual separation for guidance. In design, a change in similarity will become a focal point. Take this text box for example. Since this box is different than the other boxes, it is seen as a focal point.
International Design Handbook
Gestalt in International Design
Law of Prägnanz Also known as Figure-Ground
Edgar Rubin, a Danish psychologist, was the first to systematically investigate the prägnanz phenomenon. This captures the idea that in perceiving a visual field, some objects take a prominent role—the figures—while others recede into the background—the ground. The visual field is thus divided into these two basic parts. Common to figure-ground images is that one cannot observe both the figure and the ground at the same time, as ground will become figure when shif ting focus. This concept helps designers make use of negative or blank space.
In the International Style, the principle of prägnanz was most notably utilized in type. In the image above, notice the figure-ground reversal from shape on the left and the text on the right. The number blends with the page, and contrasts with the shape behind it. The eye can either see the number of the chapter, or see the outline of the shape. In the poster design on the right, the lower portion of the image works as a figure-ground. Distinguishing between the white space and the color becomes hard to interpret. The viewer can either look at the white space between the shapes, or the shapes themselves.
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The illusion of figure-ground reversal can create a interesting visual aesthetic in design, however clear figure-ground relationships through hierarchy and contrast were the true goal of the International Style. In the top portion of the poster, notice how the text is very easily distinguished as the figure in the design. This applied to this page as well, using black text on a white page gives a clear indication on the words being the figure and the white space being the ground. If the body copy on this page was very light in color with little contrast from the ground, it would make this hard to read. This is were strong figure-ground relationships can also be effective.
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Law of Symmetry Symmetry, Asymmetry, and Radial Symmetry The Law of Symmetry states that when one perceives objects, one tends to perceive them as symmetrical shapes that form around a center. Most objects can be divided into two more or less symmetrical halves, and when two unconnected elements that are symmetrical are in one plain, the viewer unconsciously intergrade them into one coherent object. Symmetry can be defined into three different categories: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial symmetry. Symmetrical compositions balance objects on a central vertical axis. Asymmetrical balance describes compositions balanced off-center, where one por tion contains more visual weight than another. Radial symmetry is used to describe a composition that is balanced from the center of an object outward. In the International Style, asymmetrical layouts were the preferred balance.
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In the beethoven poster, there is both radial symmetry and asymmetry. In the image on the left page, notice how the curved lines are radiating out from a center point. The image on this page shows the asymmetrical balance of the piece, Most of the visual weight is on the right side, but is balanced with the text on the left. In this page layout, notice the symmetrical balance between the two pages with the placement of text boxes and images, even though they are not a mirror image of one another, the elements are still seen as more or less symmetrical.
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Law of Continuity The Use of Line in Design The Law of Continuity states one tend to continue a shape beyond their ending points. Continuity occurs when the eye is compelled to move through one object and continue to another object through actual or implied line. The eye will naturally follow a line or curve. The edge of one shape will continue into the space and meet up with other shapes or the edge of the picture plane.
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Continuity and hierarchy were huge influences in the International Style. All international design is laid out to let the viewer see and understand the message as clearly as possible. In Armin Hoffman piece on the right page, He shows continuity through these shapes and implied line. The eye naturally follows the pattern of the cut outs around the image. They eye will even follow the line through the cut out of the image to the next portion of the piece. The same concept is applied to the letterforms on the right. This principle is utilized on this spread through the placement of elements on the page. The viewer follows the elements across the page through the implied line across the text and pieces.
04 Principles of International Design
International Design Handbook
Principles of International Design
The Grid System Unity and Balance A grid system is a rigid framework that guides designers to create a meaningful, logical, and consistent compositions of information on a page. Rudimentary versions of grid systems have existed since the medieval times, but the grid was explored specifcally by International Style designers. The ways in which the grid could be utilized was first presented in the book Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Müller-Brockmann, which educated many designers of their time oh how to use the grid and has continued to educate designers today. Müller-Brockmann was the founder and editor of the Zurich published journal Neue Grafik, which introduced the International Typographic Style to America. He was concerned with functional and objective design that was created by restricting elements to a grid. This would shift the focus from the design to the message displayed in a clean, geometric aesthetic. The grid was used to define the constant dimensions of the space and to ensure elements were inserted precisely so that all parts of a page would be coherent according to an aesthetic order.
