70 Designers that Shaped the World

by estefany | Reference
This is a huge compilation of the most important product designers, graphic
designers, architects and other great professionals that made part of our history
contributing to the evolution that we see today in each field. It has a though call
to decide which designer will make to cut. But we have to pick only 70 to this list.
We will cover more more great ones on a separated list.
The data information is provided by the designmuseum.
Alvar Aalto Architect (1898-1976)

The most important Finnish architect of the 20th century, ALVAR AALTO (1898-1976) was a
central figure in international modernism. His greatest buildings, like the 1927 Viipuri Library
and 1928 Paimio Sanatorium, fused the naturalism of Finnish romanticism with modernist
ideals: as did his influential furniture and glassware.

Ron Arad Product Designer + Architect (1951-)

Combining playful forms and experiments with advanced technologies, RON ARAD (1951-)
has emerged as one of the most influential designers of our time. Born in Tel Aviv, he moved
to London in 1973 to study architecture and made his name in the early 1980s as a self-
taught designer-maker of sculptural furniture. He now works across both design and
architecture.

Jonathan Barnbrook Graphic designer (1966- )

JONATHAN BARNBROOK is one of the UKs most active graphic designers. Pioneering the
notion of graphic design with a social conscience, Barnbrook makes strong statements
about corporate culture, consumerism, war and international politics. Working in both
commercial and non-commercial spheres, Barnbrook combines originality, wit, political
savvy and
bitter irony in equal measures.

Saul Bass Graphic Designer (1920-1996)

SAUL BASS (1920-1996) was not only one of the great graphic designers of the mid-20th
century but the undisputed master of film title design thanks to his collaborations with
Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger and Martin Scorsese.

Manolo Blahnik Shoe Designer (1942-)

Working alone without assistants or apprentices, MANOLO BLAHNIK (1942-) is solely

responsible for the design of every one of the thousands of shoes that bear his name. He
has dominated shoe design since setting up in business in London in the early 1970s.

Robert Brownjohn Graphic Designer (1925-1970)

Combining audacious imagery with ingenious typography, illustration and found objects,
ROBERT BROWNJOHN (1925-1970) was among the most innovative graphic designers in
1950s New York and 1960s London, where he designed titles for James Bond films, graphics
for the Robert Fraser Gallery and artwork for the Rolling Stones.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Design Engineer (1806-1859)

One of the great British engineers of the 19th century ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL (1806-
1859) built twenty-five railways lines, over a hundred bridges, including five suspension
bridges, eight pier and dock systems, three ships and a pre-fabricated army field hospital.

Sam Buxton Product Designer (1972-)

From the MIKRO series of fold-up sculptures to his electroluminesent tables and clocks, the
work of the British product designer SAM BUXTON is dominated by his experiments with
advanced materials and technologies.

Matthew Carter Typography Designer (1937-)

The most important typography designer of our time, MATTHEW CARTER (1937-) is one of
the few designers whose work is used by millions of people every day. Having devoted the
first half of his career to typefaces for use in print, such as Miller and Bell Centennial, he
then pioneered the design of fonts for use on screen, notably Verdana for Microsoft.

Hussein Chalayan Fashion Designer (1970 )

Hussein Chalayan is one of the most visionary designers working in fashion today. His first
UK retrospective From fashion and back currently showing at the Design Museum, illustrates
his innovative use of materials, meticulous pattern cutting and a progressive attitude to new
technology.

Luigi Colani Aircraft and product designer (1928- )

LUIGI COLANI is one the great mavericks of 20th century design with an independent spirit,
a flair for showmanship and a willingness to engage the wider public that has kept him
outside the design mainstream. With a background in car styling and aerodynamics, Colani
has pursued an interest in imagining a world that does not yet exist one of utopian
architecture, high performance cars and huge supersonic aircraft flying many times the
speed of sound and.

Joe Colombo Product + Furniture Designer (1930-1971)

In his brief but brilliant career, JOE COLOMBO (1930-1971) produced a series of innovations
which made him one of Italys most influential Italian product designers. From the
Universale, the first chair to be moulded from one material, to the all-in-one Boby Trolley,
everything Colombo created was intended for the environment of the future.

Joshua Davis Multimedia Designer

JOSHUA DAVIS pioneered web design in the early 1990s and is now a master of the medium
through his commercial work for Kioken in New York and experimental projects such as
PrayStation for which he won the Prix Ars Electronica 2001, the prestigious digital art prize.

Christian Dior Fashion Designer (1905-1957)

The most influential fashion designer of the late 1940s and 1950s, CHRISTIAN DIOR (1905 to
1957) dominated fashion after World war II with the hourglass silhouette of his voluptuous
New Look. He also defined a new business model in the post-war fashion industry by
establishing Dior as a global brand across a wide range of products.

