Geigy

Corporate Diversity : Swiss Graphic Design and Advertising by Geigy 1940 - 1970
Museum für Gestaltung Zürich; Janser, Andres; Junod, Barbara (Eds.)
2009, 208 p. 385 illus., 360 in color., Hardcover
ISBN: 978-3-03778-160-9
Lars Müller Publishers

There's something very beguiling about medical illustration reduced down to simple geometric shapes. Only in the 50's could an advert for fabric whitener look like a minimalist techno record cover. This is a great book, full of beautiful work.

New vs Old

Jeremy just unveiled the new Architectural Review logo by Creative director Violetta Boxhill & art director Cecilia Lindgren. Over the years the AR has had various incarnations, it's rather refreshing to see this return to its heritage. One wonders what the redesign will look like inside. Will it also mirror the splendor of past designs? Our delve into the archive shows issues from 1967-1972 art directed by Bill Slack. The Eye blog has now posted up the redesign issue making some interesting comparisons between new and old. Here is a quote from the article about the pages spreads below.

Bill loved punning headlines (which he wrote himself so they’d fit his layouts) set all-caps in condensed grot fonts (like Twen magazine was doing in Germany), with Clarendon for text and captions, and Victorian display fonts to headline articles about architectural history. He mixed black and white architectural photographs printed on art paper with text printed on uncoated tinted stock, would turn the pictures at 90 degrees as content demanded and, where budget allowed, insert a dramatic gatefold.