Josef M Ller Brockmann Suttl Pioneer Of Swiss Graphic Design

Beautifully designed and produced, this volume profiles the important Swiss designer.

A new edition showing the work of one of the most famous Swiss designers: a comprehensive overview of his oeuvre.

Josef Muller-Brockman's impassioned and sudden appearance on the stage of constructive graphic design in the early 50s, at the age of almost 40, gives pause. What biographical developments proceded this energetic statement? What context created the conditions for an abrupt change from a subjective and illustrative view of design to one that was objective and constructive? The answer takes us back to the 30s, to the formative days when MB, the designer, and Swiss Graphic Design were still separate paths.

Originally published: London: Laurence King Pub., 2006.

In 1980, the Swiss Federal Railways contracted one of their country's leading graphic designers, MYller-Brockmann, to overhaul the design of their train stations' signage. MYller-Brockmann's manual, expanded in 1992, is a complex, large-scale design project that met its users' needs through its emphatic rationalism and consistency.nsistency.

In the ever-evolving world of contemporary graphic design those who came before are often forgotten in the search of the next big thing. It is surprising then that many new, fashionable designs intentionally conjure work that was created by designers of an earlier era - designers who worked not with a computer but with pen and paper - designers like Josef Müller-Brockmann.#13;#13;One of the twentieth century's most important graphic designers, the Swiss-born Müller-Brockmann is the father of functional, objective design and an influential figure for generations of designers around the world. While many of his contemporaries moved to the United States and elsewhere in Europe, Müller-Brockmann based himself in Zurich and established his reputation there. He adapted his approach to a changing world, moving from an early illustrative style to a modern constructivist approach, making full use of geometrical form and the grid system to provide an underlying structure to graphic work.#13;#13;Müller-Brockmann is perhaps most known for his large array of music posters, produced from the early 1950s to the early 1970s, which graphically represent the musical character of each specific performance. In addition to these iconic designs, Müller-Brockmann completed a number of books on graphic design and its history, including the influential *The Graphic Designer and his Design Problems*.#13;#13;This volume is the most definitive monograph to be published on Josef Müller-Brockmann. It traces Müller-Brockmann's life from his childhood through his early training, rarely seen designs for the theater, famous posters for the Zurich art scene, corporate design work for clients like IBM, and, finally, his efforts to educate young designers. With assistance from the Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich and the Josef Müller-Brockmann Archive, this book is extensively illustrated with completed works, period photography, rare sketches, concept drawings, and personal photos.

The value of design for contributing to environmental solutions and a sustainable future is increasingly recognised. It spans many spheres of everyday life, and the ethical dimension of design practice that considers environmental, social and economic sustainability is compelling. Approaches to design recognise design as a practice that can transform human experience and understanding, expanding its role beyond stylistic enhancement. The traditional roles of design, designer and designed object are therefore redefined through new understanding of the relationship between the material and immaterial aspects of design where the design product and the design process are embodiments of ideas, values and beliefs. This multi-disciplinary approach considers how to create design which is at once aesthetically pleasing and also ethically considered, with contributions from fields as diverse as architecture, fashion, urban design and philosophy. The authors also address how to teach design based subjects while instilling a desire in the student to develop ethical work practices, both inside and outside the studio.

Posters from a pioneering figure in Swiss visual communication Josef Müller-Brockmann's graphics left a lasting mark on Swiss visual communication from the 1950s onward. His posters demonstrate how a sober, formally reduced language works best for conveying a universal, timeless message. Poster campaigns for longtime clients such as the Tonhalle concert hall in Zürich or the Automobile Club of Switzerland follow strict functional criteria-and yet exhibit a variety of design solutions and exciting, dynamic compositions.