In his book, Müller-Brockmann not only shows designers how to use the grid, but also teaches them the philosophy behind it. The use of the grid as an ordering system is the expression of a certain mental attitude: it shows that the designer conceives his work in terms that are constructive and oriented towards the future. This is the expression of a professional ethos: the designer’s work should have a clearly intelligible, objective, functional and aesthetic quality of mathematical thinking. The designer’s work should be a contribution to general culture and itself form part of it. Constructive design, which is capable of analysis and reproduction, can influence and enhance the taste of a society in the way it conceives forms and colors. Design in the International Style is objective, committed to the common cause, well refined, and basis for democratic behavior. Constructivist design dictates the conversion of design laws into practical solutions. So the grid should not only give visual balance and order, but serve the function of readability.
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Application of the Grid der Film, 1960, Josef Müller-Brockmann One of the most admired posters of Joseph Müller-Brockmann is the 1960 der Film. Phillip Meggs speaks of the piece as one of Müller-Brockmann’s “masterpieces.” der Film demonstrates the universal design harmony achieved by mathematical spatial division. The poster is created in accordance with the three-to-five golden ratio, considered the most beautifully propor tioned rectangle. This rectangle is divided into fifteen squares or modules that span three across the horizontal dimension and five down the vertical dimension. The top nine modules form a square, the title fills three units, and three are below the title. Film occupies two units, and the secondary typographic information aligns with the front edge of the F in Film. This design organization grew out of functional communication needs. The title projects clearly at great distances against the field of black. The overlapping images of Film in front of der is a typographic equivalent to the cinematic techniques of overlapping images dissolving from one to another. For all its elemental simplicity, this poster successfully combines effective communication, expression of concept, and visual harmony.
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International Design Handbook
Principles of international Design
Typography Philosophy of the Typographic Style The International Typographic Style’s primary design philosophies were economy, readability, and objectivity. The overall goal was to reach an objective and tightly structured design. This style pursues authentic simplicity, it is for this reason that designers of this movement were dedicated to minimal elements like typography and content layout instead of textures and illustrations. They viewed type as a window for interpreting information. The International Typographic Style favored the use of sans-serif typefaces such as the typeface Akzidenz Grotesk. They did not want to use typefaces that would tie social or political dogma to the design. Before the start of the International Typographic Style, there was a strong political message tied to all text and the way it was presented. This was especially common in Germany. International Typographic designers saw sans-serif typefaces as a unifying element of design in every country.
Akzidenz Grotesk was the most commonly used because it was seen as the first truly neutral, non-radical sans serif of its time. The popularity of Akzidenz Grotesk led to the development of other typefaces such as Helvetica and Univers. These typefaces were specifically designed for universal clarity and equality. The International Style used type as a visual element of the design. Text was generally set into narrow columns and left aligned. Size and structure were key elements in the International Style. The difference in type size and the contrasts of the typefaces produces visual impact and hierarchy of data presentation. It is an efficient way of guiding the reader’s eye through the page. Hierarchy of the text presents the information in the most clear and concise way possible, reflecting the International Style philosophy.
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“I don’t think that type should be expressive at all. I can write the word dog with any typeface and it doesn’t have to look like a dog. But there are people that think that when they write dog it should bark.”—Massimo Vignelli
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Application of Type Typographische Monatsblätter, 1961, Emil Ruder Emil Ruder designed several cover of the
Ruder believed the asymmetrical typographic
publication Typographische Monatsblätter.
system was proper design. In years prior,
Ruder designed covers for all the issues in
Ruder was criticized for his typography
the typeface Univers. The publication followed
being too ridged and not versatile enough.
the same layout layout using the variations of
Ruder countered with several pieces of
Univers in roman, italic, bold, light, condensed
typography demonstrating the variety and
and expanded. The January issue included
strength of his typefaces. He was emphasizing
Ruder’s essay on the design of Univers and
the emerging strengths of the International
examples demonstrating the typeface’s
Typographic Style and the ability to convey
potential for the typographer.
complex information logically utilizing text.
