A02

I have heard the name Michael Graves multiple times during my freshman year of college. In my History of Art class we examined the Portland Building and I noticed my aunt actually owns a tea kettle of his! He was born July 9th, 1934 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He actually graduated from the University of Cincinnati! I thought that was pretty intriguing because of how close it hits home. Graves is the director of the firms Michael Graves & Associates and also Michael Graves Design Group. Both of these firms work with a variety of clients, taking on projects that span from buildings to measuring cups. Graves is a very well known American architect and has been recognized a multitude of times for his work. Although in 2003 he became paralyzed from the waist down, he still is hard at work in his practices. I love the simplicity and playfulness of his work. Color seems big to him as well as appearance overall.

- "Michael Graves." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 6 Apr. 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2011. .
- MICHAEL GRAVES & ASSOCIATES. 2010. Web. 16 Apr. 2011. .

Sir James Dyson is an English industrial designer born on May 2nd, 1947. He is best known for his invention of the Dyson vacuum cleaner. He studied furniture and interior design at the Royal College of Art and later on switched to engineering. He developed his first products at the Royal College of Art. These included the Sea Truck, the Ballbarrow, the Trolleyball and the Wheelboat. After frustration with his Hoover vacuum, he developed his own design that would not loose suction as it picked up dirt and did not require a bag. The Dyson became patent in the U.S. in 1986. Rejected by all other companies, Dyson eventually outsold them number wise. This is a perfect example of developing a product to fix an issue, refining if you will. This is what we get at with the whole design concept, what we all should desire to achieve. Dyson does an excellent job at this and continues to do so as he develops more innovative products such as the Dyson Airblade. I thoroughly admire Dyson's simplicity and functional relationship that he develops in his products. Plus, the colors are so dang cute.

- "James Dyson." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2011. .

Jan Tschichold was a very influential typographer before, during and after the Nazi regime. He was born in Germany in the year of 1902. His parents played an important role in his life, imposing the practice of lettering on him. As a starting occupation he taught illustration. However, his interests in calligraphy and script drew him away from his teaching as a young boy. He began to study every topic along these lines, delving into the practice learning all that he could. In 1924 he attended a Bauhaus exhibition that changed his mindset at the time. He was introduced to sans and bold lettering, lines and white space. Later in his life he ended up teaching both typography and calligraphy at the same time. His most influential work was The New Typography which was published in 1928. At the rise of the Nazi regime, Tschichold became imprisioned for his love of "un-German" design. A police officer helped him to escape to Switzerland. He found work here and strayed away from his modernist design. In 1946 he began work with Penguin Books helping them to create a set of rules for all of their publications to follow design wise. He continued to publish books even after his work with Penguin. He also developed the font Sabon. Tschichold died in 1974. I love the development of Tschichold's style of design. I relate to his love for typography and his constant searching and rethinking of how to use it. Specifically, I appreciate his work during the time where he was influenced by the Bauhaus. His bold lines, colors and askew set up is what really draws me to his design. Tschichold's life shows a powerful display of how design can implement power, especially in the case of the Nazi's offense to his pieces. Tschichold really shows that one can constantly be developing new ideas and opinions in their work and style and also use them to make a bold impact on society.

- "Jan Tschichold – Typographic Genius | Retinart." Retinart - Reflections on the Joyous Elegance of Graphic Design and Creative Thought. 2009. Web. 16 Apr. 2011. .