Tom Dixon Furniture Designer (1959-)

Both as a self-taught designer-maker in early 1980s London and as head of design at the
Habitat retail chain and now Artek, the Finnish furniture manufacturer, TOM DIXON (1959-)
has combined the creative with the commercial throughout his career.

John Galliano Fashion Designer (1960-)

JOHN GALLIANO (1960-) is one of the most influential fashion designers of our time. Born in
Gibraltar, he grew up in London and launched his own label before becoming chief designer
of Frances haute couture flagship, Christian Dior, in Paris.

Norman Foster Architect (1935- )

NORMAN FOSTER is an architectural phenomenon; responsible for a dozen or more of the

key buildings of the last 30 years, but also as the founder of perhaps the most financially
successful architectural practice of modern times.

Eileen Gray Architect + Furniture Designer (1878-1976)

Neglected for most of her career, EILEEN GRAY (1878-1976) is now regarded as one of the
most important furniture designers and architects of the early 20th century and the most
influential woman in those fields. Her work inspired both modernism and Art Deco.

Mart Guix Product + Graphic Designer (1964-)

Dedicated to inventing brilliantly simple ideas of a curious seriousness, MARTI GUIXE

divides his time between his native Barcelona and Berlin. Dubbing himself an ex-designer,
he designs products for Authentics and shoe shops for Camper as well as conceptual
projects.

Zaha Hadid Architect (1950-)

The first woman to win the Pritzker Prize for Architecture in its 26 year history, ZAHA HADID
(1950-) has defined a radically new approach to architecture by creating buildings, such as
the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati, with multiple perspective points
and fragmented geometry to evoke the chaos of modern life.

Alec Issigonis Automotive Designer (1906-1988)

One of the most original car designers of the modern era, ALEC ISSIGONIS (1906-1988) is
best known as the creator of the Mini, but also designed two more of the five best-selling
cars in British motoring history the Morris Minor and the Austin 1100.

Arne Jacobsen Architect + Furniture Designer (1902-1971)

ARNE JACOBSEN (1902-1971) was one of Denmarks most influential 20th century architects
and designers. Both his buildings and products, like his Swan and Egg Chairs, combine
modernist ideals with a Nordic love of naturalism.

Michael Marriott Product + Furniture Designer (1963-)

As a product designer and a curator, MICHAEL MARRIOTT (1963-) explores the influence of
objects, and the way they are constructed, on our daily lives. His goal is to design truly
modern objects through the honest and appropriate use of material, process and
function.

Jonathan Ive Product Designer (1967-)

The winner of the Design Museums inaugural Designer of the Year award in 2003 was
JONATHAN IVE (1967-), senior vice-president of design at Apple whose innovations include
the iPod and iMac.

Ross Lovegrove Industrial/Product Designer (1958 -)

Highly experimental and with a commitment to transcending the boundaries between

science, technology, design and architecture, ROSS LOVEGROVE considers himself more
evolutionary biologist than designer.

Alexander McQueen Fashion Designer (1969- )

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN (1969- ) burst onto the fashion stage in 1992, courting controversy
as headlines hailed him as the new enfant terrible. Though contentious and frequently
misunderstood, he established the fashion label that is now internationally acclaimed and
coveted without compromising his approach.

Jasper Morrison Product + Furniture Designer (1959-)

JASPER MORRISON is one of todays most influential industrial designers. Born in London, he
is renowned for his ascetically elegant, quietly humorous style and has designed everything
from a tray-table to a tram system.

Marc Newson Product + Furniture Designer (1963-)

MARC NEWSON (1963-) is known for his funkily futuristic, but technically rigorous approach
to design. Born in Sydney, he has worked from studios in Tokyo, Paris and, now, London, to
design everything from a private jet to a Ford car.

Isamu Noguchi Designer + Sculptor (1904-1988)

ISAMU NOGUCHI (1904-1988) was an American-Japanese designer who originally trained as

a sculptor and brought a sculptural sensibility to everything he created: lighting, furniture,
gardens and stage sets.

David Mellor Cutlery Designer + Manufacturer (1930-)

Combining the roles of designer, manufacturer, craftsman and retailer DAVID MELLOR
(1930-) steered a unique position in late 20th century British design. Renowned as a
designer and maker of cutlery, Mellor has also designed furniture, tools, ecclesiastical silver,
traffic lights and a post box.

Jean Muir Dressmaker (1928 1995)

Legendary dressmaker JEAN ELIZABETH MUIR (1928 1995) made clothes that were both
radical and classic, breaking the barrier between couture and ready-to-wear. The self-taught
Muir made her name in the 1960s, creating a reputation for exquisitely tailored, timeless,
feminine clothing, has been hailed as the greatest dressmaker in the world, in a league with
Madame Grs, Chanel and Vionnet.

