Otl Aicher - Towards Corporate Culture

Otl Aicher - Towards Corporate Culture Contents

Introduction 3

Otl Aicher 7

Corporate Vision and 9

Corporate Image

FSB 11

Initiating Change 13

Concept Development 15

New Image 17

Design Strategy 19

Comparing Companies 21

Lufthansa 23

ERCO 25

FSB 27

Policy Development 29

Two Frameworks 31

Martin Ebert Bibliography 33

Design Policy
ID 515

Professor John Heskett

Institute of Design
Illinois Institute of Technology
Spring 1997
 The designer’s role in a corporation is generally

limited to giving form to the final product.

Only in rare occasions, he or she steps out and

broadens the spectrum of work into the field of

policy or corporate development.

This essay focuses on the work of Otl Aicher and

the diffferent roles he took in the policy develop-

ment process in three different German compa-

nies. Particular attention is being paid to his most

mature work for the doorhandle company FSB.

In the FSB case study, the whole process of inter-

action between the company and the designer

and the actual design policy is analyzed in detail.

In the conclusion, different approaches to identity

development are compared and discussed and

future possibilities of the involvement for designers

are explored.

5
 Otl Aicher
Otl Aicher was born in 1922 in Ulm.
He studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts
in Munich from 1946 to 47. After quitting art
school, he immediately started his own graphic
design practice in Ulm.
Together with his wife Inge Scholl, he founded
the “Hochschule fuer Gestaltung” in Ulm -
intended as a school for education in democratic
behavior it turned into one of the most progres-
sive design schools in the world until its closure in
1968. Aicher taught visual communication at the
HFG from 1954 to 1967, was a member of its
board of directors from 1956 to 1959 and direc-
tor from 1962 to 1964.
A discussion of Aicher’s work will only be fully
understandable, if one considers his experience in
Nazi Germany.
Still a young man in his late teens and early twen-
ties, he was already part of an intellectual elite
outside the rest of Germany’s conformist academ-
ic circles. On the edge of legality, they exchanged
notes and writings by authors not approved by
the fascist authorities. They visited each other,
held reading sessions and developed a strong
underground network.
Aicher was close friends with the later executed
Hans and Sophie Scholl, brother and sister of his
wife and founders of the illegal student anti-fas-
cist movement “Die Weisse Rose” (The White
Rose).
Both, trying to come to terms with Germany’s ter-
rible national past and developing a cultural and
spiritual foundation for a new democratic society
remained strong driving forces in his life and
work.
All his policy proposals emphasize the social and
cultural responsibility of a corporation and a
designer. It appeared important to him to educate
a company and its employees as well as a public
audience about values associated with manufac-
turing, technology and being part of a democrat-
ic society.
6 7
In addition to reforming the education of design-
ers, transforming organizations from anonymous
capitalistic corporations into culturally and socially
responsible partners in a democratic community
is his contribution to Germany’s postwar history.
Besides the work being described in this essay, he
was involved in transforming the corporate image
of many other corporations, several banks and
public institutions such as the information system
of the airport in Frankfurt.
From 1967 to 1972, he was the design consul-
tant for the visual identity of the XX. Olympic
games in Munich.
He published several books on a large variety of
topics. Along with the corporate image program
for Lufthansa, he published a photo book show-
ing birds eye views on German landscapes.
He researched topics such as cooking or automo-
tive transportation.
One of his most remarkable publications is a
poetic documentation of several of his expedi-
tions through the Sahara - “Gehen in der
Wueste” (Walking in the Desert).
Aicher designed several typefaces. Most notewor-
thy are “Traffic” and “Rotis”. Traffic was original-
ly designed in 1969 and reedited in 1979. It is a
typeface for headlines. It is used as the official
typeface of the Munich Transportation System.
Rotis has its name from the place were he had his
atelier from 1974 to 1991.
The typeface Rotis consists out of two serif faces
and two grotesque faces. Rotis integrates four
different typefaces into one family.
Traffic became the typeface for all headlines for
FSB and Rotis is now the official typeface for
ERCO.
Aicher died in 1991 in a traffic accident.
 Corporate Vision and Corporate Image
In several instances, German companies had been