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Objectivity
The Use of Geometry and Photography The aspiration of designers to build a new world
By using both geometry and photography,
did not spring only from hatred of the old, it was
International designers were able to
also urged by technology. The objectivity of the
display content that was derived from the
camera heightened designers enthusiasm for
simple elements of geometry and a literal
the perfection of the machine. When Hannes
representation. Rather than relying on their
Meyer announced the arrival of a ‘New World’ in
own illustrations, they went to machinery
the special issue of Das Werk 1930, he stated
and mathematics to give them an unbiased
that its ‘reality’ would be recorded by photography.
representation of a subject.
This was a medium, he claimed, that was untainted by historical precedent. It was the admiration of the machine and demand for precision that designers such as Lissitzky and the former Dadaist Kurt Schwitters saw all of technology dependent on the basic technical forms of the universe–crystal, cone, plane, bar, ribbon or strip, spiral, sphere. Van Doesburg and Western Constructivists had aesthetic motives in borrowing the “elemental” forms from the Russian painters, notably the artist Malevich. These forms, seen as the basis of two-dimensional art and design were also reminders of the renewal of visual art from first principles. The square and circle in particular were adopted by the International Designers. Squares were used as basic divisions of the design area and as modular units.
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Application of Objectivity Armin Hofmann, Giselle, 1959 In Armin Hofmann’s 1959 poster for the
The posters he created in the late 1950s
ballet Giselle, the stark white typographic
and 1960s for cultural clients such as
tower of the title—note the intermediary
the Kunsthalle Basel and Stadttheater
dot of the “i”—holds the blurring halftone
Basel possess great typographic and
of the dancer’s pirouette in a state of
photographic purity of form. “In its purity
dynamic balance and grace. The dot of
of form and purposeful expression,
the “i” while it counter balances the
Hofmann’s work is uniquely person,”
highlight of the dancer’s birouet te,
says Alemann, former student of Hofmann.
also is seen as a geometric form in itself.
“It also has soul.” For Robert and Alison
The circle contrasts the dancer which
Probst who are also Hofmann’s students,
brings even more attention to the her.
these enduring designs are a work of,
Hofmann’s utilization of Photography
“a master of his craft with superior sense
and Typography allows the poster to be
of aesthetics. His work deals with the
dynamic yet balanced. Armin Hofmanm
universal language of signs and symbols,
saw his designs in part as a didactic
often including serendipity and always
demonstrations of these principles.
aiming for timeless beauty.”
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05 Applications of International Design
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Applications of International Design
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Wim Crouwel 1928 - Present Wim Crouwel is a graphic designer and t ypographer born in the Netherlands. In 1963, he founded the studio Total Design, now called Total Identity. His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum. His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids. He has also designed expositions, album covers and identity systems.
He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik, digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry. Crouwel’s famous typeface “The New Alphabet” was designed in 1967 after Crouwel’s first meeting with digital typesetters at a print exhibition in Germany.
International Design Handbook
Crouwel’s grid for The New Alphabet was meant to exhibit machine-like precision because the typeface was meant to be utilized by machines instead of people. “The grid is like the lines on a football field. You can play a great game in the grid or a lousy game. But the goal is to play a really fine game.” – Wim Crouwel
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Applications of International Design
Massimo Vignelli 1931 - 2014 Vignelli was born in Milan in 1931. It was there that he first studied art and architecture, until he came to America in 1957. In 1960, together with his wife Lella Vignelli, he established the Vignelli Office of Design and Architecture in Milan. In 1971, they formed Vignelli Associates and later in 1978, renamed themselves as Vignelli Designs. His work covers nearly every field of design including advertising, identity, packaging, product, industrial, interior and architectural design. An avid fan of modernism, his work is always very clear and concise with no clutter or unnecessary material.
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Applications of International Design
Dieter Rams 1932 - Present Dieter Rams was born on 20 May, 1932 in Wiesbaden, Germany. As a child of W WII, he had seen the devastation of totalitarian philosophy not only on society, but also on design. After the war was over, he went to study at the Arts and Crafts College Weisbaden, that had been influenced by the Bauhaus.
By the time Rams graduated with a diploma in interior design in July 1953, he was intent on a career in architecture. Even as a student, Rams was fascinated by the idea of tidying up the world and making it a better place.
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Rams star ted working with Otto Apel (1906-66) in 1953. Apel was the leading representative of the International Style in Frankfurt at the time. Rams was particularly influenced by the industry orientated post-war modernism that came back to Germany from the United States through Apel’s collaboration with the Chicago based firm Skidmore, Owings and Merill.
