Impact on the modern design world Nevillewritten by chloe sauer Brody 1 Introduction 4 Context 6 The Face 9 Visual Language 14 Conclusion 18 Fig 1 - Zuice Logo 1987 2 3 eville Brody is a graphic designer who was mainly responsible for paving the way into postmodernism for British graphic design (Gerber, 2010). He was born in Southgate, England in 1957 and is now the art director of his Nown studio Brody Associates. Brody did a graphic design degree at London College of Printing (LCP) in 1976 (Seddon, 2014). With Brody’s experimental and rebellious spirit, his design work and achievements will be discussed, focusing on how he influenced the modern design world. (Brody & Wozencroft, 1988) describes Neville Brody as the most well-known British graphic designer of his generation. He started out doing record cover designs, then designed for magazines, where he focused on experimenting with typography ( Fig 1 & 2) (Brody & Wozencroft, 1988). Since then Brody has had major exhibitions in the Victoria & Albert Museum Fig 2 - The Face Cover No.39 1983 in 1988 and in Tokyo a couple years later (Woodman, 2016). Aged just 31 years when awarded an exhibition at V&A Museum, he was very young compared to previous designers who had much longer careers (Poynor, 1998). He was the leading designer to use the first Macintosh creatively and was an eager user of the computer as a design tool. 4 5 Fig 3 - 8 Eyed Spy ‘Diddy Wah Diddy’ Fetish Records 1982 uring Brody’s time at LCP, the Punk was started by rebellious young people and movement was going into British mainstream turned into a fashion and music industry. with Sex Pistols leading the way, this inspired Neville Brody’s inspiration from other Fig 4 - 8 Eyed Spy Fetish Records 1981 Brody (Gerber, 2010). He was nearly expelled movements were Russian Constructivism, for turning Queen Elizabeth’s head on a Dada, Futurist Typography and postage stamp. His tutors were not impressed Expressionism, looking at geometric styles by his radicalism and described his work and typography. It’s about studying past work as uncommercial (Seddon, 2014). (Brody & of other successful designers, not copying Wozencroft, 1988) describes that he valued but to understand and evaluate the basis his time at LCP but also hated it, the way of what they have done differently in their design was taught was not emotive enough. work (Caldwell & Zappaterra, 2014).Brody Students studying design can go against the also admired El Lissitzky and Alexander norm and still be successful. With this mind Rodchenko and their work (Seddon, 2014). set at college, Brody would change his work if Brody started out in the music industry tutors thought it was good. because it was the only place for New Wave Design started to emerge in the experimenting (Brody & Wozencroft, 1988). late 1960’s from Swiss Style, this movement Rocking Russian, a very creatively led completely changed the straight rules of business, was the starting point, then Stiff Swiss Style which created a new influential Records. Record covers at the time were a and changing approach to design (Gerber, massive industry in design, they could be 2010). New Wave typography, Swiss Punk, viewed by a lot of people, not just in an art was introduced by Wolfgang Weingart. He gallery scenario but also in the home, showed that this new approach was rough Brody liked the way these visual covers could and argumentative which also deconstructed be appreciated (Brody & Wozencroft, 1988). the grid system, therefore creating bright After being sacked from Stiff, Brody went on colours, geometric forms, unusual letter to be art director at Fetish Records angles and design that demanded attention (Seddon, 2014). At Fetish Records the cover (Gerber, 2010). Punk began in the 70’s with designs were for bands leading the new political and economic roots, this movement wave scene (Fig 3) (Fig 4). 6 7 from young people listening to alternative music and showing their eccentric individuality through fashion (Tosetti, 2016). (Fig 5) The Face’s aim was to find and stimulate the fast-changing trends of style culture (Beazley, 2003). When Neville Brody joined The Face in 1981 his designs got rid of any traditional rules of typography, where he pushed the boundaries of legibility of text and image (Gerber, 2014). When in college Brody thought typography was overrun with rules and traditions that would refuse change (Brody & Wozencroft, 1988). With the beginning of print in the 15th century Fig 6 - The Face No.48 April 1984 the modern tradition of typography started, and with that the basic set of rules have not changed since then. (Brody & Wozencroft, 1988) describes that these rules should be questioned, challenged and not be a restraint. The Face was a record of what was going he 1980’s decade was