Pentagram Overview

According to Randall Rothenberg, "Most great design, the sort that helps define or even fashion an era, derives from a particular vision. For this reason, most great design firms tend to die with their founders or evolve into corporate entities more... [more]

According to Randall Rothenberg, "Most great design, the sort that helps define or even fashion an era, derives from a particular vision. For this reason, most great design firms tend to die with their founders or evolve into corporate entities more skilled at making money than actually reshaping the visual world." Today, one studio makes an exception to this rule: Pentagram Design. Formed in London in 1972, Pentagram is now a global, multidisciplinary design studio with a true, team-oriented ethic. Pentagram was the brainchild of five designers -- an industrial designer, an architect, and three graphic designers -- who believed that a cross-disciplinary, team- based approach would encourage the evolution of their design ideas. Pentagram's original vision has paid off, the creativity and originality of Pentagram's designs continue to evolve as new generations of designers replace the original five-member group. As the company has matured through the years, its multidisciplinary approach has also evolved. The unique collaborations between graphic designers, architects, and product designers have produced innovative and trendsetting solutions to design problems that grow in complexity as technology assumes a larger role in our lives. The company believes that design is both a visceral and an intellectual form of communication: it addresses both the mind and the soul. Each design problem is unique and requires a unique solution. Pentagram's works include the corporate logo for Reuters, and products for Kenwood, Ronson, and the Parker Pen Company. The studio has also written several books on design. Pentagram opened an office in New York in 1978 and one in San Francisco in 1986. The studio maintains an emphasis on its designers, not its account executives, which allows for greater involvement in design development. [show less]