Advertisement for Norm - metal building components (window sills, wardrobes, doors, letter boxes, etc.). Zürich designer Graf was responsible for Norm designs in the early to mid 1960s including: logo, stationary system, advertising, catalogs and signage. This functional ad (from a series of 6) uses black/white objective photography, a strict grid, ample white space and neutral typography. The result is a strikingly simple, clear product representation that communicates a lot with little means.

Advertisement for Norm - metal building components (window sills, wardrobes, doors, letter boxes, etc.). Zürich designer Graf was responsible for Norm designs in the early to mid 1960s including: logo, stationary system, advertising, catalogs and signage. This functional ad (from a series of 6) uses black/white objective photography, a strict grid, ample white space and neutral typography. The result is a strikingly simple, clear product representation that communicates a lot with little means.

Advertisement for Norm - metal building components (window sills, wardrobes, doors, letter boxes, etc.). Zürich designer Graf was responsible for Norm designs in the early to mid 1960s including: logo, stationary system, advertising, catalogs and signage. This functional ad (from a series of 6) uses black/white objective photography, a strict grid, ample white space and neutral typography. The result is a strikingly simple, clear product representation that communicates a lot with little means.

Advertisement for Norm - metal building components (window sills, wardrobes, doors, letter boxes, etc.). Zürich designer Graf was responsible for Norm designs in the early to mid 1960s including: logo, stationary system, advertising, catalogs and signage. This functional ad (from a series of 6) uses black/white objective photography, a strict grid, ample white space and neutral typography. The result is a strikingly simple, clear product representation that communicates a lot with little means.

Advertisement for Norm - metal building components (window sills, wardrobes, doors, letter boxes, etc.). Zürich designer Graf was responsible for Norm designs in the early to mid 1960s including: logo, stationary system, advertising, catalogs and signage. This general business ad uses pieces of the logo as a structural design element. The limited use of color, strict grid, ample white space and neutral typography is strikingly simple.

Self-promotional advertisement for the Lester Beall design studio. Influenced by the European avant-garde, Dada and Surrealism, this design showcases Beall’s imagination, control and dynamic ability to mix and match multiple type styles.

Swiss born, Max Huber first worked for Studio Boggeri in Milan for a short period in 1940/41 (he returned in 1945). This two color catalog for Loro e Parisini (construction equipment company) cement mixer is a remarkable early design showcasing Huber’s Swiss training (Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich) and sensibilities: organized and logical with an advanced use of grids, photography and typography (hand-lettering). Studio Boggeri worked with innovate, industrial clients in pre/post war Italy and attracted the brightest Italian, German and Swiss talent.

Swiss-born Max Huber first worked for Studio Boggeri in Milan during a short period in 1940/41 (he returned in 1945). This two color, auto compressor catalog for Loro e Parisini (construction equipment company) is a remarkable early design showcasing Huber’s Swiss training (Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich) and sensibilities - organized and logical with an advanced use of grids, photography and typography (hand-lettering). Studio Boggeri worked with innovative, industrial clients in pre/post war Italy and attracted the brightest Italian, German and Swiss talent.

An early member of the Bauhaus (1924), Swiss-born, Schawinsky moved to Milan in 1933 where he collaborated with Antonio Boggeri at the newly opened Studio Boggeri. This Olivetti catalog and trademark is a remarkable example of Schawinsky’s advanced use of layout, photography and color and reinforces his important role in disseminating modernist ideas. In 1936, he left Milan for the United States and teamed up with Josef Albers to teach at Black Mountain College.

Founded in 1857 by Giuseppe Borsalino, this Italian hat manufacturer was known for commissioning innovative designers to execute their publicity materials, most notably Max Huber, who in the 1940s designed legendary posters and advertisements. As with Huber’s earlier designs, this ad by Castiglioni removes the context of the hat as an everyday commodity and celebrates it as an object of pure form.

In 1961, Dutch born Bob Noorda served as art director for Pirelli (tire and industrial manufacturer) in Milan, Italy and was a dominant figure in helping to create the Pirelli style by designing numerous advertisements, printed collateral, packaging and posters. This brochure advertises the belted Cinturato tire, highlighting its strength and safety against centrifugal forces.

From 1963-1968, Cohen worked with the Jewish Museum, designing exhibition invitations and catalogs, including this one for Russian-born, American painter Ben Benn. After attending art school and developing her graphic skills working with husband, Alvin Lustig, Cohen went on to become a pioneering woman designer and artist, using a distinctive blend of European avant-garde and American modernism.

Swiss born Calabresi moved to Milan in approx. 1954 and joined the legendary Studio Boggeri. He was a master at combining Swiss (logical and organized) and Italian (playful and poetic) styles in advertisements, posters, catalogs, trademarks and more. This catalog for Pirelli, Cinturato Tractor Tires is a remarkable example of the work Calabresi did for numerous industrial clients while working at Studio Boggeri.

Advertisement for adhesive tape in a variety of seven colors. Pirelli (tire & industrial manufacturer) was known for commissioning many innovative designers, each with their own style, in their advertising and communications in post-war Milan. The designer of this ad is unknown.

This catalog’s cover was designed at approximately the same time Lustig served as art director for the first three issues of Industrial Design magazine. Despite his failing vision toward the end of his short life, Lustig, with the help of his assistants and wife, Elaine, was able to design a simple, modern, typographic cover for this 1-color catalog.

In this advertisement (from a series of 4), Sutnar uses pictograms to communicate the importance of effective catalogs in getting new business. The copy reads: “The easier you make it for people to buy your products, the easier they are to sell”. From 1941-1960, Sutnar re-shaped Sweet’s visual identity and corporate communications,  designing everything from trademark, industrial catalogs, advertising, internal publications, printed collateral, bindings and more.

Beautifully printed exhibition catalog for the Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart exhibit to be held at The Karl Ernst Osthaus-Museum in Hagen, Germany. Designed by Vordemberge-Gildewart with texts by: Vordemberge-Gildewart, Will Grohmann, Max Bense and Hans Arp. Photography by: Hein de Bouter, Ernst Ersnt and Wolfgang Siol.

Swiss born Calabresi moved to Milan in approx. 1954 and joined the legendary Studio Boggeri. He was a master at combining Swiss (logical and organized) and Italian (playful and poetic) styles in advertisements, posters, printed collateral, trademarks and more. This sales catalog for Cinturato tires is a remarkable example of his creative talent and methods.

Special issue devoted to Black Mountain College, the progressive and influential arts institution, founded in 1933 in North Carolina. Alvin Lustig designed the cover, inside typography and contributed an article titled Graphic Design which describes the course he taught at the college, “Graphic design, like architecture, is an industrial process and demands complete mastery of all technical conditions.” With contributions by: Anni Albers, Josef Albers, Lyonel Feininger, Walter Gropius, Robert Motherwell and more.

Catalog produced to accompany the exhibition of Paul Schuitema’s work at the Kunstgewerbemuseum Zürich (now Museum of Design Zurich) in 1967, the year of his 70th birthday. Schuitema (1897-1973) was a pioneer of Dutch graphic design, using modernist principles and mastering photomontage techniques. A poster also designed by Neuburg accompanied this exhibit.

The official catalog for the third Grafa or “Graphische Fachausstellung” (Printing Trades Exhibition), located at the Basel, Switzerland Trade Fair, June 13-26, 1936. This 2-color cover design (adapted from the exhibition poster) was designed by the prolific Hermann Eidenbenz who handled all printed matter for the exhibition. This catalog includes an important article by Jan Tschichold (who also organized the exhibits foreign section submissions) titled Neue Typographie.

A year before completing his legendary jacket designs for the New Directions, New Classic Series (1944-1953), modern design pioneer Alvin Lustig designed this silk-screened, hand-lettered cover while serving on the editorial committee of the AIGA Journal. “This ability to ‘see’ freshly, unencumbered by preconceived verbal, literary or moral ideas, is the first step in responding to most modern art.” (AIGA Journal, Vol. 3 No. 4, 1953).