on the leading edge in developing corporate poli-
cies. Most prominent is the example of AEG -
Allgemeine Electricitaets Gesellschaft. The archi-
tect Peter Behrens developed an integral policy
for AEG between 1907 and 1914, including
architecture, design of the actual products, the
company logo and the overall company visual
appearance in magazines and on advertising.
After World War II, there was no real need for
companies to develop a corporate policy. Rivalry
among companies and the variety of available
products was low. Consumer buying decisions
were based on need rather than on cultural or
social values.
Despite this in 1954, the consumer electronics
company Braun was the first company to develop
an integrated corporate policy program based on
the model of AEG.
It was Aicher’s first task to integrate all of the
company’s visual appearance elements. “This
entailed defining the individual elements of the
product such as colors, operating instructions,
labelling and markings, and the positioning and
appearance of the company logo. Apart from
that, the work involved determining typefaces
and colors, and how they were to be employed;
the typographical guidelines, the design of print-
ed items and the definition of pictorial informa-
tion. There were also exhibitions and exhibition
systems, show windows, and media and public
relations.”
The proposed solutions arose from a close coop-
eration between Braun and the Hochschule fuer
Gestaltung in Ulm. The product designer Hans
Gugelot developed concepts for new products
and Aicher thought up the new visual identity for
the company.
Braun’s corporate policy was not developed out
of a strong commercial need. It rather was an
attempt to manifest a company’s social and cul-
tural role.
The found solution remains almost unchanged
today and is considered a classic.
Companies like Braun remained to be an excep-
tion and things did not change until competition
intensified. Market saturation in the sixties
8 9
brought a change to the situation. Companies
had to differentiate themselves. It became neces-
sary to present a clear image to the outside that
was consistent with internal values. “Companies
had to be unmistakable.”
Three terms are used throughout the document:
“design policy”, “corporate vision” and “corpo-
rate image”.
“Design policy” means the integration of all
issues related to design. A design policy’s rules
govern the use of design in the development of
corporate culture, product design and the com-
pany’s public appearance.
Aicher defines the two terms “corporate vision”
and “corporate image” in his essay “Corporate
Image”. “Corporate vision is the image of one-
self as one wishes oneself to look. The corporate
image is the visible form of the corporate vision,
its concretization in gestures, demeanor, pos-
tures, profiles, lines, styles; in colors and figures,
in actions and performances, in products and
objects.”
Aicher does not separate an inner values system
from an outer appearance as Aristotele did,
Aicher says: “Unlike Aristotele, who differentiat-
ed between things involving substance, actuality
and the accidental, between the incidental and
external appearances, we must apprehend the
external as an image of the inner being.”
For Aicher, design is the physical manifestation of
inner values. “Design is the company philosophy
expressed in a concrete manner, with thinking
taking on form. It presents the company, not as
capital, property or labor, but rather, in its prod-
ucts or services...
Design brings the technical and economic philos-
ophy of a company into the picture, and the
company’s image becomes at the same time its
character, determining its mentality.”
A distinct corporate vision and image not only let
a company gain clarity of thought, according to
Aicher it is also highly effective in economic and
marketing terms. He continues: “A distinctive
corporate image offers the advantage of being
highly effective externally without the need of
resorting to verbal self praise.”
 FSB

FSB - Franz Schneider Brakel is a small family

owned company with about 700 employees, man-

ufacturing doorhandles and fixtures.

The company is strongly committed to the use of

design as a strategic force in their business.

FSB was founded in 1881. Production facilities are

in Brakel, Westphalen, a small town in the middle

of Germany.

Initially, the company produced furniture fixtures

in various alternations of a neo-historic style. In

1909, the company introduced the logo “FSB”.

The company remained small for about 60 years

and almost went out of business during World

War II.

The reconstruction of the destroyed postwar

Germany turned out to be a big push for the com-

pany’s business. At that time, the company

changed course and focused on the production of

doorhandles.