Chris OShea Artist and designer

Chris OShea creates interactive work for both public institutions and private companies. In
2005 he was awarded First Class Honours in BSc MediaLab Arts at the University of
Plymouth. Since then he has created work at AllofUs for Tate Britain, Onedotzero (at V&A
Museum) and THEpUBLIC, at Moving Brands for the Muon launch in Milan and Ico Design for
the Wellcome Collection. In 2006 he was the guest curator of the Cybersonica exhibition. He
regularly writes on Pixelsumo and is one of the founding member of the event series, This
happened.

Ernest Race Furniture Designer (1913-1964)

Textile and furniture designer, manufacturer, retailer was one of the most inventive and
challenging exponents of mid-century British design. Races highly personal design
vocabulary, at its height in the immediate post-war period and at the Festival of Britain of
1951, was a fluid, skilled, and at times eccentric synthesis of Modernism with Victoriana,
and of mass-production with intelligent improvisation. Races single most important
contribution to modern furniture design was his articulation of the transition from the
theoretical rigour of pre-war Modernism to the accessibility and optimism of post-war
Contemporary.

Dieter Rams Industrial Designer (1932-)

As head of design at Braun, the German consumer electronics manufacturer, DIETER RAMS
(1932-) emerged as one of the most influential industrial designers of the late 20th century
by defining an elegant, legible, yet rigorous visual language for its products.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh Architect + Furniture Designer (1868-1928)

Combining a progressive modernity with the spirit of romanticism, the Scottish architect and
designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) created many of the best loved and most
influential buildings, furniture and decorative schemes of the early 20th century.

Richard Rogers Architect (1933-)

One of the most influential British architects of our time, RICHARD ROGERS (1933-) has
established himself and his practice, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, at the forefront of
todays architecture industry through such high-profile projects as the Pompidou Centre, the
headquarters for Lloyds of London, the Millennium Dome, and Madrid Barajas Airport.

Jerszy Seymour Product Designer (1968-)

JERSZY SEYMOUR (1968-) is a product and furniture designer whose work combines a
raunchy humour with innovative use of materials. Born in Berlin, Seymour grew up mostly in
London, but has lived and worked in Milan since 1999.

Peter Saville Graphic Designer (1955-)

Ever since his first work for the fledgeling Factory Records in the late 1970s, he has been a
pivotal figure in graphic design and style culture. In fashion and art projects as well as in
music, his work combines an unerring elegance with a remarkable ability to identify images
that epitomise the moment.
Stefan Sagmeister Graphic Designer (1962-)
STEFAN SAGMEISTER (1962-) is among todays most important graphic designers. Born in
Austria, he now lives and works in New York. His long-standing collaborators include the
AIGA and musicians, David Byrne and Lou Reed.

Ed Swan Product Designer (1979- )

London-based designer ED SWAN creates ephemeral lighting effects that alter spatial
perceptions. Inspired by an interest in camera obscuras, ancient image-making devices,
Swan utilises these optical principals with an innovative use of materials to produce
illusionary projections.

Richard Sweeney Product Designer (1984)

Richard Sweeneys Folding Light series blurs the boundaries of design, art and craft.
Combining artisan techniques with complex problem solving skills, Sweeney creates lighting
designs based on unique sculptural forms.

Philip Treacy Hat Designer (1967-)

Surreal and sculptural, PHILIP TREACYs (1967-) hand-made hats are feats of craftsmanship.
Born in rural Ireland, Treacy designs haute couture and ready-to-wear hat collections from
his London studio. He has also created hats for the couture collections of Karl Lagerfeld,
Valentino and Alexander McQueen.

Verner Panton Furniture Designer (1926-1998)

VERNER PANTON (1926-1998) was a master of the fluid, futuristic style of 1960s design
which introduced the Pop aesthetic to furniture and interiors. Born in Denmark, he made his
name there before settling in Switzerland in the 1960s.

Phyllis Pearsall Map Designer (1906-1996)

Working eighteen hours a day to walk 3,000 miles of Londons streets, the artist PHYLLIS
PEARSALL (1906-1996) not only conceived, designed and produced the A-Z street atlas of
London, but founded her own company to publish it. The A-Z remains one of the most
ingenious examples of early 20th century information design.

Vivienne Westwood Fashion Designer (1941-)

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD (1941-) personifies the potent and subversive originality of British
fashion. Her continual exploration and reinterpretation of history, combined with a tireless
individualism, has cemented her reputation as the UKs most culturally significant fashion
designer.