Advertisement for Società del Linoleum (Milan), manufacturers of sound reducing, acoustic panels. Swiss born Calabresi moved to Milan in approx. 1954 and joined the legendary Studio Boggeri. He was a master at combining Swiss (logical and organized) and Italian (playful and poetic) styles in advertisements, posters, printed collateral, trademarks and more.

In 1961, Dutch born Bob Noorda served as art director for Pirelli (tire and industrial manufacturer) in Milan, Italy and was a dominant figure in helping to create the Pirelli style, where he designed numerous advertisements, printed collateral, packaging and posters. In 1965, Noorda and fellow Milanese designer Massimo Vignelli, teamed up to establish Unimark International.

In Milan, Noorda first gained widespread fame in the mid 1950s and early 1960s for his posters and advertisements for Pirelli (tire and industrial manufacturer). Along with other companies such as La Rinascente (department store) and Olivetti (business machine manufacturer), Pirelli was a visionary leader - hiring both Italian and European designers for their advertising and publicity. Designers including Walter Ballmer, Aldo Calabresi, Max Huber, Lora Lamm, Bruno Munari, Raymond Savignac, Albe Steiner, Studio Boggeri (whom Noorda worked for briefly in 1956) and Pino Tovaglia all had opportunities to work for Pirelli during the 1950s and 60s. In 1961, Noorda became Pirelli’s art director and served as art consultant for La Rinascente from 1963 to 1964.

During those years Noorda also worked with architects Franco Albini and Franca Helg on the new Metropolitana Milanese which opened in 1964. He was in charge of all graphics from signage, name plates and maps to clocks and even, initially, the posters displayed there. To accomplish this task, Noorda studied the stations extensively - colors, lettering, distance of signs, etc. The success of the Metropolitana Milanese resulted in Noorda receiving the Premio Compasso d’Oro (Golden Compass) in 1964, a prestigious award originating in 1954 by La Rinascente to acknowledge achievements in design. Noorda would receive the award three more times in 1979, 1984 and 1994 (Career Award).

Along with international recognition as one of the new breed of graphic designers with a specialty in transportation signage, Noorda’s work on the Metropolitana also led to his association with his fellow Milanese designer Massimo Vignelli. Together they were two of the co-founders of Unimark International, established in 1965. Noorda headed the Milan office while Vignelli moved to the United States to run the New York City office. With a presence in five countries, Unimark was known for using modern design approaches for their international clients such as Knoll, IBM and American Airlines.

In 1966, Unimark was awarded a contract to design signage for the New York City subway. The resulting design, the basis for the current sign system, was largely the work of Noorda. Vignelli said:

I remember when Bob came to New York and spent everyday underground in the Subway to record the traffic flow in order to determine the points of decision where the signs should be placed. I also remember how we decided all details, from typeface to type spacing, from color coding to implementation. Bob Noorda had a very systematic mind.

Unimark’s work for the New York City subway led to other subway signage projects for Noorda in Saõ Paulo, Naples and the regional train network in Lombardy.

In the early 1970s Unimark, which at one point had as many as 13 offices worldwide, fell apart and in 1972 Noorda and three others took the Milan office of Unimark independent. The firm lasted until 2000. After that Noorda and his wife Ornella worked under the aegis of Noorda Design. In addition to client work, he also taught at the Venice School of Industrial Design, Umanitaria of Milan, the ISIA in Urbino and Milan Polytechnic, where he was awarded an honorary degree in industrial design in 2005.

Along with Pirelli, Olivetti and La Rinacente, Noorda worked for many leading Italian companies during his more than fifty-year career: pharmaceutical manufacturers Montecatini and Farmitalia; automaker Alfa Romeo; energy companies Agip, Total and Enel; publishers Feltrinelli, Arnaldo Mondadori Editore and Touring Club Italiano; department stores COOP and Upim; luxury brands Richard Ginori, Lanco and Ermenegildo Zegna; and others. Noorda’s enduring design work demonstrates the importance of building a corporate identity based on value and utility, not merely aesthetics. His prolific contributions to graphic design will continue to have an influence and be recognized.

