What Was the Graphic Design Office at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Known for in the 60’s & 70’s?

The Graphic Design Office at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was an influential design program during the 1960s and 1970s. Founded in 1965, the office was led by Professor Gyorgy Kepes, a renowned Bauhaus-trained artist and educator. Kepes had a vision for creating an environment that would foster creativity and innovation through visual communication design.

The Graphic Design Office was dedicated to exploring the then-emerging field of visual communication design. The team sought to create a new language of visual expression, one that could be used to communicate complex ideas effectively. To this end, they employed a wide range of tools and techniques including photography, typography, illustration, and graphic elements to create dynamic visuals with maximum impact.

The Graphic Design Office also developed groundbreaking research projects on topics such as the role of color in visual communication, the use of typography in media messaging, and the relationship between art and technology. They even pioneered the concept of generative design—a form of algorithmic art created with computers—which continues to influence modern graphic design today.

Under Kepes’ leadership, the office developed strong relationships with MIT’s engineering departments as well as major corporations such as IBM and Polaroid. This allowed them to explore how technology could be used to improve visual communication design in innovative ways. For example,IBM worked with the team to create a computerized typeface library—one of the first examples of digital typeface design—while Polaroid provided funding for research on color photography processing techniques.

In addition to their research projects, members of the Graphic Design Office were also regularly invited to lecture at universities across the country on topics related to their work at MIT. This helped spread awareness about their groundbreaking approach to visual communication design throughout academia and beyond.

By embracing experimentation and collaboration with other disciplines, MIT’s Graphic Design Office revolutionized how we think about visual communication in both education and business settings during the 1960s and 1970s. The pioneering work done by this team continues to influence modern graphic designers today.

In conclusion, The Graphic Design Office at MIT was known for its revolutionary approach to visual communication in education and business during the 1960’s & 70’s. They explored cutting edge tools such as photography, typography & generative design while developing groundbreaking research projects & forging close ties with major corporations like IBM & Polaroid which helped spread their innovative approach far beyond academia.