Robert Wilson Theatre Director + Designer

ROBERT WILSON is a theatre director, artist and designer who fuses sound, image, text and
movement to create extraordinarily evocative stage sets, exhibitions and installations. He is
based in New York and Long Island.

Ben Wilson Industrial/Product Designer (1976- )

The work of British product designer BEN WILSON embodies a passion for bikes, skateboards
and machinery. Wilsons design aesthetic is imbued with a deep understanding of street
culture and its inherent language. His work communicates a vibrant energy and his client
list reflects this active nature including global brands such as Levis, Nike, Adidas, Stussy,

Artemide and Audi.

Philip Worthington Interactive Designer (1977-)

Focusing on large scale and tactile interactive experiences that engross and envelope the
visitor, Philip Worthington (1977-) created Shadow Monsters, a digital version of the
traditional shadow puppet, as part of his degree in Interaction Design from the Royal College
of Art.
Frank Lloyd Wright Architect (1867-1959)

Believing that the space within that building is the reality of that building, FRANK LLOYD
WRIGHT (1867-1959) was one of the most prolific and influential architects of the 20th
century. From his early Prairie Style homes, to the sculptural curves of the Guggenheim
Museum in New York he defined a North American style of architecture which was rich in
emotion and sensitive to its surroundings.

Michael Young Product Designer (1966-)

MICHAEL YOUNG (1966-)is a British-born designer who works from studios in Brussels and
Reykjavik to create technically rigorous, but always humorous products and furniture.

Pascal Anson Product Designer (1973-)

One of the new generation of British product designers for whom narrative is an increasingly
important element in their work, PASCAL ANSON (1973-) combines industrial production and
improvisation to create products and furniture that tell a story while fulfilling their function.

Assa Ashuach
Product + Furniture Designer (1969-)
By experimenting with advanced design and production technologies, the Israeli-born,
London-based designer Assa Ashuach (1969-) redefines both the form and function of
everyday products and furniture, while developing a surreal new design aesthetic.

Luis Barragn
Architect (1902-1988)

LUIS BARRAGAN (1902-1988) was one of Mexicos most influential 20th century architects.
Famed for his mastery of space and light, he reinvented the International Style as a
colourful, sensuous genre of Mexican modernism.

Mathias Bengtsson
Furniture Designer (1971-)

By experimenting with industrial materials and processes, MATHIAS BENGTSSON, the

Danish-born, London-based furniture designer produces sculptural furniture which is visually
arresting and technically innovative.

Sebastian Bergne
Product + Furniture Designer (1966-)
Working from Bologna and London, SEBASTIAN BERGNE designs products for companies
such as Authentics, Habitat and Vitra which address the changes in our daily lives but in a
gentle, unobtrusive way.

Flaminio Bertoni
Automotive Designer (1903-1964)

One of the 20th centurys most gifted automotive designers, FLAMINIO BERTONI (1903-
1964) was responsible for designing the bodywork of such classic and stylistically diverse
cars as the elegant Traction Avant, supremely functional 2 CV and alluring DS 19.

Derek Birdsall
Graphic Designer (1934-)

As a child, DEREK BIRDSALL (1934-) loved stationery shops: infinite stacks and reams of
paper, pads, notebooks and ledgers; instruments for writing, duplicating and erasing; virgin
ink and paper in endless configurations of possibility. He speculates that this feeling was
inherited from his grandfather, a clerk in a chemical works, and by Birdsalls admission, a
fountain-pen fetishist.

Irma Boom
Book Designer (1960-)
Many of the most beautiful books to have been designed in recent years are the work of
IRMA BOOM. Born in Lochem, the Netherlands in 1960, Boom has won international acclaim
for the iconoclastic beauty of her books.

Tord Boontje
Product Designer (1968-)

Working on the cusp of design and craft, TORD BOONTJE, the Dutch-born, London-based
product designer combines advanced technologies with artisanal techniques to create
exquisite glassware, lighting and furniture.

R. Buckminster Fuller
Inventor, Designer, Architect, Theorist (1895-1983)

Driven by the design philosophy of more for less, RICHARD BUCKMINSTER FULLER (1895-
1983) worked simultaneously on plans for houses, cars, boats, games, television
transmitters and geodesic domes, all of which were designed to be mass-produced using
the simplest and most sustainable means possible.

Achille Castiglioni
Product + Furniture Designer (1918-2002)
One of the most important industrial designers of the 20th century, ACHILLE CASTIGLIONI
(1918-2002) produced more than 150 products during his career and forged enduring
relationships with Italian manufacturers such as Flos in lighting, Zanotta in furniture and
Alessi in home products.