10 11
 Initiating Change
In the early 1980s, the German construction busi-
ness was in its deepest crisis since World War II,
and FSB, a company strongly depending on this
market, had to struggle hard.
According to the company’s CEO Juergen W.
Braun, the fact that the company survived with
considerably little blessings was due to a well
organized catalogue. “The little Blue”, as it was
called, was a very compact catalogue, showing all
the company’s products. It was easy to use and it
was easy to place an order from it. No other
doorhandle company in Germany had something
similar.
By the mid eighties, Juergen W. Braun thought
that he had to replace the old catalogue with a
new updated and redesigned version.
Coincidentally, on a flight from Lyon to Frankfurt
in spring 1984, Braun sat next to Klaus Maack
from ERCO. Braun asked Maack for advice on
how to overcome the company’s current market-
ing problems and told him about the success of
their little blue brochure. Maack recommended to
consult Otl Aicher on the matter and offered to
facilitate an initial contact.
12 13
In November 84 after Maack had established a
connection, Braun went to see Aicher at his
home and studio in Rotis. Braun was well pre-
pared for the meeting, he had researched
Aicher’s background and compiled a three hour
presentation.
On that day, Aicher refused to work with FSB. He
argued that Braun and with him FSB, did not
have a clear vision of their own business and
goals. Simply redesigning a catalogue was not
Aicher’s business. Aicher replied to Braun: “You
don’t know what you want. You think you can
solve your problems with a new look. But I am
not in the business of dressing up companies.
You may come back when you know what your
business is all about.”
Braun went back to Brakel to do his homework,
finding his company’s goals, values and compe-
tencies. He had to define his company’s profile.
By accident in a bookstore, he came across a
book on hand reading. It was here, that he got
the insight, that his company was about artifacts
for the hand. Grasping was the core activity relat-
ed to their products. The company produced
devices for grasping.
The new concept was born: “Greifen und Griffe”
(“Grasping and Handles”)
 Concept Development
Handle Culture
Our expedition into the realm of the
Artifact led us to realize there are four
unwritten “laws” underpinning good
grip:
1. Thumb Guide
Many hand-held objects feature some
means of channelling the thumb.
There is evidence of this even on pre-
historic implements.
2. Forefinger Furrow
The forefinger acts as a pilot, paving
the way for the rest of the
hand to follow. We were able to dis-
cern recesses for the forefinger on a
number of artifacts.
3. Support for the Ball of the Thumb
Once the thumb and forefinger have
finished their reconnaissance work,
the hand as a whole goes into action.
The ball of the thumb needs to be
well supported here if it is to generate
the necessary force.
4. Something to Get Your Hand
Round
Hands do not like clutching at thin air.
They need something they can get a
good grip on. This is witnessed by the
way we absentmindedly roll objects
around in them.
14
With his new concept “Grasping and Handles”,
and a completely new presentation, Braun went
back to Rotis in early 1985. He presented the
new findings and insights. Aicher was in some-
what impressed and admitted that this was a
starting point.
In June 85, Otl Aicher and Sepp Landsbek, the
project designer, visited FSB in Brakel. They
toured the facilities, met employees and FSB’s old
and at that time ill in-house designer Johannes
Potente.
Aicher and Landsbek also showed a great interest
in the landscape and environment of Brakel.
On that visit, Braun, Aicher and Landsbek devel-
oped the initial idea of the later so called “4-
point guide to a good grasp”:
15
Late Fall the same year, they had another meeting
in Rotis where the first outline of the new identity
concept for FSB was developed.
1. FSB will continue to think about the company’s
activities.
2. FSB will publish books on the findings.
3. The rollout of the new identity is intended to
be 5 years later.
4. The new company’s logo will consist out of a
abstract doorhandle and the abbreviation FSB.
Different from earlier logos, sign and letters will
be separated.
(It was discovered later that the new logo resem-
bled a handle, the philosopher Ludwig
Wittgenstein used in a house he had built for his
sister in 1927.)
From then on, Aicher’s studio and FSB established
a collaboration on a regular basis for a total of 7
years.
FSB and the Aicher studio met about twice a year
in Rotis. Always 2 to 3 people from FSB went
there. Braun was involved in almost every meet-
ing, but FSB tried to change their visitors in Rotis
as often as possible in order to create a broad
understanding in the company about the ideas
developed in Rotis. The intention was to have FSB
employees “sniff the atmosphere” in Rotis.
Topics for discussion usually were the next publi-
cation, the collaboration with a particular design-
er or the next advertising campaign.
 New Image

