Swiss graphic designer Ralph Schraivogel is known for his astonishing posters for cultural institutions, each one resulting from intensive visual exploration. Schraivogel creates surfaces that boil and undulate with strange energy—in Cinema Afrika (2006), swirling contour lines give rise to colliding texts. from the words “Cinema Afrika” resemble topographic lines on a map.   In...

In 1966, Italian designer Bruno Munari poked fun at the commonplace design solution of putting a big circle in the middle of a poster. In his essay “Posters with a Central Image,” Munari wrote, ““The eye is attracted by the dark disc and has no way of escaping.” He may have had this famous poster...

When graphic designer Milton Glaser began designing for Kevin Eggers’ record company in the 1960s, it was called Poppy Records.  By 1978, the company had changed names several times, morphing into Utopia, then Atlantic Deluxe, and finally, Tomato Music Company.  (It later became known as Tomato Records).  The independent label featured an eclectic group of artists,...

This gut wrenching poster, designed by the Polish graphic designer Jan Lenica, was produced to advertise the Polish National Opera’s 1964 production of Alban Berg’s avant-garde opera Wozzeck in Warsaw.  An icon of Polish graphic design, the poster was awarded a Gold Medal at the 1966 Warsaw International Poster Biennale, and is Lenica’s best known...

There are many ways to celebrate an anniversary.  To commemorate a decade of working together as the design duo Non-Format, Kjell Ekhorn and Jon Forss did not opt for the traditional gifting of tin, pewter, or aluminum.  Instead, they pooled their creative energies towards a personal project that drew upon their shared love of David...

One of 31 video segments featured in 'Designing Media', the new book, DVD and website by Bill Moggridge. More info on 'Designing Medi'a available at http://www.designing-media.com Blixa Bargeld has been leading an innovative industrial rock band based in Berlin for decades and has accumulated a loyal and enthusiastic community of fans. Working in the traditional...

We got in touch with Critter & Guitari, electronic instrument designers from Philadelphia, to ask them four questions about their practice of design, music, and art. COOPER-HEWITT: Owen, you studied Music at Dartmouth, and Chris, you studied electronics at ITP. Tell us how you met and when/how you knew you wanted to work together. CHRIS...

This is the sixth interview in Chapter 2 in my new book, Designing Media Roger McNamee, November 2008 Roger McNamee is both a musician and a venture capitalist. He got his start on the business side, helping the Grateful Dead to stay viable after Jerry Garcia’s death through direct sales to its fans. Now he...

The Interactive Dance Floor has come of age. Introducing: Synplode. Up-and-coming interaction designer Josh Silverman is the developer of this generative art and audio application. credit: www.xkcd.com The system synchronizes rhythmically, melodically, and graphically with a soundtrack that is under constant development. The design provides an opportunity for any musician to compose and integrate easily...