Wells Coates
Architect + Industrial Designer (1895-1958)

One of the pioneers of the emergence of the modern movement in British architecture and
design during the 1930s, Wells Coates (1895-1958) also developed innovative approaches
to housing design, notably in Lawn Road flats, as well as electrical products, broadcasting
studios and yachts.

Christopher Dresser
Industrial Designer (1834-1904)

Among the first independent industrial designers, CHRISTOPHER DRESSER (1834-1904)

championed design reform in 19th century Britain while embracing modern manufacturing
in the development of wallpaper, textiles, ceramics, glass, furniture and metalware.

Matali Crasset
Product Designer
In her of objects and spaces, the French designer MATALI CRASSET encourages us to
question the way we go about our daily lives. Born in 1965, Crasset worked for Philippe
Starck for five years before opening her own studio in Paris.

Alan Fletcher
Graphic Designer (1931-2006)

Synthesising the graphic traditions of Europe and North America to develop a spirited, witty
and very personal visual style, ALAN FLETCHER is among the most influential figures in
British graphic design as a founder of Fletcher/Forbes/Gill in the 1960s and Pentagram in the
1970s.

Abram Games
Graphic Designer (1914-1996)

Some of the most memorable graphic images of mid-20th century Britain were the work of
the designer ABRAM GAMES (1914-1996). As an Official War Artist during World War II, he
designed over a hundred posters and later created the symbols of the BBC and the Festival
of Britain.

Giles Gilbert Scott

Architect (1880-1960)
A bastion of the architectural establishment in early 20th century Britain, GILES GILBERT
SCOTT (1880-1960) fused tradition with modernity by applying historic styles to industrial
structures in his designs from the Battersea and Bankside power stations in London, to
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, and to the K2 telephone kiosk.

Ern Goldfinger
Architect (1902-1987)

An influential figure in the British modern movement, ERN GOLDFINGER (1902-1987) was
born in Budapest and studied architecture in Paris. After moving to London in 1934, he won
praise for austere, yet sensitive projects, notably his Hampstead home, and drew
controversy for ambitious schemes at Elephant and Castle and Poplar.

Konstantin Grcic
Product Designer (1965-)

By defining function in human terms the German designer KONSTANTIN GRCIC (1965-) has
developed a design language that combines formal rigour with subtle humour in the design
products and furniture for manufacturers such as Authentics, Flos, Krups and Magis.

Thomas Heatherwick
Designer (1970 -)
One-part architecture, another-part product design, with an equal dash of sculpture and
urban planning, Thomas Heatherwicks body of work defies definition. The London-based
designer has completed nearly 200 projects since establishing his studio in the mid-nineties,
and with each new commission, merges engineering and design to give his projects a
magical, transformative feel.

Another 30 Designers that Shaped the

World
by estefany | Reference
After the great feedback and suggestions we had with the post 70 designers
that changed the world, we decided to make another list with your suggestions.
So, here are more 30 great designers, architects, artists.

Andy Warhol

Painter + printmaker + filmmaker (1928 1987)

Andrew Warhola, more commonly known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter,
printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as
pop art. After a successful career as a commercial illustrator, Warhol became famous
worldwide for his work as a painter, avant-garde filmmaker, record producer, author, and
public figure known for his membership in wildly diverse social circles that included
bohemian street people, distinguished intellectuals, Hollywood celebrities and wealthy
aristocrats. [1]

Marilyn, 1967
Mickey Mouse
Ingrid with Hat

Antoni Gaud
Architect (1852 1926)

Antoni Plcid Guillem Gaud i Cornet in English sometimes referred to by the Spanish
translation of his name, Antonio Gaud was a Spanish Catalan architect who belonged to
the Modernist style (Art Nouveau) movement and was famous for his unique and highly
individualistic designs. [1]

Palau Gell, 18851889

Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family (Sagrada Famlia), Barcelona, Spain
La Sagrada Familia: Passion facade, Barcelona, Spain

Armin Hofmann

Graphic Designer (1920-)

Armin Hofmann (HonRDI) is a Swiss graphic designer. Hoffman followed Emil Ruder as head
of the graphic design department at the Basel School of Design (Schule fr Gestaltung
Basel) and was instrumental in developing the graphic design style known as the Swiss
Style. He is well known for his posters, which emphasised economical use of colour and
fonts, in reaction to what Hofmann regarded as the trivialization of colour. His posters
have been widely exhibited as works of art in major galleries, such as the New York Museum
of Modern Art. [1]

2 Poster Municipal Theater Basel 63/64,1963

Battista Pininfarina

Automobile designer (1893 1966)

