There is plenty to discuss: the logo masters, including Paul Rand, Saul Bass, George Lois, George Giusti, and Bill Golden; Fortune Magazine; Alex Lieberman; Stankowski's metadesign; and the International Swiss Style and its designers. The 9 principles, Cook and Shanowsky's Symbols, World War II Propaganda, Graphic design does Jazz, Shigeo Fukuda, etc.
Go ahead.
14 comments:
For our final comment, I researched Paul Rand and his extraordinary work. Paul was an American graphic designer, born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1914, and had a major influence on the development of modern design. He mainly worked alongside some of America's greatest companies and institutions, creating clever logos and making each of them timeless and memorable. Some of his most significant include the UPS logo, Enron, and NeXT for Apple. Over decoration, he emphasized clarity, which in turn meant his pieces had strong form and function. He loved symbolism and taught his beliefs in several books that he published. Some of these include “Thoughts On Design”, “Design, Form, and Chaos”, and “A Designer's Art”. Beyond publishing these books, however, Paul also taught at one of the most prestigious schools in America, Yale University. For decades, he spread his knowledge and shared his gifts to the youth, which is a primary reason that he is seen as such an important figure in graphic design history.
László Moholy-Nagy was an artist whose work captured me the second you showed it on the big screen. Quite a few of his works (Architecture (Eccentric Construction), A.XX, Z VII) are the kind of works that offer a completely different experience when viewing it for the first time versus truly examining it. His use of color, angles, lines, and curves makes for intriguing 2D art, but when you view it as 3D it takes new life. Moholy-Nagy was able to capture the 3D in such a masterful way where every shape evokes a new perspective that defines the shapes around it. I wish I could attach a photo to this comment to show what I mean, but it's the kind of work I can get lost in. His art is very Bauhaus in its clean lines yet thought-provoking geometry. I hope I can see his works in person some day!
Last week, I was very drawn to Saul Bass and his minimalistic design philosophy. Known for his minimalist film posters and opening title scenes, Bass had the ability to communicate complex ideas through simple yet bold graphics. His graphic art proves how powerful visual storytelling can be without the need for excessive detail or an overuse of textual elements. Most interesting to me, is how relevant Bass’s approach is today, especially in the world of logo design. Modern companies are continuing to simplify their logos, often removing text and relying entirely on clean, recognizable symbols. This trend towards a more minimalistic aesthetic echoes Bass’s ideas from decades ago, emphasizing how timeless his artistic principles are. In a world that seems to be overflowing with content and advertisements, perhaps simplicity becomes a way to stand out. Saul Bass and his work proves that reducing visual clutter doesn’t result in a loss of meaning, instead, it can emphasize a focal point and make a bigger impact.
From the last class, I wanted to highlight how graphic design played a key role in shaping the visual identity of jazz. I was especially drawn to how designers used mid century modern aesthetics to reflect the genre’s creative energy. I was particularly interested in the use of bold colors, photography, and even hints of the psychedelic style that mirrored jazz’s innovation and emotional depth. These visual elements didn’t just decorate album covers, they extended the music into a visual language. Designers like David Stone Martin, with his expressive illustrations for Charlie Parker with Strings (1947–1952, Mercury Records), and Neil Fujita’s iconic abstract cover for Dave Brubeck’s Time Out (1959, Columbia), demonstrated how design could embody rhythm and spontaneity. H.P. Corbissero’s cosmic cover for Sun Ra’s Jazz in Silhouette (1959, Evidence) added a futuristic dimension. Altogether, these works showed how design amplified jazz’s cultural impact.
Of all the topics from our last class, I found the history behind Roger Cook and Don Shanosky’s Symbol Signs the most fascinating. Commissioned by the U.S. Department of Transportation, their project aimed to communicate essential information in a way that could erase language barriers in public spaces. Cook and Shanosky developed a standardized system of 50 pictograms, each depicting common actions, services, or objects in a simple way. What struck me most was how these symbols didn’t just accompany words, but replaced them entirely. That kind of clarity and universality in design is unique and difficult to translate. Yet, the pair executed it so simply. It’s a great example of how thoughtful, functional design can have a real-world impact. In this case, people of all languages are able to understand important information, just from a black and white stick figure man. I see these pictograms everywhere today, often without thinking about them, but learning about their origin made me appreciate the design process behind them. I think this is a reminder that good design (and its genius) often goes unnoticed because it works so seamlessly.
Funilyl enough, I just learnt about Sual Bass from my animation class. Saul Bass was a groundbreaking figure in the evolution of animation, especially in how it was used in film. At a time when animated sequences were often boring and straight to the point, Saul Bass completely redefined their purpose, using animation as a powerful storytelling tool. His title sequences didn’t just list names; they introduced the entire vibe of the film, laying out the plot, themes, mood, and more, all before the first scene even played out. In films like Vertigo and Anatomy of a Murder, his use of animated graphics brought out psychological tension and narrative depth in a way that felt totally fresh and different from anything his contemporaries were doing.
Bass, along with other creatives like Maurice Binder, played a huge role in shifting title sequences from static, forgettable credits into something exciting; something that actually told a story and pulled audiences in from the very start. He showed that animation didn’t need to be flashy or complex to be impactful; even minimal movement and design could say a lot when done with intention.
And even outside of animation, Saul Bass’s influence is everywhere. He designed logos for companies like AT&T and United Airlines—stuff people see every single day without even realizing it came from the same mind behind those iconic film sequences. That’s what makes his work so special. It’s everywhere, it’s influential, and it’s unforgettable, even if people don’t always know his name. His impact on animation, film, and visual design as a whole is massive, and his legacy still shapes the way we think about motion and storytelling today.
