Swiss Graphic Design - from design to print

The lettering of "St. Moritz" with the sun, the "Knorrli" and the legendary campaign for BIC ballpoint pens are among the other works on display in this special exhibition.Graphic design expert Ruedi Külling in his elementAs part of a guided tour with Ruedi Külling, former Creative Director of the advertising agency ADVICO AG in Gockhausen, the group of advertising design enthusiasts were given an impressive insight into the top graphic achievements that have been created in recent decades, some of which have international appeal. The National Museum Zurich has set itself the goal of collecting important Swiss prints and making them accessible to visitors. Ruedi Külling was one of these creative minds who was able to draw on the full scope of his knowledge during this guided tour, explaining the history and daily practice of this generation of graphic artists with a passion that filled the room. He repeatedly emphasized the importance of solid basic training in this profession at the time, which typically meant an apprenticeship as a graphic designer and attending the legendary preliminary course at the School of Applied Arts in Zurich. The fact that a man named Johannes Itten, who later made a name for himself at the Bauhaus in Germany, also taught at this school speaks for itself, and the importance of a deep understanding of typography - type theory in the broadest sense - could not be overheard that evening. As a result, letters were "painted" for days and weeks on end. Külling also emphasized that the creative-graphic work could only begin once an idea had been formed. The simpler the idea, the more sparkling the thought, the more likely it was to result in an advertising concept with high appeal and sales performance. For me, the BIC motif created by Ruedi Külling is an example of an almost ingenious design: simple, clear message, memorable, highly recognizable.The exhibition 10xSwiss Graphic Design can be seen until January 7, 2018.