The implied goal of the identity concept was to
take the doorhandle out of the commodity area
and establish it as a cultural object. It was intend-
ed to create a whole new culture around the
product and establish FSB as the leading compa-
ny at the high end of the market.
The new corporate policy was never written in a
formal or comprehensive document. “The corpo-
rate identity was only sketched on some loose
sheets of paper. There was no corporate hand-
book.” Only recently, upon request by design stu-
dents and other companies, Juergen W. Braun
and Sepp Landsbek published a book on the
development of the visual identity of FSB -
“Visuelles Erscheinungsbild”.
Problems with the implementation of the new
strategy only arose in the collaboration with other
partners, like shop owners. After some hesitation,
they followed the new image.
According to Braun it is the belief in the correct-
ness of the new strategy that makes these people
adopt the new identity. There is no corporate
police ensuring the obedience of the rules, peo-
ple take on the image voluntarily.
FSB latest strategic identity initiative was their vol-
untary subscription as the first company in
Europe to the new EU ecology standards.
Extending the agreement to the new standards,
FSB established an in-house ecology program.

The new identity program comprised an integral

new visual appearance, a rethinking of the pub-
lic/outer perception of FSB, advertising cam-
paigns, extensive research and research publica-
tions, collaboration with designers, universities
and design schools
All printed material now followed a common
visual concept. Printed material was coordinated
with lettering on buildings, cars and trade shows.

The visual appearance affected the use of type-

faces, layout grids, colors, logos and materials on
all graphic representations of the company itself
and its products.
An extra effort was made to develop a new cata-
logue. Extreme visual rigor was applied. A strict
layout grid was followed throughout the whole
catalogue. Not only that each handle was dis-
played in a color photograph, there was a story
told with each product. Users of the catalogue
would learn about the particular handle, its ori-
gin, its designer or a special feature in using the
product.
The catalogue shipped with 100000 copies to
architects, resellers and applicators.

16 17
 Four Designers for the Europe
Strategy:
Design Strategy and Rollout
Dieter Rams - Germany
Jasper Morrison - Great Britain
Philippe Starck - France
Franco Clivio - Switzerland

In order to extend FSB’s markets internationally
and to stay competitive, FSB initiated its Europe
strategy.
The functionality of doorhandles is quite limited.
Buying decisions may not only depend on the
performance of the artifact, hardly tangible issues
of cultural identity may override the physical qual-
ities of the handle. Different buyers from different
cultures may have distinct different measures of
appreciation towards an artifact like a doorhan-
dle.
FSB tries to address this issue by having well
established designers from different cultures
designing handles for their program. The compa-
ny hopes to influence a customer buying decision
with the association of the product to a certain
author. Every year FSB launches a new program
designed by a different designer from a different
cultural background. Today, the FSB product
palette displays a large variety of different mod-
els.
FSB was very successful in applying this strategy,
even though not in the way they expected it.
Customers from different cultures not necessarily
connected with the design from a designer of
their background.
FSB’s first step to introduce its new image to the
market was through its publications. The publica-
tions created an awareness for the artifact and
served as a means to introduced the new logo to
the market. The introduction of the new cata-
logue to the market in 1990 was the starting
point for the complete rollout of the new image.
The company abbreviation FSB was already well
established in the market. The abstract handle in
addition to the letters was well accepted. But FSB
had initial problems in communicating the com-
pany’s message. The credo “Greifen und Griffe”
and the “4-point guide to a good grip” were
seen with great suspicion. This new kind of
respect and seriousness towards a commodity
artifact seemed in somewhat ridiculous.
Today, FSB’s terminology is accepted and taken
over by the competition. Architects refer to FSB’s
research and competing companies sometimes
even produce direct copies.
Today, the company’s name is not only a synonym
for what a good handle is, FSB serves as role
model for design management and corporate cul-
ture.