Giovanni Battista Pinin Farina (later Battista Pininfarina) was an Italian automobile
designer, the founder of the Carrozzeria Pininfarina coachbuilding company, a name forever
associated with many of the best-known postwar sports cars (especially Ferraris).
The last design personally attributed to Battista Farina was the iconic 1600 Duetto for Alfa
Romeo. This was first seen by the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966. [1]

Cadillac 1931 452A Pininfarina X4520

Ferrari 1956 410SA SuperAmerica X4585
Cisitalia 1949 Pininfarina X4522

Charles and Ray Eames

Product Designers (19071978) (19121988)

Not only did Charles Eames and his wife, Ray design some of the most important examples
of 20th century furniture, they also applied their talents to devising ingenious childrens
toys, puzzles, films, exhibitions and such iconic mid-20th century Los Angeles buildings as
the Eames House and Entenza House in Pacific Palisades. [2]

EA124 aluminium chair, 1958

Eames lounge chair and ottoman (1956)
LaChaise, 1948

Coco Chanel

Fashion Designer (1883 1971)

Gabrielle Bonheur Coco Chanel was a pioneering French fashion designer whose
modernist philosophy, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity
made her an important figure in 20th-century fashion. She was the founder of the famous
fashion brand, Chanel. Her extraordinary influence on haute couture was such that she was
the only person in the field to be named on TIME Magazines 100 most influential people of
the 20th century. [1]

Chanel n 5, 1921
Coco Chanel by Cecil Beaton
Hat by Chanel

Flaminio Bertoni

Automotive Designer (1903-1964)

One of the 20th centurys most gifted automotive designers, FLAMINIO BERTONI (1903-
1964) was responsible for designing the bodywork of such classic and stylistically diverse
cars as the elegant Traction Avant, supremely functional 2 CV and alluring DS 19. [1]

Citron Traction Avant, 1934

Citron 2CV
Citron DS19

Eero Arnio

Interior Designer (1932 -)

Eero Aarnio is a Finnish interior designer, well known for his innovative furniture designs in
the 1960s, notably his plastic and fiberglass chairs.
Aarnios designs were an important aspect of 1960s popular culture, and could often be
seen as part of sets in period science-fiction films. Because his designs used very simple
geometric forms, they were ideal for such productions. [1]

Ball chair, 1963

Screw Table
Bubble chair, 1963

Ferdinand Porsche

Automotive Engineer (1875 1951)

Ferdinand Porsche was an Austro-Hungarian automotive engineer. He is best known for

creating the Volkswagen (Beetle) as well as the first of many Porsche automobiles, and for
his contributions to advanced German tank designs: Tiger I, Tiger II and the Elefant. Porsche
was awarded in 1937 the German National Prize for Art and Science, one of the rarest
decorations in the Third Reich. [1]

Ferdinand Porsche
Beetle, 1945
Panzerkampfwagen VI, 1942

Salvatore Ferragamo

Shoe Designer (1898 1960)

Salvatore Ferragamo was a florentine and Italian shoe designer. He worked with many
Hollywood stars in the 1920s, before returning to Italy to found the eponymous company
making unique hand-made footwear. His scientific and creative approach to shoes spawned
many innovations such as the wedge heel and cage heel. Film stars and celebrities continue
to patronize his company, which has evolved into a luxury goods empire spanning the
world. [1]

Invisible sandal, 1947

Ankle-strap sandal, 1938
Shoes, 194850

Frank Gehry

Architect (1929 -)

Frank Owen Gehry, CC is a Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles.

His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions. Many
museums, companies, and cities seek Gehrys services as a badge of distinction, beyond the
product he delivers.
His best-known works include the titanium-covered Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain,
Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles, Experience Music Project in Seattle,
Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, Dancing House in Prague, Czech Republic and the
MARTa Museum in Herford, Germany. [1]

Dancing House, 1996

Walt Disney Concert Hall, 1999-2003
Stata Center, 2004

George Lois

Graphic Designer (1931 -)

George Lois is an award-winning American Art Director, designer, advertising leader and
author. George Lois is best known for the legendary and brilliant covers for Esquire
Magazine which he produced as a consultant for Esquire from 1962 to 1972, never actually
being an Esquire employee. Lois Esquire covers offered a controversial statement on life in
the 1960s with subjects including Marilyn Monroe, Norman Mailer, Muhammad Ali, Andy
Warhol, Germaine Greer, and Richard Nixon. In 2008, The Museum of Modern Art exhibited
32 of Lois 92 Esquire covers. [1]

MTV advertising, 1982

Art direction Photo of Virna Lisi for Esquire magazine cover, 1965
Art direction Photo of Andy Warhol for Esquire magazine cover, 1969

Gianni Versace

Fashion Designer (1946 1997)

