Volume 16–1.pdf

TYPOGRAPHIC
COMMUNICATIONS TODAY
of Western Man series by key
designers), IBM (projecting
itself as the extremely advanced
technology leader), and Columbia
Broadcasting System.
In each case the corporation
head set the tone for the program:
Walter Paepcke at CCA,
Thomas Watson, Jr. at IBM,
and Frank Stanton at CBS.
Stanton initiated the CBS
approach, and in 1937 brought
in William Golden to execute
it. Golden did this supremely
for 23 years.
Golden Words
Perhaps the best way to
understand Bill Golden is
through his own words. He was
as fluent with words as he was
with graphic elements. In April
1959, the Type Directors Club of
New York sponsored a forum,
Typography-USA. Panelistdesigners
contributed statements
to a booklet issued as part of the
seminar. Following are excerpts
from Golden statement.
"Type is to read.
"If there is such a thing as a
34 The CBS Television symbol as used in
a 1955 trade show. William Golden.
35 CBS trade ad, 1954. William Golden.
`New American Typography'
surely it speaks with a foreign
accent. And it probably talks too
much. Much of what it says is
obvious nonsense. A good deal of
it is so pompous that it sounds
like nonsense, though if you listen
very carefully it isn't—quite.
It is just overcomplicated.. .
"More and more typography
was designed on a layout pad
rather than in metal. Perhaps
the greatest change in American
typography was caused by this
simple act—the transfer of the
design function of the printer to
the graphic designer.
"The designer was able to
bring a whole new background
and a new set of influences to the
printed page. He could 'draw' a
page. There was more flexibility
in the use of a pencil than in the
manipulation of a metal form. It
became a new medium for the
designer.
TARP
HEADLINE/INITIAL/TEXT. ITC NEW 8ASKERVILLE ITALIC SUBHEADS: BOLD ITALIC HEADER: ITC MODERN NO. 216 LIGHT
"Under the twin impact
of the functionalism of the
Bauhaus and the practical
demands of American business,
the designer was beginning to
learn to use the combination of
word and image to communicate
more effectively.
"Under the influence of the
modern painters, he became
aware (perhaps too aware) of the
textural qualities and color values
of type as an element of
design.
"And surely a dominating
influence on American typography
in the pre-war years was
exerted by the journalists...
"The skillful development of
the use of headline and picture
was afar more prevalent
influence than the European
past. The newspaper taught us
speed in communication...
"The magazine communicated
at a more leisurely pace
and could be more provocative
since it addressed a more selective
audience. Because the magazine
dealt more in concepts than in
news it was far more imaginative.
There was more opportunity
here to design within the framework
of the two-page spread.
But still, the devices that bore the
main burden of interesting the
reader were the `terrific headline'
and the 'wonderful picture'...
36 Cover design for Design Quarterly,
1984. Paul Rand. USA.
"But what gave it a new
direction and style was not so
purely American. I think it was
men like Agha and Brodovitch.
These importations from Europe
set a pace that not only changed
the face of the magazine and
consequently advertising design,
but they changed the status of the
designer: They did this by the simple
process of demonstrating that
the designer could also think...
"The designer will find that
the most satisfying solutions to a
graphic problem come from its
basic content. He will find it
unnecessary and offensive to
superimpose a visual effect on
an unrelated message... he will
want to be sure that what he
has to say will be clearly understood—that
this is his primary
function...
"I do not argue for the return
to any form of traditionalism. I
do argue for a sense of responsibility
on the part of the designer,
and a rational understanding of
his function.
"I think he should avoid
designing for designers!"
,Haul rant/
micrtio/Lontit
Bits,
Bytes,and
Typo-
graphic
Design
n the first half of the
20th century, the
driving forces that
affected the look of
typographic designs
came from the new
schools of painting, poetry
and architecture. They continue
to influence today's
designers. But since the late
1960s, the influence of the
new technologies on typesetting
and typographic
design has been even
greater.
Of course the fine arts
and new technologies were
not the only forces affecting
typographic design.
Among the other forces
were the work done in private
presses in England,
Europe, and in the United
States, as well as the design
of new typefaces. Private
presses, by their willingness
to experiment and innovate,
affected the courses of
both typeface and typographic
design. (This story
is summarized in Chapter IX
of Typographic Communications
Today)
The design of typefaces
was both a cause and an
affect of other trends in the
graphic design world. (This
story is told in considerable
detail in Chapters X and XI;
over 200 typeface families
are illustrated with full
alphabets. They are