Josef Müller-Brockmann and the Grid System

With the re-emergence of grid systems over the last 10 years in web and print design, it reminds me of the advertising design of Josef Müller-Brockmann. Müller-Brockmann began his career in the 1930’s,  perfecting the Swiss Grid System and clearly defining his work as an artform unto itself. More interesting to me is his use of positive and negative space, almost Gestalt-like, with backgrounds and foregrounds melding into one another.

 

 

 

Establishing his illustrative style in the 1940’s, Müller-Brockmann’s experience during the war years informed his objective style to inform and enlighten without being manipulative.  A review of his work, ranging from advertising to exhibition design, spans styles from the dramatic to the comedic. And his mastery of typography, particuarly his work with Helvetica, defined an age of designers and still inspires today.