1. Influential designers
Harry Beck

2. Harry Beck Designed the famous underground map in 1933.
Influential designers
Harry Beck
Designed the famous underground map in 1933.
Beck’s design is a schematic map and represents the elements of the system using graphic symbols. It is non-geographical. It is for travellers to find their way from one station to another. The space or geography between the stations is not important- people just needed to know where they were and which station was next.
The map is simple and easy to understand. Different lines and symbols are represented in different colours. The idea came from electrical wiring diagrams (he was an electrical draughtsman).
His design shows how ideas can be adapted to suit a purpose. The map has been updated several times and has been adopted across the world for other networks such as road and air travel.

3. Influential designers
The Alessi Company

5. The Alessi Company Influential designers
The Alessi Factory was founded in 1921 by Alberto Alessi’s grandfather and produced general homeware items. Alberto Alessi took over the company in 1970.
Wanted to combine mass production with good design, creativity and craftsmanship so good design was available for everyone.
Alberto commissioned leading artists and architects to design the products. He is not a great designer himself, but supports and encourages those that are. These include Philippe Stark, Alessandro Mendini and Stefano Giovannoni.
Alessi’s contribution to design is not based on products. It was his design philosophy that started new debates and brought about fresh ideas.
• Alessi designs are not simply based on function. They are stylish, superior designed and innovative products.
• E.g: Lemon squeezer designed by Philippe Starck. It is a brilliant design, sells for around £50 but basic squeezers are cheaper, less messy and a lot easier to use. Some of Alessi’s products are functionally inferior to others on the market!

6. Influential designers

7. Influential designers Josh Kinnear and Margaret Calvert
In the late 1950s road signs were not standard. As more people started driving and motorways started to be built, finding your way became confusing and dangerous for motorists. Signs were needed that were the same everywhere so wherever you drove you understood them.
Jock Kinnear trained as a graphic designer & Margaret Calvert as an illustrator. They developed a typeface that was clear and easy to read when driving. The letters were sans serif and slightly curved, which they felt would be appealing to drivers. They called the font ‘Transport ‘.
They adopted the European idea of using pictograms instead of words. Many designs were influenced by Calvert’s background. They also designed the shapes of the information boards and colours used (white on blue for motorways, yellow on green for primary roads, black on white for secondary routes). Various fluorescent and reflective smart material coatings have since been added to road signs to improve visibility and safety.
The designs are clear, uncluttered and easy to read at speed.
Jock & Margaret’s road signs proved very popular and have since been adopted by other countries. The design museum in London said that ‘Jock & Margaret’s road signs fulfil their function so efficiently that the public tends to take them for granted and rarely acknowledges their design merit’.

8. Influential designers
Wally
Olins

9. Influential designers Wally Olins
Wally Olins is a brand consultant.
After studying history at university, he worked for an advertising company. In 1965, together with Michael Wolff, he founded an advertising agency called Wolff Olins, which was to become a major influence on developing corporate images in the UK and Europe.
Olins has worked with companies such as P&O and BT where the corporate image is included on every advertising campaign that they run.
Olins now works with charities, governments and even countries and regions, helping them not only to have a corporate image, but also to develop a corporate identity. He said: ‘It seemed sensible to present the idea of the company as a a whole, through it’s products, environment and behaviour rather than just through advertising’.
Companies use graphic design to promote their products and create brands – products that are easily recognisable to customers.
A brand will have a visual identity such as a logo, but branding is also about the relationship the customer has with the product.
Companies often want to promote themselves as well as their products, so they create a corporate image. They might use a logo, initials or a simple phrase, or a combination of all or any of these.

10. Influential designers
Robert
Sabuda

11. Influential designers
As a child, Robert Sabuda was fascinated by pop-up books. He used to make them from old filing folders that his mother brought from work. He went on to college, and while on work placement he learnt about book making and printing.
He taught himself paper engineering, and later used these skills to create amazing pop-up books.
Sabuda has won many prestigious prizes for his children’s books.
He believes that adults and children enjoy mechanical books and that redaing them together is great fun.
Pop-up layer
Pop-up V-fold
Pop-up layer plus fold
*Pop-up books can also use levers and linkages to create movement

12. Influential designers: Key terms and study tips
Non-geographical map: Not related to the actual landscape or topography
Mass production: when large numbers of an item are made
Creativity: making new designs, having ne ideas, thinking of new interpretations of older ideas and products.
Typeface: The design or shape of letters
Pictogram: A 2D block-coloured picture that conveys a message or warning.
Branding: A logo or image associsted by the public with a product
Corporate image: The branding of a company
Corporate Identity: The qualities and values an organisation wishes to be identified by. It’s signage, products and public appearances.
Pop-Up: Cut-out sections in a book or card that appear or flip outward swhen a page is turned.
Paper engineering: Precise, accurate mechanisms made from paper designed to enable actions to take place.
Mechanical books: books that have actions and movement built into them.
STUDY TIPS:
Learn why each designers style has been successful.
Remember thestyles of a couple of the Alessi products and be prepared to apply them to other uses.
Use the correct technical terms when writing about key designers.
Try to look past the logo into the wider values of a business.
Investigate some of the mechanisms used in pop-up books.