New-wave typography, the Memphis and San Francisco schools and retro and vernacular design

Discuss the following three directions of postmodern graphic design: new-wave typography, the Memphis and San Francisco schools, and retro and vernacular design. Describe characteristic elements of each and offer examples of work by specific designers.

 New-wave Typography

http://typographylove.com

The Memphis Group

http://www.deconet.com/blog/home/entry/post_modernism_at_utopia_oslo    

San Francisco School

http://news.wwu.edu/go/doc/1538/263649/

Retro and Vernacular Design

http://www.frenchpaper.com/csa_and_french.asp

MTV

In 1981, Music Television (MTV) went on the air. Describe MTV’s unique approach to visual identity, including cultural context and influences, and the design firm and designers who designed its identity.

The MTV logo was created by Manhattan Design, a graphic design collective (Pat Gorman, Frank Olinsky, Patty Rogoff and Fred Seibert). The distinctive “M” was actually a sketch by Rogoff. The “TV” was spray painted by Olinksky.

http://rohitcgartist.blogspot.com/2013/01/mtv-logo-history.html

European/American modernist design + the New York School

Although American modernist design originated in European modernist design, it quickly developed a uniquely American approach. What are the differences between European and American modernist design, as represented by the so-called New York School, including the influences of American culture and society? Identify designers of the New York School who introduced unique approaches to modernist design, and cite specific examples of their work (URLs) that aren’t found in Meggs’s A History of Graphic Design to support your discussion.

A few designs reflective of the period to offer you some inspiration:

 

 

New York School Innovators

Paul Rand was an American graphic designer, best known for his corporate logo designs, including the logos for IBM, UPS, Enron, Westinghouse, ABC, and NeXT.

 

Saul Bass was an American graphic designer and filmmaker, perhaps best known for his design of film posters and motion picture title sequences.

George Lois is an American art director, designer and author. Lois is perhaps best known for the covers he designed for Esquire magazine from 1962 to 1972.

 

Alvin Lustig was an American book designer, graphic designer and typeface designer. He studied at Los Angeles City College, Art Center, and independently with Frank Lloyd Wright and Jean Charlot. He began designing for books in 1937.

Josef Müller-Brockmann and the the golden mean

In his 1960 exhibition poster entitled “Der Film,” Josef Müller-Brockmann designed to a grid based on the mathematical proportions of the golden mean. Explain the golden mean and how it is applied in this work. Include in your post an explanation of how the structure and typographic design effectively communicate meaning. Discuss and provide links to additional Müller-Brockmann examples and also locate contemporary design examples inspired by his work and the golden mean. 

P.S. creativebloq.com does a sweet job explaining and offering visual examples of the Golden Ratio. Check it here >

Additional Müller-Brockmann examples for inspiration: 

Contemporary examples inspired by Müller-Brockmann and the golden mean:
Müller-Brockmann's quote and cited contemporary examples can be found at: nomadcreatives.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Muller-Brockman.pdf