Gianni Versace was an Italian fashion designer and founder of Gianni Versace S.p.A., an
international fashion house, which produces accessories, fragrances, makeup and home
furnishings as well as clothes. He also designed costumes for the theatre and films, and was
a friend of Elton John, Sting, and Princess Diana among many others. Openly gay, Versace
and his companion Antonio DAmico were regulars on the international party scene. Versace
was murdered outside his Miami home at the age of 50 by spree killer Andrew Cunanan. [1]

1 Haute couture collection, fall 1996

3 Evening gown, spring/summer 1991

Giorgetto Giugiaro

Automobile and Product Designer (1938 -)

Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automobile designer responsible equally for a stable of
supercars and several of the most popular everyday vehicles driven today. He was born in
Garessio, Cuneo, Piedmont.
Giugiaro was named Car Designer of the Century 1999 and inducted into the Automotive
Hall of Fame in 2002. In addition to cars, Giugiaro has designed camera bodies for Nikon,
computer prototypes for Apple, and developed a new pasta shape Marille. [1]

DeLorean DMC-12, 1981

Maserati Ghibli Spyder 1969-73
Scirocco TS, NSR 1975

Harley Earl

Industrial Designer (1893 1969)

Harley J. Earl was an automotive stylist and engineer and industrial designer. He is most
famous for his time at General Motors from 1927 until 1959, where he was the first Vice
President of Design. He designed the first concept car, the Buick Y-Job, he started Project
Opel, which eventually became the Chevrolet Corvette, and he authorized the introduction
of the tailfin to automotive styling. [1]

Firebird II, 1956

Buick Y-Job, 1938
Futurliner, 1950

Jan Tschichold

Typographer and Graphic Designer (1902 1974)

Jan Tschichold was a typographer, book designer, teacher and writer. Early in his career Jan
Tschichold was a shit-disturber of the highest order, writing at length about all that had gone
wrong since the industrialization of printing, and in particular of the complacency and
mediocrity dogging typography between the wars. He wrote about revolutionary concepts
like asymmetrical page layout and reinvention of the alphabet; and for this bolshevism he
was incarcerated by the Nazis. [3]

Die Frau ohne Namen. Zweiter Teil (The Woman Without a Name, Part II), 1927
Sabon, 1964
Issue of Typographische Mitteilungen, 1925

Jimmy Choo

Shoe Designer

Dato Jimmy Choo OBE, born Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat, is a London-based luxury fashion
designer best known for his hand-made womens shoes, Jimmy Choo Ltd.
Choo currently resides in London. He is currently involved in a project to set up a
shoemaking institute in Malaysia, where his iconic status is often evoked to inspire budding
shoemakers and fashion designers. [1]

Stay encrusted with crystals, 2007

Gold sandal, 2008
115 mm metallic bootie, fall 2007

Josef Muller Brockmann

Graphic Designer (1914 1996)

Josef Mller-Brockmann, was a Swiss graphic designer and teacher. He studied architecture,
design and history of art at both the University and Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich. In 1936
he opened his Zurich studio specialising in graphic design, exhibition design and
photography. From 1951 he produced concert posters for the Tonhalle in Zurich. In 1958 he
became a founding editor of New Graphic Design along with R.P. Lohse, C. Vivarelli, and H.
Neuburg. In 1966 he was appointed European design consultant to IBM. Mller-Brockman
was author of the 1961 publications The Graphic Artist and his Design Problems, Grid
Systems in Graphic Design where he advocates use of the grid for page structure, and the
1971 publications History of the Poster and A History of Visual Communication. [1]

Akari
Beethoven 1955
Stravinsky, Berg, Fortner, 1955

Laszlo Moholy-Nagy

Painter and Photographer (1895 1946)

Lszl Moholy-Nagy was a Hungarian painter and photographer as well as professor in the
Bauhaus school. He was highly influenced by constructivism and a strong advocate of the
integration of technology and industry into the arts. [1]

Construction Z I 19223
A 19 1927
Composition #19, 1921

Le Corbusier

Achitect (1887 1965)

Charles-douard Jeanneret-Gris, who chose to be known as Le Corbusier, was a Swiss-
French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and also painter, who is famous for being one of
the pioneers of what now is called Modern architecture or the International Style.
He was a pioneer in studies of modern high design and was dedicated to providing better
living conditions for the residents of crowded cities. His career spanned five decades, with
his buildings constructed throughout central Europe, India, Russia, and one each in North
and South America. He was also an urban planner, painter, sculptor, writer, and modern
furniture designer. [1]

Le Corbusier; Iannis Xenakis; Edgard Varse Pome lectronique, 1958

Villa Savoye, 1929-30
Ronchamp chapel, 1955

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Architect (1886 1969)