To this day, Rams’s work has been an inspiration to designers. His famous “Less, but better,” philosophy has helped refine many schools of design down to their simplest form, doing away with ornament and focusing on function.
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06 Rams’s Principles of Design
International Design Handbook
Principles of Good Design
Good Design
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10 Commandments from Dieter Rams Good Design is as Little Design as Possible Less, but better. Because it concentrates on the essential aspects, the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity.
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Principles of Good Design
2 3
Good Design Makes a Product Useful
A product is bought to be used, so it has to satisfy certain criteria. Not only does a product have to be functional, it also has to be aesthetically appealing. Good design makes a product easier to navigate and to use.
Good Design is Environmentally Friendly
Design makes a huge impact on the environment because it determines the amount of materials used in manufacturing and often generates a lot of product waste. Good design conserves resources and minimizes physical and visual pollution throughout the life cycle of the product.
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Good Design is Aesthetic The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because the user must be able to understand how a product works in order to use it.
Good Design Makes a Product Understandable In order to create a visual language, a product needs to be completely self-explanatory. In order for a product to be understood intuitively, it should communicate its concept without words.
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Principles of Good Design
Good Design is Unobtrusive
6 7
Functional products are like tools; they are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restraining, to leave room for the user’s self-expression.
Good Design is Honest
Innovation for innovation’s sake does not make a product more useful than it really is. Good design should not attempt to manipulate the consumer with shallow promises of improvement.
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Good Design is Long-Lasting It avoids being “fashionable” and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike trendy design, it lasts many years, even in today’s disposable society.
Good Design is Thorough Down to the Last Detail Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the user.
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Good Design is Innovative
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The possibilities for innovation are not by any means exhausted. Technological development is always offering a new opportunities for innovative design. Innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.
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Conclusion
As designers, we hold power that most individuals overlook—the power of influence. International Typographic Design was more than just a visual aesthetic, it carried the ideas to unify the world and to bring a universal understanding that communicated to all people. International Typographic Style designers saw their work as more than just a visual aesthetic. They considered their work deeper than that. Armin Hofmann was a great example of this. To appreciate fully what Hofmann achieved and what he stood for, we need to remember that his dedication to a visual resolution represented a larger vision of civilized society. He belongs to a generation that sought to find a new visual language that would be appropriate for a complex, technological world. These designers were the leaders of their time. They sought to find a solution to the problems of their generation not only visually, but also philosophically. However, We live in a new age with new problems. The power we hold as designers is great and can be used to change the world and the perspective of those in it. Design is for the people.
It is a visual communication used to better the lives of everyone around us. Henry van de Velde, once said “There will be no place in the society of the future for anything which is not of use to everyone�.
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Citations Information and Photo Sources History
Gestalt Principles
Images
The Arts and Crafts Movement. Design is History. designishistory.com
Gestalt Principles. Spokeane College. graphicdesign.spokanefalls.edu
Bauhaus Founders (Cover) duffydesign.com/bauhaus
Ben, Davis. The Bauhaus in History. Art Net. artnet.com
Applied Gestalt Principles. Six Revisions. sixrevisions.com/web_design
Bauhaus Outside (Cover) martinsoler.com
Swiss Style. Design is History. designishistory.com
Gestalt Principles of Form Perception. Interaction Design Foundation. interaction-design.org/literature
Designer At Bauhaus (p2) petratylerdesigns.co.uk
Designers
Principles of Design
Degenerate Art Gallery (p6) bbc.com
Walter Herdeg. Design is History. designishistory.com
Hollis, Richard. Swiss Graphic Design. Yale University Press. 2006.
Emil Ruder. Design is History. designishistory.com
Design Philosophy. Design Seminar. designseminar7.blogspot.com
Josef M端ller-Brockmann. Design is History. designishistory.com
Meister, Joanne. Turn Toward the Objective. I Love Typography. ilovetypography.com
Adrian Frutiger. Design is History. designishistory.com
M端ller-Brockmann, Josef. Grid Systems in Graphic Design. Hasting House Pub, Inc. 1981.
