Chapter 20 and 21

1. Sum up the reading in your own words in 1 paragraph:
Chapter 20 starts off explaining, yet again, the advances in technology during World War II. Progressions in mass production of goods and the economy itself (being taken off the Gold Standard) led to a demand for design in corporate identity. AEG, for example, comissioned Peter Behrens to create a recognizeable logo for their company. Behrens would undoubtedly be known throughout history as one of the founders (if not the father) of corporate identity. Camillo Olivetti founded the Olivetti Corporation, and his son Adriano comissioned artist and designer Giovanni Pintori to create a simple concept of futuristic text, even his most complex designs had a simplicity about them. The design of CBS's corporate identity was a big concept in the chapter. The then President of CBS, Frank Stanton and his colleague William Golden designed CBS' "eye in the sky" design. The chapter also talks about the first African American to become a successful and prominent graphic designer. George Olden held a high paying position designing for CBS and other TV stations even before the civil rights movement. His style was based heavily on the use of symbolic imagery and had a habit/theme of working with silhouettes. The chapter goes on to talk about Lou Dorfson, William Golden's predecessor becoming the new President of CBS. became the director of all of CBS after Golden's death. We then move to the corporate identity of IBM, who's main player was Paul Rand. Rand designed logos not only for IBM, but NeXT, Westinghouse, and Westinghouse as well. The chapters go down the list of other designers that created corporate identity logos such as Lester Beal, who created logos for Connecticut General Life Insurance and the International Paper Company to name a couple. created corporate identities for Martin Marietta, Connecticut General Life Insurance, and the International Paper Company. I guess Beal considered himself an expert on the subject of corporate identity because he wrote a manual explaining some guidelines as to what images help people memorize and connect it to business' as well as what kinds of lines, shapes and images create positive images that would relate to the company, ect. The chapter ends with some examples of transportation signage and how it evolved over the years.

2. Name the one thing (or person) you found most interesting from the reading.
I enjoyed reading about Behrens again, since he had been mentioned in class before we were assigned to read this chapter. It was interesting to get some deeper information on him since he's basically the father of corporate identity.

3. State at least one question you have after the reading or from last class.
Why did IBM not try to contract/keep Paul Rand, rather than actually allow him to be comissioned to design for their rival computer company?