at the top for on in the changing culture of the 1980’s and accelerating the profile of graphic design as onwards but it was also part of progressing a substantial part of culture (Seddon, 2014). it, therefore The Face is in Design Museum’s It was a decade where digital typesetting permanent collection to be used as a arrived, also with MacPaint and Adobe resource and documentation of youth culture, Illustrator. Neville Brody helped to determine media and politics of the time (McLaughlin, style culture during the 1980’s with his high- 2017). This interview with Paul Gorman, profile name as a graphic designer (Poynor, author of The Story of The Face, describes 2003). “He was the first graphic design the magazine as compulsory to buy because superstar” (Poynor, 1998) and during this it was the news about what was happening period he was one of the most noticeable and (McLaughlin, 2017). Nick Logan, the founder influential designers (Poynor, 2003). Nick of The Face, a publisher and editor who is Logan launched a new monthly magazine one of the greatest since the Second World called The Face in 1980 looking at film, music War, had employees that exceed in their field and fashion (Beazley, 2003). It was very (McLaughlin, 2017). This contributed to the professionally produced with glossy paper. influential style of the magazine where Logan The title and context of the magazine was would give Brody and other designers’ free Opposite Fig 5 - ‘Killer’ Cover The taken from the Mod movement which is a reign to experiment (Fig 6) and the company Face No.59 March 1985 youth subculture in London 1958. It comes was small enough to make changes easily. 8 9 One change was to increase the magazine size to the widest possible for a magazine rack. This influenced The Sunday Times and the Observers who changed their newspaper to the same. After this, other businesses realised this was a great way to communicate to young people to sell their products (McLaughlin, 2017). Anyone who was trying to target Creative Review, The Face young people adopted The Face’s declined stopping in 2004. After The approaches (McLaughlin, 2017). Face Brody went on to do work for the The Face set the pace for other London style magazine City Limits magazines, where they tried to catch where his covers are his best work up with the innovative design and (Owen, 1992) (Fig 7). Next, he designed subject matter (Eshun, 2017). The for men’s magazine Arena (Fig 8) and magazine hunted new underground music band Cabaret Voltaire (Fig 9, scenes for new sounds and styles 10 & 11) (Woodman, 2016). Brody left that came from around the world Arena, with it being a magazine on and with new movements such as its own, it could have injected more grunge, acid house and Brit pop cultured discussion but didn’t. (Brody they needed famous iconic people & Poynor, 1992). In London, Brody for their covers such as Kate Moss started Research Studio in 1987 (Eshun, 2017). The magazine hunted with partner Fwa Richards, which new underground scenes for new gained various international clients sounds and styles that came from and has expanded to Berlin, Paris around the world and with new and Barcelona. In 1990, he founded movements such as grunge, acid FontWorks from the increased interest house and Brit pop they needed of his experimental typography, Fig 7 - City Limits Cover No.118 1984. famous iconic people for their creating over 20 different typefaces covers such as Kate Moss (Eshun, and became a director of FontShop 2017). The magazine’s influence on International (Woodman, 2016). This communication, advertising and led him to create a magazine called fashion was massive (Myerson, FUSE with Jon Wozencroft which 2002). John Hegarty was a designer included experimental typography that learned from The Face and (Fig 12) (Woodman, 2016). FUSE Brody (Poynor, 1998). With other style has around 20 issues and has held magazine at the time like i-D and various conferences all over the world bringing together speakers from different design fields. FUSE has had contributions from Barry Deck, David Carson, Peter Saville and Ian Fig 9, 10 & 11 - Cabaret Voltaire Anderson (Poynor, 2003). 12” & 7” covers for James Brown, Some Bizarre/Virgin Records Swiss designer Cornel Windlin along 1984 with Ian Swift and David Crow fit in with a generation drawn into graphic design by the three leaders of time, 10 11 Neville Brody, Peter Saville and Malcom Garrett. Windlin went on to work for Brody at his studio in 1987 gaining a priceless experience (Poynor, 1998). Brody has also controlled global identity and advertising campaigns for Nike, Issey Miyake, and Dom Perignon and many others. He designed modern fonts for The Guardian and The Times that they still use now such as Times Modern (Fig 13) (Simpson, 2013).