Armin Hofmann. Design is History. designishistory.com Olt Aicher. Design is History. designishistory.com Wim Crouwel. Design is History. designishistory.com Massimo Vignelli. Design is History. designishistory.com Lovell, Sophie. Dieter Rams: As Little Design as Possible. Phaidon Press. 2011.
William Morris (p8) vam.ac.uk Bauhaus (p10) blog.dotandbo.com Ulm School (p12) cloud-cuckoo.cnet Otl Aicher in Class (p12) rmitgallery.com ACS Poster (p 13) wordpress.com Winterferien (p13) internationalposter.com Crowd at Basel (p14) baselersterweltkrieg.com Walter Herdeg (p16) www.wikipedia.com Z端rich (p16) wikipedia.com Graphis Spread (p17) designers-books.com Graphis Cover (p17) designers-books.com Emil Ruder (p18) designers-books.com
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Basel School (p18) postwarconcretepostscrip.com
Guggenheim (p28) mbds.com/blog
Swissair (p55) burningsettlerscabin.com
Typographie Cover(p20) sobooks.com
Wolfgang Köhler (p30) biografiasyvidas.com
Giselle (p57) internationalposter.com
Neue Wirtshausschilder (p20) aisleone.net
Kurt Koffa (p31) britannica.com/emedia
Wim Crouwel Portrait (p60) wikipedia.org/wiki/Wim_Crouwel
Josef Müller Brockmann (p21) movdata.net
Max Wertheimer (p31) thenewschoolhistory.com
New Alphabet Poster (p61) iconofgraphics.com/wim-crouwel/
Münich Townhall (p21) deviantart.net
Camera (p31) askatoddler.com
Massimo Vignelli (p62) designboom.com/interviews
Weniger Lärm (p22) eyemagazine.com
New York Subway Design Manuel (p34) alexblock.net
Subway Map (p63) nycsubway.org
Beethoven (p22, 38-39) designhistory.com
Opernhaus Zürich Poster (p35) aisleone.net
Dieter Rams (p64) greatdesign.com
Adrian Frutiger (p21) alliwelch.blogspot.com
Warner-Gruppa, Numbers (p38) flickr.com
Rams’s Shelving (p65) meinmuse.com/home/dieter-rams
Paris (p21) purple-papaya-films.com
Gewerbe Museum Poster (p39) media.tumblr.com
Ram’s Studio (p66) iainclaridge.co.uk
Frutiger_Signage (p22) i.king-img.com
Ramones Poster (p40) shopify.com
Braun Audio 1 (p68) maksimarbuzov.com
Ruder’s use of Univers (p22) designhistory.com
Olympic Figures (p41) pinimg.com
Braun LE1 (p69) portclarendon.com
Armin Hofmann (p23) tipografos.net
Die Cute Form Poster (p43) gayleclemens.com
Braun L1 (p70) maksimarbuzov.com
Theater at Basel (p23) wikipedia.org
Hofmann Dots(42) annaheatwole.com
Braun CE 1000 (p71) maksimarbuzov.com
Giselle (p24) designishistory.com
Leica Camera (p44) die-neue-sammlung.de
Braun T 1000 (p72) maksimarbuzov.com
Otl Aicher (p25) oltaicher.de
Grid Systems (p47) abduzeedo.com
Braun CSV 1000 (p73) maksimarbuzov.com
Lufthansa (p26) blura.pl
der Film (p49) vanseodesign.com
Students at Basel School (p74) blog.wanken.com
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Elizabeth Borowski Designed cover, preface, index, chapter headers, chapters 1-6 , conclusion, and citations. Created chapter 5, chapter headers, index, and citations. Grid developer, copy editor, visual assistant for chapters 1-6, and compiled master file. Miranda Hayes Designed chapters 1-6. Created chapter 2 and 3, the Typography section in chapter 4. Grid developer, typesetter, and visual assistant for chapter 4.
Lauren Marshall Designed chapter headers and chapters 1-6. Created chapter 1 & 4. Grid developer, copywriter, and visual assistant for chapters 1-6.
Daniel Whitlaw Created chapter 6.
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“In my own work, I feel compelled to set an example: to cultivate a corner of unity and to struggle against dismemberment and fragmentation in the field of design.” — Armin Hofmann
“There will be no place in the society of the future for anything which is not of use to everyone.� Henry van de Velde, 1947