style’, a style that could be understood and recognized by all, and therefore you could say that Neue Grafik was aiming, and encouraging for internationalism. The layout of the cover has been formed using a grid much like Massimo Vignelli’s Underground map of New York. The grid as L.Müller stated is essential in syntactical consistency. The use of a grid on the cover has helped to organize the type into three key columns, which each host a different language, which had never really seen before, it was a new concept of connecting countries and communicating to a larger audience than ever before. Again a geometrical way of organizing data has made the piece international, as it is understandable, and the geometry means there are no real social or historical contexts behind it, as geometrics don’t lend themselves to a particular context or place. The grid has also provided a clear layout just as the map is clear and universal typeface is understandable and very legible. As well as this the typography on this piece is similar to the pieces already discussed, the font is a sans-serif geometric typeface, and it was a favorite of many, if not all designers in the modern era, ‘the Helvetica typeface gave young designers an important means to further emphasize the message and functional values … it became so popular that, to many it seemed the only type necessary.’ Remington, R. Roger Bodenstedt, L. (2003) American Modernism, Graphic Design 1920 to 1960’, London, Laurence King. pp162. Again this argument has brought to light the fact that modern designers aimed to be upmost understood by a wide audience, just like Massimo Vignelli strived for and had aimed to do in his Underground Map of New Yorks subway systems. Aksidenz Grotesk was used for the cover of Neue Grafik the predecessor of Helvetica, again very popular at its time. Helvetica was used in the underground Map and Universal was designed around the same period and holds some of the key values already mentioned, such as functionality and understandability. The type is ultimately meant to aid legibility and be easy for all to read. It is structured and geometric, which means it should have been easier to learn and read. The cover of Neue Grafik was black and white, colours which like the typography already discussed do not have social or historical backgrounds, they are the most neutral and they do not host importance to one country or another, this could be a purposeful aspect of the design as it needed to appeal to more than one country, again driving toward internationalism, and an ‘international style’. Unlike the Map of Massimo Vignelli but with the same neutral style, the colours on Vignelli’s map range and therefore as is a variety it could be said that this piece is also neutral as it does not specify a particular set of colours which would relate to one particular place or another. However unlike the other two pieces discussed, Neue Grafik according to Richard Hollis had not succeeded completely in its internationalist objective. ‘ The editors’ intention to make the magazine ‘an international forum’ was never achieved … all thirty-five illustrations are of Swiss work’ Hollis, R. (2006) ‘Swiss Graphic Design: the origins and growth of an international style 1920-1965’. London, Laurence King. pp 206. However the intent had initially been there to be international but perhaps the editors where too bias of their own work, but it could be said they had done this to show the rest of the world their new concept that would work internationally.
In conclusion as M.Vignelli had described the initial forces and main drives of modernity, industrialization which triggered a culture of mass production, new inventions such as the railway and the telephone led to the urbanization and connection of people in other cities and countries, and the general popular culture that had formed through new concepts such as leisure time, all led to a drive towards internationalism. E. Lupton and J. Abbot-Miller stated that the purity of geometry would make a typeface recognizable and understand