I love looking at sketches, especially those of storied graphic icons. The London Underground “roundel” logo, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this month, was originally designed in 1908 by an anonymous artist, but redesigned (above) in 1913 under the auspices of Frank Pick, commercial and publicity manager of the London Underground Group of Companies, and Edward Johnston (bottom), who also designed the Underground’s typeface. In 1938, Man Ray designed an extraterrestrial-looking poster that equates the roundel with the planet Saturn–it’s still one of the most progressive commercial posters ever created.
About Steven Heller
Steven Heller is the co-chair of the SVA MFA Designer /Designer as Author + Entrepreneur program, writes frequently for Wired and Design Observer. He is also the author of over 170 books on design and visual culture. He received the 1999 AIGA Medal and is the 2011 recipient of the Smithsonian National Design Award.View all posts by Steven Heller →