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies was a German-American
architect. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, along with Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, is widely
regarded as one of the pioneering masters of Modern architecture. Mies, like many of his
post World War I contemporaries, sought to establish a new architectural style that could
represent modern times just as Classical and Gothic did for their own eras. He created an
influential 20th century architectural style, stated with extreme clarity and simplicity. [1]

Farnsworth House, 1950

Barcelona Chair and Stool, 1929
German Pavilion, 1929

Michael Thonet

Product Designer (1796 1871)

Michael Thonet was a German-Austrian cabinet maker. With the invention of bentwood
furniture, Michael Thonet laid the cornerstone of industrial production. Together with his
sons he founded a company in 1849; within a short amount of time it became globally
successful and expanded rapidly. More than 865,000 bentwood chairs per year were
produced in todays Czech Republic, Hungary, and Russia. [4]

Bentwood chairs, 1850

Milton Glaser
Graphic Designer (1929 -)

Milton Glaser is a graphic designer, best known for the I Love New York logo,his Bob
Dylan poster, the DC bullet logo used by DC Comics from 1977 to 2005, and the
Brooklyn Brewery logo. He also founded New York Magazine with Clay Felker in 1968. [1]

I Love New York logo, 1977

Urban Forest banner
Dylan Design for Bob Dylans Greatest hits album, 1966
Oscar Niemeyer
Architect (1907 -)

Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho is a Brazilian architect who is considered
one of the most important names in international modern architecture. He was a pioneer in
exploring the formal possibilities of reinforced concrete solely for their aesthetic impact. [1]
MAC Museu de Arte Contempornea (Contemporary Art Museum), 1996
Church of St. Francis in Pampulha, 1943 Brasilias Metropolitan Cathedral, 1958
Paul Rand
Graphic Designer (1914 1996)

Paul Rand (born Peretz Rosenbaum) was an American graphic designer, best known for his
corporate logo designs, including the logos for IBM, UPS, Westinghouse, ABC, and Steve
Jobs NeXT. He was one of the originators of the Swiss Style of graphic design. [1]
ABC Logo, 1961 Cummins Engine logo IBM logo, 1972 UPS logo, 1961 Yale University Press
logo Enron logo Westinghouse logo NeXT logo, 1986
Philippe Starck Product Designer (1949 -)

Philippe Patrick Starck is a French Product designer and probably the best known designer
in the New Design style. His designs range from spectacular interior designs to mass
produced consumer goods such as toothbrushes, chairs, and even houses. [1]
Wrapped watches, 2007
Juicy Salif, 1990
Chrome Flos Gun Collection, 2008
Pierre Cardin
Fashion Designer (1922 -)

Pierre Cardin is an Italian-born French fashion designer, known for his avant-garde style and
his space age designs. He prefers geometric shapes and motifs, often ignoring the female
form. He advanced into unisex fashions, sometimes experimental, and not always practical.
He introduced the bubble dress in 1954. Pierre Cardin was also designated UNESCO
Goodwill Ambassador in 1991. [1]
Cardin Coat
Cardin Coat
Cosmos, 1967
Raymond Loewy
Industrial Designer (1893 1986)

Raymond Fernand Loewy was one of the best known industrial designers of the 20th
century. Born in France, he spent most of his professional career in the United States where
he influenced countless aspects of North American culture. Among his many iconic
contributions to modern life were the Shell logo, the Greyhound bus, the S-1 locomotive, the
Lucky Strike package, Coldspot refrigerators and the Studebaker Avanti. His career spanned
seven decades. [1]

PRR S1 locomotive, 1938

Pencil sharpener, 1933
Seymour Chwast
Graphic Designer (1931 -)

Seymour Chwast an American graphic designer, illustrator, and type designer. Chwast is
famous for his commercial artwork, which includes, posters, food packaging, magazine
covers, and publicity art.[2] Often referred to as the left-handed designer, Chwasts
unique graphic design melded social commentary and an innovative approach to
photography. He is thought of as a key American designer who, along with Herb Lubalin and
Tibor Kalman, influenced Howard Milton. He is the font designer of Chwast Buffalo[3],
Fofucha, Loose Caboose NF, and Weedy Beasties NF.

Ad for The Economist, 2007

The Push Pin Graphic: A Quarter Century of Innovative Design and Illustration, 2004
Various fonts
Will Wright
Game Designer (1960 -)
William Wright is an American video game designer and co-founder of the game
development company Maxis, now part of Electronic Arts. In April 2009 he left Electronic
Arts to run Stupid Fun Club, an entertainment think tank in which Wright and EA are
principal shareholders. [1] Sim City, 1989
Spore, 2008 The Sims, 2000