big Saul Bass fan, too! Tomiskinky, you know some stuff, I've never heard of, and even though this is a clothes forum, I think I'm not alone when I say that I'd be delighted if you wrote a little bit more on at least some of these designers... I know, we could all look them up and google a little bit, but I'm hoping you can give us a little bit about why you like their style... some of the personal stuff.... Thanks!

Thank you, macabee.  I think this might turn out to be a good thread.  I'm sure GG is keen.

Just been looking on Amazon.  Books on Bass seem to be hard to come by at the moment.

few basic bits that I can write without having to do lots of research. Heikki, like you Neville Brody, Peter Saville, Malcolm Garrett and all that late 70s designers were also a major influence, all the record sleeves I copied and layouts I stole. Thanks for the max miedinger reminder.

Otl Aicher: the end of the 60s he was given responsibility for developing all aspects of the visual design of the 1972 Munich Olympic games.
Aicher’s design office also developed corporate identities for Lufthansa, Braun and ERCO (among many). Designed the Rotis font in late 80s.

Wim Crouwel Dutch graphic designer and educator. In 1963 was one of five founding partners of Total Design, Amsterdam, a multi-disciplinary design practice in the Netherlands. 1964–84 responsible for poster and catalogue design for the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Famous also for his type design, Neu Alphabet.

Josef Müller-Brockmann: Swiss graphic designer and teacher. Studied architecture, design and history of art in Zurich. In 1930s opened a Zurich studio specialising in graphics, exhibition design and photography. 1950s produced concert posters for the Tonhalle in Zurich. In 1966 he was appointed European design consultant to IBM. Famous for the current wave of modernist style graphic work you see by the likes of MB Studio, SEA etc.

Emil Ruder: Swiss typographer, graphic designer and teacher. His seminal book, Typography, A Manual of Design, was first published in 1967, containing much of his own work and that of his students. In the book, Ruder stressed the need for the designer to understand the nature and value of his materials, and the need to assess one value against another in terms of proportion and contrast, to reach a final result through logical thought and a solid knowledge base. (copied some of that)!

This is a link to the Ken Garland site, site is a bit clumsy as the links are not obvious. http://www.kengarland.co.uk/

Last edited by Tomiskinky (2010-08-04 10:09:14)

It is Saul Bass's misfortune that certain elements of his work have become easy to pastiche for lesser designers who came after him.

Underneath the stylistic trappings and triggers that we think of when the name Saul Bass is mentioned we musn't forget that he was instrumental in changing the entire way in which the front-end of films were cut and sold, from the titles to the poster campaigns. Extended and thematic title sequences were not his idea alone but his work defines the entire enterprise in a golden phase.

His work on Spartacus remains astoundingly beautiful. The classiest thing about that particular cheese-fest and maybe the only portion of the film which bespeaks the potential nobility and gravitas of the subject matter

That's a good idea, re: Eric Gill, quite a character, was often seen is his tabbard working on the front of the BBC Portland Place, onlookers would glance up, to see he wore nothing underneath? That and his fore mentioned affection for our 4 legged friends.

Seems difficult to find a good book on him.

I have one on him by Jennifer Bass & Pat Kirkham ISBN 9781856697521