Chart composition

This post is attributed to the construction of the Visual chart. First of all, I examined the manner in which I was supposed to link the five designers, compare and contrast the Movements they each belonged to, and find the link between their influences on each other.

I started by the De Stijl Movement where created three pockets in which each contained some information. I put the De Stijl symbol on one, and in it I put the image of the De Stijl publication together with Piet Mondrian painting which influenced in the formation of the De Stijl Movement. In addition I added images relating to the concept behind De Stijl; which is a combination of an interaction between straight lines, and primary and non colours.

I allotted another pocket this time with the image of Gerrit Rietveld which contains an image relating to the post war period. This pocket is also linking the designer to the context of what created the De Stijl Movement.

Finally, the last pocket represents a product, which was designed by Gerrit Rietveld as a production emanating from the Movement. In it I put images that represents the product being exhibited in the Bauhaus and thus creating a link between the Bauhaus and the De Stijl since this chair was influential upon the creation of the Wassily chair.

The second designer and Movement hence, is Marcel Breuer with his creation of the Wassily chair that originated from the Bauhaus. I dedicated two pockets for this designer. The first one represents Marcel Breuer and in it I put the principles which he abided by in creating a good design: which was to be innovative, functional and honest. Secondly, the other pocket represents the product, and the inspiration Breuer attained from his steel bicycle frame. Even so, in order to connect the School’s context together with the designer, I put an image representing the Nazi symbol and the school being closed down under their government. These, together with Breuer’s principles, are connected to show the social and cultural context in which he lived.

The third designer I chose was Dieter Rams representing the International style. I linked this designer and Movement, this time not with a product, but with the principles Marcel Breuer and the Bauhaus shared, and were influential upon Rams.  

I allotted two pockets for this Movement. One represents Dieter Rams social and cultural context showing how the world around him worried him and how he was influenced by the Bauhaus principles relating to what good design ought to be, which eventually formed his ten commandments of good design.

The other one represents his work, which he did during his employment with Braun. This company’s products are attributed to Rams’ principles. In the pocket I put images that show that it was his audio equipment that drove Rams to his success.

Furthermore, I chose this time to contrast two Movements, which occurred during the same time. Rams’s commandments are contrasted with Verner Panton and Pop Design. I dedicated two pockets for this designer. In the first one I chose to put an image repressing Arne Jacobsen as one of Panton’s influences, were Panton contributed to the Ant chair design. Furthermore, I placed more images this time dedicated to the context in which Panton lived, and these illustrate how the moon landing triggered a major influence to the Space Age era and futuristic design.

Secondly, I dedicated the other pocket to the famous Panton chair in which I inserted pictures which demonstrate his experimentation with materials that lead to this creation.

Lastly, I chose Alessandro Mendini, representing the era of anti and re design.  I dedicated two pockets for this designer. The first one depicts the social and cultural context in which he was living were Milan was still recovering from the 1968 protest, together with the creation of the Casabella magazine illustrating radical design.

Furthermore, the other pocket illustrates his productions and the manner with which he conceived them. The image representing this is the redesign of the Wassily Chair, which I used on purpose to compare it with the Bauhaus. In this pocket I represented how his work with Swatch and Alessi lead him to see individuality in already existing products and together with influences such as Kandinsky’s paintings, he was able to give a new identity to what was already in existence.

I chose to put this designer as the last one, since it was him and others like him that took over when Panton’s fame started to fade.