Issue Number One
Form Follows Function
I am for clear transparent design, opaque design, blurred design, A design that is confused, lost and forgotten I am for illustrious design,,emphatic design,,broken, repaired and worn design, Constricted design,,addictive design,,confidential design I am for structural design,the foundation of design,revolutionary design.
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Welcome to the New Graphic Design Magazine. In this issue we explore one of the most influencial movements of the 20th Century and its influence on modern architecutural design.
04 DE STIJL The first steps of the modern
08 MODERN LANDSCAPE A story of De Stijl and the City
12 BAUHAUS The introduction of a design revolution
18 SWISS STYLE The birth of layout foundations
20 INTERNATIONAL STYLE The cityscape will never be the same. Birth of Modern Architecture
DE STIJL 19 17
DE STIJL 1917 - 1931 The first step in Modernist design was often seen through the creation of the De Stijl; a small design group formed in 1917 with the aim to explore art and design as a collective product. Founded through a collaboration of painters, architects, a sculptor and poet, the De Stijl group ventured on the principle of ‘absolute abstraction’, focusing away from nature and rather emotive abstract design. This format saw De Stijl expressing design through the minimal linimiting their work to use purely straight lines, right angles and the three primary colours; Red, Yellow and Blue with the exception of black and grey.
Georges Vantongerloo Composition
“This new plastic idea will ignore the par ticulars of appearance, that is to say, natural for m and colour. On the contrar y, it should find It’s expression in the abstraction of for m and colour, that is to say, in the straight line and the clearly defined primar y colour” Piet Mondrian De Stijl Founding member
Composition I in Red, Blue and Yellow
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FIRST STEPS 19 31
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DE STIJL 19 17
The First World War changed the way society looked at the world; what was a flourishing civilisation had become a battlefield in need of change. It was during this period when the De Stijl’s creative influence came into its prime offering a new outlook away from war
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to inspire generations. This was a grounding that the world was in need of, allowing society to rebuild towards a brighter life and economy.
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The De Stijl embraced this new social perspective embodying a contrast of chaos with order and destruction with construction. Some may say it was this underlying theme within their work that spoke of hope and future leading to the De Stijl’s worldwide success.
U NITY BET W EE N ART A N D LIFE To this day De Stijl’s work is recognised as a global icon of modern design. Their philosophy“Unity between art and life” still lives within modern design inspiring generations to come
Hull Train Station, England
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MODERN LANDSCAPE 20 13
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Brighton, England
Examples of De Stijl’s influence in modern design are still present today. Buildings, such as those photographed, embody elements of line to balance shape and negative space in architectural harmony.
This structural style can be seen in multiple skylines around the world inspired by not only De Stijl but also International Style, Bauhaus design and various other movements of the modernist period.
The overlapping lines and sharp uniformed edges, grey boarders and minimal brickwork reflect the de stijl canvas that it was inspired from.
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Born in BAUHAUS
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Bradford, England
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Born in BAUHAUS
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BAUHAUS 19 19
BAUHAUS 1917 - 1931
The Bauhaus school of design aimed to educate creative students with a broad knowledge of practical and theoretical fields of creative design. During the schools operation it produced designs which revolutionized expression with functionality dubbing their approach as a key influence of the Modernist age.
FORM FOLLOWS FU N CTIO N Their pride in a functionalist approach envisioned a world of design based around the human form and its need of convenience. The growing market of mass produce furthermore influenced the materials and methods behind their practice.
Bauhaus-Dessau Festsaal lights for stage
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BAUHAUS 20 13
With later development the Bauhaus style had spread globally influencing architecture to the masses. Structures with uniformity and shape built a skyline which whispered functionality and future. Later movements such as Swiss style incorporated elements of Bauhaus design within their produce to build towering structures which rebelled against the skyline in major cities across the world. A style of function and simplicity within Bauhaus design originated from the iconic phrase ‘Form Follows Function’ This iconic phrase crafted by Horatio Greenough founded modernist design for the new age and has been seen as the pinnacle of modern design since its incorporation.
“Leonardo Building” Exhibiting Bauhaus type and structure Leeds, England
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THE “ F - F - F ” WORD 20 13
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BAUHAUS 19 19
Bauhaus encouraged an exploration of Photography, Architecture, Craft and Design, providing graduating students with a broader knowledge of modern design. This broad understanding provided the foundations for todays creative landscape functioning as what some call the turning point for modernist design. Generations of designers have looked towards this “Bauhaus approach� exploring Colour, Texture, Space and transparency in unison.
Wassily Chair Bauhaus Product New Graphic Design F/F/F 16
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FUNCTIONALITY MANUFACTURE SIMPLISM AESTHETIC MOBILITY
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SWISS STYLE 19 50
SWISS STYLE 1950’s-
As Modernism began to subside the Switzerlands ‘Swiss style’ was revolutionising design in the western front as it evolved with an ’International style’ of architectural design. In its early formulation Swiss style was a growing movement evolving from Germany to Switzerland embracing key elements of structural design from previous icons of modernist design. An emphasis on format and structure was embodied in this style built through a foundation of grids and lines. These guildlines restricted the content to create a balance of image and text in a visually stimulating style that embraced uniformity. Swiss styles visually clear concept of layout and structural design later brought forward the introduction of Helvetica to a worldwide audience. This Sans Serif typeface thrived appearing in many print designs due to its clear representation of language. With many design contributors to the movement such as grid designer Wim Crouel and the architect Max Bill the Swiss Style flourished in Europe drawing the attention of America. This caused a spark of new creatives such as paul rand who evolved the movement into a range of commercial products. Giselle Armin Hoffman
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THE “ F - F - F ” WORD 19 50
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INTERNATIONAL STYLE 19 19 An architectural phenomenon known as International Style functioned between the 1920’s and 1930’s paving the way for many aspects of Swiss Style in later years. This international movement built an array of uniformed buildings that dominated city landscapes worldwide. A simple uniformed structure of lines and squares formed the foundations of many of these designs reflecting a modernist style that survived to the present. day
Bradford, England
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Layout and Photography by Nathan Clark University of Huddersfield u1252422 Email: xpingpongo@gmail.com