Design Masters & Web Design

Web design is a new form of communication, especially when compared to print graphic design, a mature medium shaped by centuries of practice. Because print design is mature, it benefits from a degree of refinement by gifted designers that, over time, have refined that medium. I find that my best work as a web designer benefits richly from borrowing design cues and inspiration from the masters of print design.

I have spoken in the past about one of my favorite print designers of the 20th century, Josef Muller-Brockmann. I am particularly drawn to his poster design that uses pure abstract forms inspired by architecture. His work communicates clearly and instantly and engages the eye with great wit and character.

However, I do not slavishly follow Brockmann's lead. My personality and design principles are quite different from his. My prime objective is creating a warm emotional appeal in my business-to-consumer web design. I must 'win the hearts' of consumers in the design I create. Yet, in more subtle ways, my work has benefited richly from Josef Muller-Brockman's influence.

An example is shown below. I borrowed an idea for the layout of one of my earliest web designs (Paris, My Love) from the "musica viva" poster created by Josef Muller-Brockmann. The abstract form in my web design is pure Brockmann, the warm, emotional imagery is my own.

Creativity is never developed in a vacuum. We are constantly bombarded with visual images and text that shape our aesthetic sensibility. As a web designer, do not slavishly follow the current fads in web design. Be selective. Look to masters in other design mediums for inspiration and guidance. You will find that it helps you to develop a unique eye and visual vocabulary that may help you to distinguish yourself and add longevity to your career as a designer.

Donald Peterson