WEEK 1: What historic styles and designers interest you and why?

My work has mainly been focused on illustration, so I'm not very knowledgable about important design  history, styles or designers. Hopefully through this course and throughout the program I will improve my understanding of design. Here are some historic styles and designers who I know of, and am interested of studying in further depth:

Peter Moscoso, Matrix Club, 1967.

PSYCHEDELIC POSTER ART

The posters and album cover art that flourished from the 1960-80s attracts me with its jarring use of colour, confrontational compositions, decorative typography that challenge legibility, and bizarre imagery. The design is impractical, daring and irreverent, which are useful characteristics in a culture of visual overload. Includes important designers such as Peter Max, Tadanori Yokoo and Victor Moscoso.

Paula Scher, Public Theater, 1995.

PAULA SCHER
Scher's design interests me through its ability to command attention, and convey action solely through bold typography, limited imagery and simple yet vivid colour palettes. Her work is minimal in its style, yet incredibly maximalist in its effect.

Neville Brody, Fuse (Magazine Cover), 1994.

NEVILLE BRODY

I recently discovered Brody in our Creative Thinking for Designers class. Initially I was repulsed by Brody's work however once I began learning about his influences and design process I began to appreciate his style. His design is not easy, and not pretty like a lot of design is today. He uses inharmonious colour combinations, illegible fonts and impractical layouts but its these aspects which make his work so compelling. It challenges viewers expectations of design, requires dissection and rewards closer inspection.