For a year we worked together at the same desk, each one of us on his own projects, but always exchanging our impressions of them. When I left for the States, I left all my client in his hands and he took great care, without losing any of them. In the following years we worked on some projects together, one was the signage for the New York City Subway. I remember when Bob came to New York and spent everyday underground in the Subway to record the traffic flow in order to determine the points of decision where the signs should be placed. I also remember how we decided all details, from typeface to type spacing, from color coding to implementation. Bob Noorda had a very systematic mind. It was a pleasure to see how logic will prevail over emotional issues in order to deliver the best possible solution.

His work was extremely civilized, his Dutch origin reflecting that culture and bringing a quality of spareness and essentiality to all his projects. His elegant figure and gentle manners were opening all doors of the Milanese society, giving him access to the best clients. His manners were polite, subdued; as we used to say, those of a real gentleman. His design reflected his character in every detail. His excellent sense of typography could be seen in the endless list of publications designed by him through the years. He was married to a prolific designer, Ornella, who was a complementary presence in his life, bringing a witty and fresh component to his sober style. When Unimark closed its US offices, Bob kept the Milano office going on, eventually under his ownership for many more years. Bob Noorda was a designer who contributed enormously to the recognition of our profession, a noble person to whom we designers are all indebted. His example will remain a beacon for all of us.

- Massimo Vignelli, 12 January 2010

Cover displays product name and photograph to quickly identify the catalog’s content - advantages, specifications and fabrication services of Pittsburgh tubing. The inside spread or “visual unit” of two facing pages is designed to provide an unobstructed view of information. As art director for Sweet’s Catalog Service (1941-60) and a freelance consultant, Sutnar and his team designed numerous industrial catalogs and pioneered the way for clear and concise information design.

Catalog explains the process of design for die casting through photos, illustrations and accompanying text. The inside spread or “visual unit” of two facing pages is designed to provide an unobstructed view of information. As art director for Sweet’s Catalog Service (1941-60) and a freelance consultant, Sutnar and his team designed numerous industrial catalogs and pioneered the way for clear and concise information design.

Cover design displays an index of the catalog’s content - radio frequency heating processes (electromagnetic and electrostatic). The inside spread or “visual unit” of two facing pages is designed to provide an unobstructed view of information. As art director for Sweet’s Catalog Service (1941-60) and a freelance consultant, Sutnar and his team designed numerous industrial catalogs and pioneered the way for clear and concise information design.

Cover design uses the company name with a detailed image of an electron tube as “identifiers” to introduce the catalog’s content. The inside spread or “visual unit” of two facing pages is designed to provide an unobstructed view of information. As art director for Sweet’s Catalog Service (1941-60) and a freelance consultant, Sutnar and his team designed numerous industrial catalogs and pioneered the way for clear and concise information design.

Cover displays company name and three insulation forms to quickly identify the catalog’s content. The triangle shape helps direct your eye to the description at the bottom. As art director for Sweet’s Catalog Service (1941-60) and a freelance consultant, Sutnar and his team designed numerous industrial catalogs and pioneered the way for clear and concise information design.

Cover design uses the product name with an illustration of a floating disc clutch as “identifiers” to introduce the catalog’s content. The inside spread or “visual unit” of two facing pages is designed to provide an unobstructed view of information. As art director for Sweet’s Catalog Service (1941-60) and a freelance consultant, Sutnar and his team designed numerous industrial catalogs and pioneered the way for clear and practical information design.

The excerpt above from Jan Tschichold’s Die Neue Typographie (1928) summarizes the exhibition titled The New Typography, located in the Architecture and Design Galleries at the Museum of Modern Art until July 12, 2010. Tschichold’s landmark book inspired modern and avant-garde designers by providing practical guidelines for a new visual vocabulary. This impressive exhibition (approx. 37 items) of posters and printed matter such as advertisements, business cards, brochures, magazine covers, packaging, teaching aids and more represent Tschichold’s collection of Soviet Russian, German, Dutch and Czechislovakian materials, which supported his teaching and publication from 1927 to 1937.