I particularly enjoyed the work of Shigeo Fukuda. He is able to keep his designs very simple yet the message is still clear and powerful. I think it’s very interesting how his posters contain a lot of open space, but it never leaves you with the feeling that the space is empty or wasted. In fact his open space is some of the most powerful aspects of his posters. I like that the main color in his pieces come from the background, they are bright and vibrant, and then he uses simple black and white figures to create incredible contrast with the background. I also like the little “absurd” details he adds in that create the message behind the piece. Such as the artillery shell facing backwards from the cannon, which creates a powerful message behind the meaning of victory in war.
I was interested to learn about the key elements of a logo and the beginning of logos in general. I was especially interested in Paul Rand and his belief that the logo means integrity, honesty, simplicity, and clarity. I thought it was funny because I’ve seen many brands redesigning their logo in the past few years, and you would think that with modern advancements in tech and across all industries they would be redesigned to have more modern design elements. However, every logo redesign I’ve seen has made its logo simpler and flatter which reinforces the concept that a logo has permanence beyond what we might expect from companies. Additionally, the permanence of a logo continues to pair with Rand’s beliefs of simplicity and clarity. You could say that the flatter images represent integrity and honesty as well because there’s nothing hidden within the logo. The most significant examples I see with this are with cars like Jaguar, Rolls Royce, VW, BMW, and more. All these logos moved away from the 3-D design which seemed modern and innovative, but now revert to classic, simple logos to reinforce permanence.
I especially like the International Swiss Style for its clean, orderly, and very efficient method of designing graphics. Order and clarity are what concern the style, and that makes communication more effective and more powerful. I like how designers like Josef Müller-Brockmann used grids to create well-balanced and harmonious compositions. The use of sans-serif fonts, especially Helvetica, gives the work a contemporary and timeless quality. I'm also drawn to the way this style is interested in the viewer's experience—everything serves a purpose. It's a reminder that design is not decoration but a good way of organizing information. As a whole, Swiss Style has a kind of restrained elegance that I find absolutely inspiring.
I was most drawn to the two posters "Faust" and “Teatr Kopernikowi” by Jan Lenica. Lenica was a famous Polish artist known for his unique, abstract style. The first poster was a promotion for the opera "Faust." This poster has calm, natural colors mostly blues and greens with twisting shapes connecting together, in a way resembling a plant. The second poster, called “Teatr Kopernikowi,” was created for an exhibit honoring Nicolaus Copernicus. It is an abstract design with an eye surrounded by circles in soft blues and purples, giving a calm feeling. Lenica was part of a movement that combined art and graphic design to create eye-catching posters. Both pieces showed his talent for turning simple advertisements into creative works of art that capture attention. His work influenced modern graphic design and poster art by showing that advertisements could also be artistic.
Steve Constantopes.
For our final comment, i wanted to further research more about World War Two Propaganda. After looking around online and at some additional examples from our class discussion, I found that many of the pieces from different countries are meticulously designed to push their governments narrative, which makes it propaganda, but the most interesting part is what artistic styles these pieces use to push said motive. For example designers would choose a persona that signifies the motive/idea they were trying to push and then use bold styles, geometric layouts, and flattened perspectives to "supercharge" each piece with emotions that otherwise would not be able to be conveyed. An American example that i came across was from 1942, a poster that said "Loose Lips Sink Ships" which came from the U.S Office of War Information department. I thought it was really interested that a government body was using art to push an idea and its lead me to think about how this might be used in modern day times with ad campaigns that we see in entertainment.
Bill Golden's work fascinated me because his visual branding and media identity designs continue to influence the industry today. The CBS Eye logo stands as his most renowned work which demonstrates how simplistic design excellence can produce a lasting impact. His work combined creative elements with strategic thinking in a way that impressed me. Golden directed his efforts to developing strong brand identities through his work instead of focusing solely on visual appeal. Golden had a strong talent to transform intricate concepts into enduring visuals which remain influential to audiences across multiple decades. Through his work he influenced more than one company because he established new standards for media organizations to develop their design and branding strategies. Design achieves lasting cultural impact when created with careful thought according to Golden's legacy.
The Logo Masters were leaders in developing some of the most famous and timeless brand symbols in history. Designers such as Paul Rand, Saul Bass, and Chermayeff & Geismar led to the visual identities of organizations such as IBM, ABC, and Mobil, whose logos are still instantly recognizable today. What made them so influential was not just their artistic talent, but their ability to understand a brand's idea and translate it into something that could be communicated easily and immediately to the consumers. In high school, I took a graphic design class, which sparked an interest in logo design. It was fun to play with shapes, colors, and fonts to develop logos that were both unique and communicated a message. We even had redesign contests in which we chose a company and attempted to give their logo a fresh new look while keeping it recognizable. That hands on experience helped me understand how much thinking goes into creating a logo. Studying the Logo Masters today helps me realize how powerful simple design can be when done correctly.
I chose to discuss Roger Cook and Don Shanoskys symbol signs. This stuck out to me the most because these are simple symbols we see everyday, but the design intent of these symbols are not simple in the slightest. The designs combine ideas of pure function with abstract forms to create easily understandable symbols for all. As an architecture student designing in a way that is understandable to all, despite cultural and language barriers, is extremely important. Why create something if not everyone can enjoy it? These symbols are still used fifty years later, and despite societal changes, they still remain readable and understandable in today's world. It is amazing to me that these symbols were designed to be readable for different people at that time, and it is still readable for people in a different time. I hope to take this ideology of designing and apply it to my own projects.
Ava Detassis
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