FSB prepared this initiative with a Designer’s

Saturday in 1986. In this controversial move, FSB
invited highly reputable designers and architects
from all over the world to come to Brakel and
propose their take on the design of doorhandles.
FSB used this event to research and discuss the
realm of doorhandles. FSB published a book on
the event and like all the others, the publication
became a success.

(For the records: Today, FSB has a strong reputa-

tion as the leading company manufacturing
doorhandles. But to some people, they are even
better known as a publisher of high quality
research books in the area of human factors,
design theory and design history.)

18 19
 Comparing Different Cases

Aicher not only worked for FSB.

As already mentioned, he is widely acknowledged

for his work for BRAUN, Lufthansa,

The XX. Olympic Games in Munich, Bayerische

Rueck Insurance and ERCO, to name the most

important clients. In every case, his role in devel-

oping a corporate identity or corporate image was

different.

In this study, Lufthansa, ERCO and FSB are taken

as examples. The conclusion will compare Aicher’s

contribution to the policy development in each of

the three cases.

20 21
 Lufthansa

Lufthansa, Germany’s official airline, is the largest The design proposal comprised a radical redesign
company compared to the other two. Lufthansa of the airplane graphics, (basically through omit-
used to be a half governmental institution and is ting the traditional corporate logo and replacing
today entirely privatized and governed by a board it with a plain yellow tailfin,) of all printed materi-
of executives. al, all kinds of visual display and a new approach
In 1962, Aicher and the “Entwicklungsgruppe 5” to advertising.
from the Hochschule fuer Gestaltung were com-
missioned to develop Lufthansa’s new corporate Aicher describes the outcome of the Lufthansa
image. Among the team were Tomas Gonda, Fritz redesign as good but not fully mature. He assigns
Querengaesser and Nick Roehricht. the responsibility for this to 2 facts.
1. The size of the organization, the limited degree
The company’s image was in a desperate condi- of communication between the upper manage-
tion. Other airlines, such as Swissair and PanAm ment and the design team.
had already reinvented their public image and 2. A lack of understanding for design issues in
several other airlines had followed their example. the upper management and a lack of courage to
Lufthansa’s image was a volatile melange of dif- go with a radical new concept.
ferent, mostly nostalgic graphic elements. The
company was lacking an inner perception of
what their role in the international air travel
industry should be.
Without having a design guideline in form of a
policy or a corporate vision, Aicher and his team
had to develop a new visual image for the airline.
He was not asked to propose any kind of service
products or other actual offerings of the compa-
ny. The goal was simply to develop a new visual
appearance of the airline.
In the process of building the image, Aicher and
his team drew their stimulations and guidelines
from outside sources such as the competition,
technology development or the new role of
Germany in the international community of
states.
The design team reported to the board of execu-
tives and they gave their approval or disapproval.
The communication between the upper manage-
ment and the design team was not very elabo-
rate.

22 23
 ERCO
ERCO, like FSB is a small company with about
1100 employees. ERCO is the leading manufac-
turer in the world of architectural lighting with a
palette of about 1000 models. ERCO was found-
ed in 1934. Its headquarters and production facil-
ities are located in Luedenscheid, Nordrhein-
Westphalen.
Klaus Juergen Maack, ERCO’s CEO, joined the
company in 1963 at an age of 25. His education-
al background was in printing. But initial anxiety
in dealing with the new subject and lack of insid-
er industry knowledge turned out to be quite
beneficial. Maack brought a fresh perspective to
the company and gave new direction to the
whole approach.
He became managing director in 1965 and suc-
cessively reshaped the company. He reorganized
the company’s product palette from a selection of
household appliances to a set of large lighting
systems.
Maack’s ground-breaking insight was to redefine
the companies mission from making lamps to cre-
ating light.
This opened up entirely new perspectives to enter
new markets and develop new products.
Sensing trends early and accordingly developing
innovative products has put ERCO in a position
where the company actively shapes the market.
24 25
Aicher was involved in redefining the company’s
corporate image early on. In 1974, Maack con-
tacted Aicher to get his advice on how to deal
with pictograms on emergency light fixtures.
(Aicher had designed a system of pictograms for
the XX. Olympics.)
At this time ERCO already had changed its design
policy and committed to the strategic use of
design to define the company’s market position.
The new mission statement of making light was
established and new product palettes were
already successful in the market.
The first contact between Maack and Aicher initi-
ated a discussion on the company’s visual identity
evolving around the problem that the company’s
logo at that time did not go well with commonly
used typeface Helvetica and that the radically
changed product palette made a new visual rep-
resentation of the company overdue.
At ERCO, Aicher found a profound basis in terms
of a design policy and a corporate vision on
which to build a corporate image. Maack and his
team had a clear vision of what the company’s
mission, activities and culture were. Aicher’s task
was to find an appropriate image for this vision
and policy.
The new corporate image was developed in close
collaboration with Maack and the upper manage-
ment, integrating design and corporate philoso-
phy.
Aicher’s proposal for the corporate identity for
ERCO comprised a new logo, new corporate col-
ors, a rigid layout framework for all printed mate-
rial including a redesign of the catalogue, guide-
lines for all visual displays of the corporate logo
and new ideas for the company’s advertisements
and appearance on trade shows.
 FSB