Letterforms were recognized by supporters of The New Typography as having formal properties alongside their linguistic function. From this simple observation, they created a system of graphic design that operated on abstract principles yet opened up limitless possibilities for layout, artistic expression, and clarity of communication. Rejecting superfluous elements and the traditional arrangement of type in symmetrical columns, designers organized the printed page and poster as blank fields in which blocks of type, bold colors (in many cases, the printed items were 2-color), and illustrations - frequently in the form of photomontage - could be arranged in strikingly asymmetrical yet harmonious compositions. With an emphasis on simplicity and directness of communication, this new movement embraced and circulated the message of modernism around the world.

In addition to works by Tschichold (figs 4, 5), other standouts of the exhibit include works by Walter Dexel (figs 2, 7), Ladislav Sutnar (fig 2), Theo Ballmer (fig 2), Kurt Schwitters (fig 3), Herbert Bayer (fig 3), Joost Schmidt (fig 3), Aleksandr Rodchenko (fig 6), Paul Schuitema (fig 8), Piet Zwart (fig 8) and Max Burchartz (fig 9). The New Typography’s display of graphic works clearly demonstrate Tschichold’s principles and is an essential accompaniment to the Bauhaus 1919–1933: Workshops for Modernity exhibition, also currently on view at MoMA through January 25, 2010. German-born Tschichold first visited the Bauhaus school in Weimar in 1923 and was undoubtedly inspired by the visual experimentation of this avant-garde school. Both exhibits are not to be missed.

Side note: Also related and on view in the Architecture and Design Collection is Ladislav Sutnar’s Build the Town Building Blocks and Promotional Cards - Blue and Pink versions, the latter of which is available for sale in the Display Bookstore.

Reminiscent of Huber’s legendary Monza Race posters in 1948 and 1957, this advertisement (originally produced as a sign in 1957) for Pirelli “Pneumatico Scooter” is fast and directional with overlapping curved lines of primary colors on white bands similar to streets. Pirelli was known for commissioning many innovative designers, each with their own style, in their advertising and communications in post-war Milan.

Advertisement “Hot Water Bags” shows Pirelli as an essential component of everyday life. Noteworthy Swiss-born designer Lora Lamm uses illustration to communicate the calming and comforting nature of the hot water bottles made of Pirelli rubber. Pirelli was known for commissioning many innovative designers, each with their own style, in their advertising and communications in post-war Milan.

Advertisement “Pirelli for the scooter” portrays the tire company as an indispensable part of the chic, young, Italian lifestyle of the 1960’s. Noteworthy Swiss-born designer Lora Lamm uses illustration to suggest a carefree and lively attitude. Pirelli was known for commissioning many innovative designers, each with their own style, in their advertising and communications in post-war Milan.

Designer Lora Lamm uses a combination of photo and illustration in this advertisement to place strong emphasis on Pirelli’s rubber “Mountain Soles - under the stars, strong and comfortable on snow and rocks - made in collaboration with experts”. Pirelli was known for commissioning many innovative designers, each with their own style, in their advertising and communications in post-war Milan.

Published quarterly from 1958-1968 (14 issues, 21 numbers), this international journal provides a comprehensive account of the theoretical, rational and practical curriculum at one of the mid-century’s most influential design schools, which officially opened in 1955. Final issue of the journal ulm.

Published quarterly from 1958-1968 (14 issues, 21 numbers), this international journal provides a comprehensive account of the theoretical, rational and practical curriculum at one of the mid-century’s most influential design schools, which officially opened in 1955.

Published quarterly from 1958-1968 (14 issues, 21 numbers), this international journal provides a comprehensive account of the theoretical, rational and practical curriculum at one of the mid-century’s most influential design schools, which officially opened in 1955.