Sunday, April 28, 2024

70s Graphic Design Examples to Inspire Your Retro Projects RGD

1970s graphic design

Graphic designers and illustrators such as Saul Bass, Rudolph de Harak, Deborah Sussman, and Jerzy Flisak were famous for communicating complex ideas through flat, bold shapes. These artists explored the potential of abstraction, geometry, and color, creating Postmodern layouts that brilliantly capture the times. Letraset sheets were cheap and accessible, which meant they were used by both professional and amateur graphic designers, architects, and artists during the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. Some of the most iconic fonts from the ‘70s came from Letraset designer Colin Brignall. Within the ever-evolving industry, retro design is a timeless trend that continues to come back. The way it holds the emotions of people, allowing them to have a connection with the design, is pure nostalgia.

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By studying and thoughtfully reimagining the most iconic branding of that period, creatives continue producing work that feels fresh and nostalgic, contemporary and retro. When skillfully executed, this fusion creates compelling, forward-looking identities that still feel rooted in the visual ingenuity of the 70s. During this period, several key trends emerged that shaped the visual identity of major brands.

Evolution of 1970s Logos: From Groovy to Timeless

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Beauty and fashion brands, in particular, adopted bold, assertive designs to speak to the modern, liberated woman. This retro text effect features a bold sans serif font that represents the 1970s logo design. The colors and the gradient effect as a shadow are also key elements that were used during the decade. Most of the brands that used this feature were brands related to digital technology. Old screens would briefly show many different colors when turned on, and this is where the inspiration came from.

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In the early ’60s, rock and roll was gradually overtaken by psychedelic rock, folk rock, and pop. The colors include neon pink, blue, and oranges, which we can see utilized in today’s design and fashion world. Well, here, I have delved into retro trends of the past and included everything you want to check out. Graphic design in the 1970s was shaped by brave artists who dared to explore new forms of expression and visual communication. Casual 70s script fonts were less formal fonts used in advertising throughout the 60s and 70s. Much of the influence also came from the wellness movement and the need to use appropriate fonts that weren't flowy and free.

From retro-inspired logos and fonts to earth-toned colour palettes and natural textures, 1970s design elements are making a significant comeback. Within those two major categories of graphic design for the decade, the hippie movement and disco also wrought their influence. The music of the 1970s provided a way for the youth of its time to express themselves. Along with art and fashion, people used other creative forms to express their politics and personalities. As controversial as some hippie ideals were, major corporations such as Kimberly-Clark Corporation used its art influence in its ads for Kleenex brand tissue.

1970s graphic design

The Legacy of 1970s Logos

1970s graphic design

Offset printing enabled more detailed and intricate designs with layered elements and effects. Artists like Heinz Edelmann, whose surreal illustrations defined the Beatles' Yellow Submarine, impacted design. This surreal approach aligned with the era's radical experimentation and personal expression spirit.

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Adding collage elements to photography was popular too, and eye-catching typography was used to enhance photos, particularly in popular magazines such as Rolling Stone. Illustration didn’t disappear, but it was used more to support photography instead of standing on its own. However, a shift towards minimalism brought clean, sans-serif fonts into prominence. This shift reflected the broader cultural move towards simplicity and functionality.

Retro Typography

While the 1960s brought some stylistic changes to typography, it was during the 70s that the Freeform Typography Trend really kicked off. Staring at a blank screen in CorelDRAW, you might look for unique ideas. Specifically, you can take inspiration from the fun, freaky designs of the 1970s. Other themes throughout this category include hippies, flower children, psychedelic “wavy” shapes, and disco scenes.

You could say that fonts began free-flowing just like the hippies of the era. The 1980s were full of crazy hairstyles, Lycra leggings, wild patterns, and vibrant colors—a truly eye-catching era. This decade was largely defined by modern technology, along with futuristic fonts, an explosion of pop culture, and angular patterns. The artwork is inspired by the psychedelic movement filled with fluid shapes, hand-drawn typography, vibrant neon colors, and dream-like themes with no negative space.

The unit also had different distortion lenses that made words take on different shapes. Advancements in printing technology allowed for innovative design techniques, such as phototypesetting and offset printing. According to Kate McInnes, Envato’s specialist for Graphics, the relaxed, nostalgic and cheerful aesthetic of the 70s has made it a big trend this year.

The Memphis style is said to be a technique combined with retro-like elements of tropical, pop art, and deco, transcending modernism by using geometric shapes, linework, funky color palettes, and asymmetry. Otl Aicher is a German graphic designer and typographer who is best known for his work for the 1972 Summer Olympics. He boldly used pictograms and mixed it with a bright palette developed from the color of the Bavarian system and a strict grid system. With these elements, he managed to create stunning visual identities that earned him his reputation in graphic design. He is also known for creating an influential public signage system that utilised a simple stick figure graphic. Design elements of this system are still widely used today and remain influential in the field of graphic design.

Greiman was then appointed to Director of the California Institute of the Arts in 1982 where she had the opportunity to work with photographer Jayme Odgers to experiment with video and computers. Greiman’s approach to design is to look at the page as a three-dimensional space through the juxtaposition of typography, photography, and other elements. One of the signature pieces in the show that encapsulates Pacific New Wave design is Greiman’s 1985 poster for AIGA. Wild, who is a 2006 AIGA Medalist, worked with Steinberger to collect many of the pieces for the show. She moved to Los Angeles in 1985 to take the position as graphic design program director at CalArts.

A decade defined by iconic artists such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, the 1960s was a massive turning point for musical expression. Optical Art was a term coined in 1964 by Time magazine to describe a form of abstract design that created illusions using positive and negative space. Sometimes generating a sense of movement, sometimes revealing different scenes depending on the viewer’s focus, Optical Art plays upon the figure-ground relationship. Here are three extra “groovy” graphic design trends from the 70s to explore in your work this year. Fifty years ago, a Franciscan nun and printmaker and a group of Latinx artists founded Self Help Graphics & Art in an East LA garage.

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