Matters were different at FSB. At the time Braun At all stages, the upper management, Braun in
was consulting Aicher for a redesign of their person and other members of the board and
product catalogue, FSB was lacking a clearly company, stood in close contact with the Buero
defined design policy. Aicher. All parts of the new design policy were
As mentioned earlier, Aicher initially refused to co-constructed by the designer and the company.
work for FSB, without FSB having developed a
clearly defined design policy and corporate vision.
Eventually, after Braun had initiated a new vision,
Aicher got more and more involved in building a
new design policy for the company, a fully devel-
oped corporate vision and eventually designing a
corporate image, perfectly suited to communicate
the new corporate culture to the public audience.

26 27
 Policy Development
The three different cases, Lufthansa, ERCO and
FSB showed different characterisitcs. In each case,
Aicher’s role as a consultant changed.
Lufthansa as a large company simply purchased
their new image rather than developing it with a
designer over time.
ERCO as well as FSB collaborated closer with
Aicher. The distinct difference between both is
the fact, that ERCO developed their design policy
themselves while FSB developed the new policy
together with Aicher.
28 29
ERCO and FSB show several similarities. They are
not only about the same size and manufacture
architectural products, there are parts of both
policies which are quite similar.
Since cooperation between Aicher and ERCO
already started in the mid seventies, about 10
years before the initial contact between Aicher
and FSB, one wants to assume, that Aicher trans-
fered some of the experience he gained in work-
ing for ERCO to the FSB case.
For example:
1. Defining the company’s business in terms of an
activity rather than with the actual product was
already aplied for ERCO - “Creating Light”.
2. FSB took on ERCO’s idea of researching the
field and publishing books on the findings.
3. Just like ERCO, FSB only collaborates with
internationally acknowledged designers such as
Rams, Mendini or Starck.
4. Both companies address the high end of each
of their markets.
Rather than comparing Aicher’s actual design
proposals, the conclusion will focus on comparing
the initial goals for the policy development and
the degree and quality of collaboration between
the designer and the corporation.
 Three Frameworks

