‘Design’ is a simple word that is full of so much meaning! 

To give a taste of the meaning of great design we have gathered a small slice of ideas from some of the most influential designers of the 20th century! 

This slice of a much bigger pie incorporates some of the goals that graphic designers need to set to achieve brilliant design solutions from their own creative process! 

Paul Rand (1914-1996), one of the great graphic designers of the 20th century and best known for some of the iconic corporate logo designs such as for IBM and American Express, as well as posters, book covers and accomplished photographer and painter, says that design is so much more than just a process of assembling, modifying, and editing. 

Rand emphasised that designers need to add value and meaning, and that the role of a skilled graphic designer needs to include things such as illumination, simplification, clarification, modification, dramatization, and persuasion. 

American business magnate, Steve Jobs (1955-2011), a great admirer of the graphic creativity of Paul Rand, had a lifelong interest in design that focussed on simplicity. His concept of simplicity reached beyond superficial ideas of an uncluttered look of the surface of a product to embrace a deeper understanding of simplicity based on knowing the essence of every product, how it is engineered and the function of each component. 

The American Institute for Graphic Arts (AIGA) recognised, Hillman Curtis (1961-2012) with the AIGA Medal for pioneering early web and Flash motion design, and for the passionate and inspiring storytelling in his films about legendary artists and designers .

Hillman Curtis believed that the goals of great designers should include things such as listening, observing, understanding, sympathising, empathising, synthesizing and gleaning insights that enable them to “make the invisible, visible.”

Swiss graphic designer, Josef Muller-Brockman (1914-1996), a leading practitioner and theorist of the Swiss Style, strove to remove subjectivity from his designs putting the clarity of the message above all else. According to Muller-Brockman “The formal organisation of the surface by means of the grid, knowledge of the rules that govern legibility, and the meaningful use of colour are among the tools a designer must master.”  

If you are interested in working with some leading graphic designers for your next project, then get in touch with us at Fresco Creative.