Articles tagged as Graphic Design | Smithsonian Magazine

Helvetica Now marks the typeface's first redesign since 1982's Helvetica Neue

The Helvetica Typeface Has Been Redesigned for the Digital Age

Helvetica Now is the first update to the sans serif typeface in 36 years

April 23, 2019

Five Events to Watch For as Germany Celebrates 100 Years of the Bauhaus Movement

Bauhaus 100 looks back—and forward—to the movement that united formal art and craftsmanship in functional, streamlined designs

January 17, 2019

Close up on Atlanta University's "City and Rural Population. 1890" data visualization

Document Deep Dive

W.E.B. Du Bois’ Visionary Infographics Come Together for the First Time in Full Color

His pioneering team of black sociologists created data visualizations that explained institutionalized racism to the world

November 15, 2018

Saturated invites visitors to contemplate the essence of color, and the fascinating ways in which different hues interact.

Future of Art

How Newton, Goethe, an Ornithologist and a Board Game Designer Helped Us Understand Color

A new exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum explores the kaleidoscope of figures who shaped color theory

June 11, 2018

For some Manhattan sybarites, the department store's 1982 bag spelled Christmas.

Finding the Sacks Appeal in a Collection of Holiday Shopping Bags

The Cooper Hewitt’s collection of some 1,000 bags reveals a few with some very cheery holiday scenes

Updated: December 18, 2017
Originally Published: December 2006

Ivan Chermayeff (June 6, 1932-December 2, 2017)

Commentary

Designer of the Smithsonian Sunburst Logo Dies

Ivan Chermayeff was a brilliant designer, a gifted artist and the purveyor of a unique visual language, says Smithsonian curator Ellen Lupton

December 5, 2017

Image on the original Pioneer 10 and 11 plaques

Cool Finds

Now You Too Can Own a Piece of Space History

The engraver who inscribed Carl Sagan’s and Frank Drake’s 1973 message to extraterrestrials is now taking orders

May 22, 2017

By 1948, when this photo montage was made, Times Square was a riot of lights and special effects. Many of these lighted signs were the work of Douglas Leigh.

Times Square’s Glitzy Look was One Man’s Bright Idea

Douglas Leigh’s ability to imagine new kinds of advertising shaped the signs of the city

April 28, 2017

This shopping bag was designed by the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union and handed out to shoppers in front of department stores around New York in 1964.

Cool Finds

Fuel Your Design Obsession With 200,000 Newly Digitized Artifacts

Explore 30 centuries of design at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum without leaving your computer

September 7, 2016

Commentary

How to Avoid the Pitfalls in the Politics of Graphic Messaging

The director of the National Portrait Gallery offers a few pointers on how to acquire visual intelligence

July 21, 2016

A map shows the distribution of the slave population in the Southern states of the United States, based on the 1860 census.

History of Now

The Surprising History of the Infographic

Early iterations saved soldiers’ lives, debunked myths about slavery and helped Americans settle the frontier

July 2016

Meet "Opaque Couché," the world's most hideous hue.

Officials hope hideous packs of cigarette packs will make would-be smokers think twice

June 9, 2016

Sewer in a Suitcase: This handy kit shows people where water goes after it goes down the drain.

These Kits Beautifully Explain How City Sewers and Zoning Laws Work

New York’s Center for Urban Pedagogy uses art and design to help people better understand complex laws and systems

May 19, 2016

Cartoonist and concept artist Jean Giraud.

Cool Finds

Meet the Man Who Helped Define How Science Fiction Looks

The renowned cartoonist Jean Giraud had a hand in some of science fiction’s most iconic films

May 13, 2016

The iconic brochure format was designed by the man responsible for New York subway signage.

Cool Finds

Want to Browse Some National Park Maps? There’s a Site For That

Can you guess the most popular map?

May 9, 2016

One of a series of psychedelic concert posters done by artist Wes Wilson between 1966 and 1968 for concert promoter Bill Graham of San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium

How a Psychedelic Concert Poster Rocked the World

C’mon baby light my flier

May 2016

Cool Finds

Roald Dahl’s Iconic Illustrator Inspired This New Font

Quentin Blake’s handwriting has elements of spontaneity and joy

March 21, 2016

The country could drop the Union Jack in favor of a design with a more distinctive national symbol

March 3, 2016

From the Met to the MoMA

February 22, 2016

Cool Finds

This Company Transforms Indian Taxicabs Into Original Artworks

Intricately designed fabrics help taxi drivers stand out from the crowd

February 4, 2016