UNIMARK INTERNATIONAL

Last week the Society of Typographic Arts with AIGA/Chicago celebrated the launch of Jan Conradi's new book Unimark International: The Design of Business and the Business of Design.

Unimark was the world's first international design firm, in business from 1965–1979, with its headquarters in Chicago. In addition to being a graphic design powerhouse, the firm also engaged in product design, and made a name for itself with integrated corporate identity programs. And Helvetica was the typographic star of the show. The book is a chronicle of the firm, its people and work.

 

Many former "Unimarkers" were on-hand, including Massimo Vignelli, one of the firm's founders and the author of the book's Forward, as well as some that I have worked with over the course of my career -- people I consider design mentors. I cannot tell you how fortunate I feel to have experienced the event with them. Truth be told, I was on a serious design high -- like a shot in the arm with the adrenaline of why you're passionate about what you do.

Unimark's design values were rooted in the Bauhaus and Modernism, and the people who worked there believed deeply in the power of design to change the world. My own design education and philosophy stems from these same principles (hence the design high) -- very importantly that design is not decoration. Design is based in process. But yes, you want it to look great. What's more, you want it to be great. And at the end of the day, our life experiences -- reading/ voting/ buying/ computing/ exercising/ working/ investing/ dining/ etc/etc -- are made better because of thoughtful design.

 

Unimark was huge in corporate identity, and I love it too. It impacts the whole of an organization. From the marquee sign on the building exterior, to the ID badge that each employee wears every day, these are the things -- the designs -- that surround us and that we use to carry out the business of the day. They can either be good or so-so... and who wants to live with so-so day-in, day-out?

 

I'm excited to delve into this book over the holidays -- a great way to keep the creative antennae tuned. If you're interested in finding out more about the foundations of design for business, check it out.

 

Cara Carpenter  Principal | Studio Pragmatik