Lufthansa: A design policy did not Four factors can be identified as being crucial in Developing a clear image that correspondents
Designer
develops Corporate designs Visual exist. Aicher and his team had to the development process of a design policy, a cor- closely with a the company’s vision also depends
Image Appearance
develop a corporate image indepen- porate vision and a corporate image. strongly on the point of involvement of the
dently without the guideline of a poli- designer in the process of developing a compa-
contracts
cy or corporate vision. The proposed • point of time of involvement of the designer in ny’s design policy and the task he has to perform.
approves
image was not readily accepted as it the process of the identity development In case, a designer is brought in early in the pro-
did not fully correspond with the cor- • scope and goal of design task cess chances are higher the designer is capable of
Corporate
Corporation
establishes Vision porations own picture of itself. • size and structure of the organization finding a comprehensive and suitable solution for
• quality of communication the corporate policy, vision and image. It sounds
obvious, but the Lufthansa example shows that it
ERCO: A well established design poli- Each, size and structure of an organization and is very difficult to develop a suitable and accept-
Designer
develops Corporate designs Visual cy guided Aicher’s proposal for the the level of communication between the designer able(!) corporate image when the designer was
Image Appearance
new corporate image for ERCO. The are closely related as well as point of time of not involved in developing the policy or a policy,
shapes corporate image matched the corpo- involvement and scope and goal of identity devel- the designer could refer to, does not even exist.
Design
Policy
rate vision well, since ERCO clearly opment. In case there is no distinct design policy, mis-
develops
independently
influences
articulated its own vision. matches between a corporate vision and corpo-
Implementation, clarity and maturity, as Aicher rate image are inavoidable. Strongest links are
Corporate Corporate
Corporation
develops Vision establishes Relationships calls it, of the new vision and image are highly possible in case the design policy is co-construct-
depending on how deep the ideas for the new ed by the designer and the corporation, like in
concepts are rooted in the organization and how the case of FSB.
FSB: FSB and Aicher collaboratively clearly they are communicated between designer The ERCO case is a strong reference where
Designer
develops Corporate designs Visual developed the new design policy. The and corporation and inside the corporation. Aicher’s facilitation, building on a strong existing
Image Appearance
policy manifested itself in Aicher’s Building on the experience with Lufthansa, Aicher policy and vision created a clear corporate image.
co-constructs w/
corporation shapes proposal for the new corporate is very doubtful that large organizations are nim-
Design relate to and

Policy
complement image, which perfectly matched the ble enough to communicate visions and goals
each other
co-constructs w/
designer
influences corporations new vision of itself. effectively between its different sections and
departments. He also questions that a board of
Corporate Corporate
Corporation
develops Vision establishes Relations executives is capable to make qualified decisions
related to design issues. Aicher comments:
“Original designs and images can only be devel-
Four forces influence the quality of a oped to full maturity in small to midsize compa-
Size of Point of design policy. nies. This is a structural problem.”
Corporation Involvement
Scope and point of involvement build
a high level influence cluster, as well
strong strong
Design
relationship
influences Policy
relationship
influences as the size of the corporation and the
policy policy

quality of communication between

the designer and the corporation.
Commu- Scope of
nication Task

Similar to the co-construction of a

Designer
develops Product designs Product design policy, collaboration in an early
Strategy Design
stage between designer and corpora-
co-constructs w/
corporation shapes tion can evolve into the development
Design relate to and

Plan
complement
each other
of a design plan, which governs the
co-constructs w/
designer
influences development of a product strategy
and thus has enormous impact on the
Corporate Marketing
Corporation
develops Strategy establishes Strategy actual product the company manu-
factures or delivers.

30 31
 The case of FSB points at an important aspect of

the use of design in corporate planning. FSB’s

close attention to design and its strategic applica-

tion in fact allowed FSB to enter entirely new mar-

kets, reach new customers and create a new cul-

ture around a product.

Complementary to a design policy, one can see the

development of a design plan.

While a policy governs the corporate vision and

image, the design plan influences the develop-

ment of the product and the corporate strategy.

Designers now actually gain impact on a compa-

ny’s overall strategy and can actively shape the

course of the company rather than simply facilitate

a vision.

32 33
 Bibliography

Juergen W. Braun, Sepp Landsbek;

Visuelle Kommunikation -
Bausteine, Realisationen;
Cologne, 1995

Deutsche Lufthansa;
Erscheinungsbild der Lufthansa;
Cologne, 1962

ERCO Leuchten Luedenscheid;

The Corporate Identity Manual;
Luedenscheid, 1996

ERCO Leuchten Luedenscheid;

ERCO Lichtfabrik;
Berlin, 1990

Michael Erlhoff;
Designed in Germany since 1949;
Munich, 1990

John Heskett;
ERCO - Case Study

Herbert Lindinger;
Hochschule fuer Gestaltung, Ulm;
Berlin, 1987

Klaus Juergen Maack;

Design oder die Kultur des Angemessenen;

Joerg Stuerzebecher;
Design 1970 - 1980 - Between Waldi and
Walkman;
Design Report - Hamburg, 1996

Peter Zec;
Ehrenpreis fuer Design Management des Landes
Nordrhein-Westphalen;
Essen, 1993

34 35