Grid Based Clock Screensaver (Build + Gedel)

As I mentioned in my previous post, I checked out the website of the Belgian interactive designer Geoffroy Delobel (aka Gedel) who designed the website for Build. Immediately I noticed the grid based clock screensaver and, to my surprise, was quite impressed with the simple, ever-changing nature of the piece. Clearly the Swiss influence is present in the simple grid structure, with clean cut graphics constantly in motion to create different structures every minute. This also makes a nice addition to my list of growing Swiss based interactive pieces i.e. BDD and Sign Generator 1.0.

The grid based clock screensaver is in fact based on an idea by Sleep At Work

To check out the grid based clock screensaver click here

Design By Build

I first came across their work on the Rumbero Design website. Xavier Encinas (Rumbero Design) is clearly a fan and collector and lists those works that he possesses and those that he needs to buy. I was quite impressed with what I saw so I checked out their website - a very sleek and minimalistic design. I couldn't help but check out the creator - Gedel (aka Geoffroy Delobel, a Belgian interactive designer). However, staying with Build for the time being, here is a small selection of their work. I have tended to select those pieces that, for me, include some sort of Swiss influence.

Swiss Legacy Blog

One of the more important things I came across on the Rumbero Design website was a link to the Swiss Legacy blog, which may prove to be an invaluable resource for my research project. I haven't yet had the chance to take a detailed look at what it offers, however, I have quickly browsed through the category list which includes some promising areas to explore.

Check it out for yourself here

Rumbero Design

I'm really not too sure how I came across this site but I'm glad I found it either way. It showcases the work of French Art Director Xavier Encinas, also known as Rumbero Design, and although not Swiss, he seems to have adopted their style and this clearly comes across in his work. One piece in particular which really caught my eye can be seen below. Yet another black and white design with emphasis placed on the use of type and strong clean cut imagery. The second poster design contains character traits of Muller Brockmann's work and I've included one of his posters just so we can compare the two.

Not only was his website a pleasure to navigate through, it also contained some really interesting leads, which were relevant to my research project and I will be posting about them soon. To check out his site click here

Tania Prill (Zurich)

I came across the image below in Area and was immediately drawn to the symbols that somewhat resembled layered alphabet characters. The layering of them, however, transforms their meaning completely and we are left with an icon that is unrecognisable and, in my opinion, quite beautiful. In fact, they are rather similar to the grid based work found in Norm's book 'The Things'.

(Below) "Self-commissioned poster Faxaction conceived in memory of Swiss typographer and teacher Hans-Rudolf Lutz / Switzerland / 2002 / In January 1998, while working on the conception of his exhibition Werkschau Hans-Rudolf Lutz, Hans-Rudolf Lutz passed away. His friends followed through with the exhibition, which took place in the Visosuisse Factory, Emmenbrucke, a few months later. A fax machine was installed in the exhibition space, allowing people from around the world to react to the loss. The faxes became part of the exhibition and a selection was used to make up this poster." - Area (Phaidon) p.274

Kei Matsushita (Tokyo)

One of the questions answered by Buro Destruct in my previous post was regarding similarities between Swiss and Japanese graphic design. The answer given by BD was that 'both tend to make it perfect'. Therefore it may be to my advantage to have a look into contemporary Japanese graphic design. I've already had a quick look through the book 'Area', which highlights 100 graphic designers form across the globe, and came across Kei Matsushita of Tokyo, whose work I find really impressive, inspirational and in tune with the Swiss design motifs. I've scanned in two pieces of his work from the book, which demonstrate his signature use of creating three-dimensional images by using a two-dimensional technique.

(top) Promotional leaflet for paper-processing company PCM Takeo / PCM Takeo / Japan / 1997

(bottom) Poster advertising the entertainment robot AIBO / Sony Creative Products Inc. / Japan / 2001

BD FAQ

Found some interesting questions and answers regarding the work of Buro Destruct on their website - 4 questions in particular really stood out for me, which I have pasted below. For the full set of Questions and Answers click here

Switzerland, is known for order and cleanness. Do these attributes also qualify your work?
Yes, we think so. But the description would not be complete by just using these words: We chose our name ’Büro Destruct’ to communicate a vision of tension between two poles. ’Büro’ stands for order and ’Destruct’ for breaking with conventions and aiming for new results. But in the end it mostly turns into order again – so yes: we are very Swiss;-)

How would you describe Swiss graphic design?
Swiss graphic designers take care of good forms, clear shapes, legible characters and order. These things are installed in the people of Switzerland. Mention Swiss graphic design, and the first names that come to mind for those raised on a diet of modernism are Max Bill, Josef Müller-Brockmann, Richard Paul Lohse and Armin Hofmann. These designers, whose work has come to epitomize an approach to graphic design adopted internationally, have also defined the way the rest of the world sees Swiss design – as economical, austere and formal.

Why do you think Swiss graphic design is so popular these days?
We’re truly seeing a revival of Swiss tradition all over the world nowadays. No other region has got such a high density of high-quality graphic designers like Switzerland. Even though Swiss Designers were always very well educated, the ’70s and the ’80s did not necessarily bring forth the greatest achievements. That changed in the beginning of the ’90s when the new technological developments were adopted by young and upcoming designers. Since then, they have been confronted and inspired by new cutting-edge design from the outside world. Now, Swiss design has the advantage of a typographic, font-related design, combined with pictography and the ’folklorist’ habit of reducing elements, breaking things down and making them simple – a strong proposition. Swiss graphic design has become a trademark again that is here to stay.

What do Swiss and Japanese graphic designers have in common?
Both tend to make it perfect: They are very disciplined, aim for a high quality standard and demonstrate a big love concerning details. Swiss graphics are still a bit more reduced and clean than Japanese ones. Contemporary Japanese graphic design is very similar to the minimalistic and formal Swiss design from the ’40s and ’50s: Designers are very much inspired by a lot of Swiss fonts from that time.