When your city is bombed to pieces in World War II, what do you do afterwards?
In the case of London, a key part of the process was the creation of the Design Research Unit (DRU) in 1942 by the poet and art critic Herbert Read, alongside architect Misha Black and graphic designer, Milner Gray.
It was the first consultancy to create a group practice by bringing together graphic designers, industrial designers and architects. The results were astounding and shaped post-war London and many of the UK’s leading brands.
From corporate logos and brand identities to buildings and industrial, DRU had a hand many pies.
Take all of the street signs in London, the British Rail logo, the livery designs for the iconic red London buses, around a hundred of the bombed Watney Mann pubs including a new style of new signage.
To this day, the impact of DRU can be seen all over London. Co-founder Milner Gray is even accredited with inventing the term ‘corporate identity’. These were the original Mad Men of their day.
With a new exhibition in Dundee, England, underway, you can find out more about DRU here.
More photos below.
Tags: advertising, architecture, Culture, design, life