Iconic Visionaries of Design — Otl Aicher
Examining The History of Infographics and Data Visualization
In 1972, Otto ‘Otl’ Aicher created pictograms for the Munich Olympics. It probably didn’t seem like Munchen at the time, but it changed the world.
Otl had grown up in war torn Germany. He was a friend and later in-law to the Scholl family. The family was a resourceful one but was also well known for their anti-Nazi protests. Otl would be the recipient of both their favor and the ire they drew from Hitler’s government. As so many who experienced this level of early life angst, Otto Aicher turned to art work.
Icons Were Nothing New For The Olympics
The first iconography of the Olympic Games came in 1936, also played in Germany (Berlin). Many subsequent games followed Berlin’s lead. London, Mexico, and Tokyo all followed suit. It was the design of Otl’s iconography that set it apart.
His icons were more efficient, cleaner, and yet evoked a true feeling of movement. They would quickly spread to signage through out the world. Some, like the signs at Athen’s Airport, would be designed by Otl himself. Other would merely be inspired by his work.
Otl also founded a design school in Ulm, now gone. He created the logo for Lufthansa among many corporate engagements. He was a prolific artist and wrote books on numerous subjects from his experience during the war, to cooking, to design. It is at this point that I would typically point you to his original work The World As Design, but it is unfortunately no longer in print. A hardcover publication of much of his work is available, but even that comes at a fairly steep price.
Good Art Inspires; Good Design Motivates
It was his most well-known quote and captured the essence of his genius. It also paraphrased his career. His art was inspirational, but his design changed the world. Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more articles in this series — including Playfair, Nightingale, and Du Bois.
For further inspiration from history consider:
