International TypoGraphics Magazine

The book comprises four main sections, plus an Epilogue, Bibliography, and Index. It describes the establishment and work of one of the most ambitious, innovative, and successful European design firms over a ten year period, during what was probably its heyday.

The book is written in the first person, which is entirely appropriate for the ‘insider’s view’ of the title. Having known the author since before the establishment of Total Design (TD) I hope I may be excused for following this example and refer here to the participants by their Christian names.

Total Design was founded in 1963, now nearly fifty years ago. It’s formal title was ‘TD Associatie voor Total Design BV’. Initially it comprised three members, Benno Wissing, Wim Crouwel and Friso Kramer, with Ben Bos their first employee. My Dutch is limited, but I note that the firm’s formal title refers to ‘for Total Design’, which denotes the original intention, i.e. to provide services in both graphic and three dimensional design (Friso being a respected industrial designer before the establishment of TD, and Benno having had a mixed prior experience). Ben is probably correct in stating that it was ‘the first such combination … on the continent’. He may be referring specifically to mainland Europe, but he is probably correct more widely; as in the UK Fletcher, Forbes and Gill (now Pentagram), which may have been established before TD, was initially confined to graphic design; with Theo Crosby and Kenneth Grange joining later. In his introductory essay Ben comments on the diversity of the founder’s backgrounds, and the absence of any prior models. He notes that the creative partners had not previously worked in teams, neither had their business partners, the Schwarz brothers, had any previous experience of managing a creative enterprise. Despite this diverse mix of approaches to design they coalesced rapidly into a single TD ethos, said to be based upon shared ‘aesthetics, ethics, and loyalty to modernist, functionalist principles designed to build a better society’.

The first chapter offers a personal perspective on Total, its times, aims and contribution to the profession, at both a national and international level. The second and third describe the partners backgrounds and previous experience. They made an interesting group of differing characters, exemplified by Benno Wissing, who had had an eventful war period taking him to Paris and what was Yugoslavia. The four design teams and their members are described in chapter three. ...