Sometimes, the simplest ideas can make the biggest impact. Few logos are as iconic as Nike’s iconic swoosh.
Lester Beall
Lester Beall was one of the highest reviewed graphic designer Adelaide. He earned himself a one-person exhibition at MoMA and received the 1993 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Institute of Graphic Artists.
In the 1930s, Beall became increasingly interested in photomontage’s potential as a design technique. This technique had already become established in Europe with Dadaists such as Raoul Hausmann and George Grosz around World War I, and it would soon be an integral element of modern art practised worldwide.
Beall utilised these concepts in his designs, using photography to create an eye-catching visual style that stood out from other graphic designers of its era.
Beall’s style was heavily influenced by photomontage, which he intended to continue doing throughout his career. He felt it was the most efficient way of combining all his interests.
After moving from Chicago to New York, Beall continued his design work, but this time focused on advertising design. He designed advertisements for Chicago Tribune and Sterling Engraving and promotional covers for Crowell Publishing Company.
In 1944, Beall began designing Scope magazine for Upjohn Pharmaceuticals, another major undertaking. His unique style made the publication a huge success for the company.
Stefan Sagmeister
Stefan Sagmeister is one of the most highly-acclaimed graphic designers in history. His work has earned him numerous international design awards and a Grammy for his Talking Heads album cover design. Furthermore, he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and a master’s degree from Pratt Institute in New York City.
Born in Austria, Sagmeister studied at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna before working for Leo Burnett’s Hong Kong Design Group before moving to New York to study under Tibor Kalman. In 1993 he formed his studio called Sagmeister Inc. Since then, he has designed for HBO, Guggenheim Museum and Time Warner.
The esteemed designer is renowned for his bold use of imagery and typography, often to explore controversial subjects like sexuality, humour and human emotion. Beyond his design skillsets, he has extensive teaching experience, giving four TED talks and writing several books.
His creative practice began in 1993 and evolved into a full-service creative agency when he joined forces with Jessica Walsh to form Sagmeister & Walsh in 2012. Since then, they have undertaken various projects, such as branding the Jewish Museum and creating an animated visual identity for Fugue’s cloud software management company.
Numerous institutions, like the National Design Award and the Academy of Art in San Francisco, have recognised his work. Additionally, he taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York and lectured internationally. Taking yearlong sabbaticals for happiness-promoting work and teaching are some of his many passions.
Paula Scher
Paula Scher is the highest reviewed graphic designer Adelaide in the world; her work is instantly recognisable to those who gaze upon the iconic Museum of Modern Art logo or use Microsoft Windows 8. Paula, a Pentagram partner, is an illustrator, painter, and art educator. Her designs can be found in numerous museums around the globe and are part of several institutions’ permanent collections.
Her typography draws inspiration from the early constructivist style and art deco influences. She lectures internationally, featuring her designs in museums worldwide, such as the Museum of Modern Art, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, Library of Congress, Victoria & Albert Museum and many more.
She has earned hundreds of design accolades throughout her lifetime, including the National Design Award and the AIGA medal. Additionally, her work has been showcased in numerous documentaries, and she has taught at the School of Visual Arts for two decades.
Jan Tschichold
Jan Tschichold is one of the world’s most acclaimed graphic designers. A prolific creator and writer, he is widely considered to have spearheaded modern graphic design from Weimar Germany’s inception.
Tschichold was born in Germany and trained as a calligrapher and designer. After graduation, he opened his design studio in Leipzig.
Tschichold’s life was forever altered after visiting the Weimar Bauhaus exhibition in 1923, and he became a passionate supporter of Modernist design principles. He demonstrated his change through effective magazine supplements and personal collections, culminating with his monumental opus Die Neue Typographie published in 1928.