London Underground Map 1931

This week our class was asked to look at "The London Underground Map", designed by Henry C. Beck in 1931.   The typeface used in this map is called Johnston's Railway Type.  It was originally designed by Edward Johnston in 1916, then hand-lettered in over 2,400 characters by Beck 15 years later.  Johnston's Railway Type influenced many faces following it, with similar qualities of ultimate simplicity, and readability.  The concept behind the structure of the map is to simplify the complex web of the subway stations and replace it with a easy to read diagrammatic representation instead of an accurate, but more complex, geographic one.  This aesthetic of simple contrasts in shapes and colours related to the current progress in Graphic Design at the time, where legibility and understanding were achieved by thoughtful reduction and bright colours.  Personally I like this map design.  It's simple, perfectly functional, and in its simplicity is aesthetic appeal.  With this map I think I could find my way in London or at least in 1931.

Seriously? The Pictorial Modernism Movement

 This is my Serious Coffee logo rendition.  I was inspired by the Pictorial Modernism movement, specifically, designer, Julius Klinger and his poster design work.  Klinger along with many other artists at this time (early 20th century) veered away from decorative Art Nouveau and started using clean, San-serifs, and 2D shapes against a flat background.  My example is similar to his style, except for the lack of colour.  The Pictorial Modernism movement is famous for using bright colours however do to the criteria of this weeks blog I had to stick to just the black and white.  Although my sample does feature thoughtful reduction, which was popular during this movement and with Plakatstil (poster design).  Artists were trying to convey meaning in the simplest way possible often only using flat shapes, colour, product name, and the product.  I reduced the number of coffee beans and steam swirls because I felt the logo could still be understood with less "flourishes".  The audience that this logo would appeal to is people that enjoy the basics, perhaps fans of the Pictorial Modernism movement or Someone who is just "Serious" about their coffee and doesn't need anything extra.