Identity Systems Germany

Identity Systems Germany

Corporate Design, Visual Identity, Brand Design—today, there are multiple terms for the consistent design concepts implemented within companies or institutions. Today, a strong, recognizable brand image is considered the absolute standard. The exhibition “Identity Systems Germany” showcases groundbreaking examples that trace the historical development of systematic brand design.

Some of the world’s earliest examples of what would later become known as corporate design emerged in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Peter Behrens laid the foundation for modern branding in 1907 with his holistic design works for the Berlin-based electronics company AEG. The Bauhaus adopted this concept and contributed significantly to its international dissemination and further development through its approach to design. After World War II, the Federal Republic of Germany built on the pioneering design principles of the prewar years. In the early 1960s, the influential HfG Ulm design school and a number of young graphic designers shaped a new understanding of systematic and functional design. They created visual identities for Braun, Lufthansa, the 1972 Olympic Games, and many other companies and institutions in West-Germany. Having returned to democracy and enjoying economic prosperity, the country demonstrated its new ethos through design solutions that shaped everyday life.

Collage of historical corporate design exhibits: DLR handbook, Lufthansa documents, SPD logo, and Deutsche Bank designs

A5 Collection, Düsseldorf
The A5 Collection in Düsseldorf is a privately initiated collection dedicated to the history of graphic design in Germany. It also focuses on the international development of visual identities and logos. The collection includes one-of-a-kind items from designers’ estates and items produced in massive quantities. The growing collection is housed at the Düsseldorf-based design studio vista, and it is curated by Katharina Sussek and Prof. Jens Müller. The collection was assembled during work on numerous book projects on design history, including international standard works such as “Logo Modernism“, “Design Pioneers: The Invention of German Graphic Design,“ and “Lufthansa + Graphic Design.“

Exhibition view featuring a blue wall with highlight posters from the A5 Collection, an airport directional sign, historical pictograms, and visitors in the background
View of an exhibition space featuring a large-format logo wall, glass display cases with exhibits, and historical posters—for example, from the Hannover Messe and IDZ

The exhibition was organized in cooperation with the Japanese DNP Foundation. Titled “Identity Systems Germany,” it was presented in Japan from fall 2024 to summer 2025 at the ddd Gallery in Kyoto and the ggg Gallery in Tokyo—alongside the “Back to Modern” exhibition, which also featured works from the A5 Collection. The two long-standing institutions are among the most renowned graphic design galleries in Asia. A total of approximately 80,000 people viewed the exhibitions in Japan. Several events with partners such as the Goethe-Institut and local universities complemented the presentations. Starting in fall 2026, the exhibition will be shown in Europe for the first time under the title “Vom Logo zur Identität” in the historic rooms of the former Ulm School of Design. Today, this institution is known as the HfG Archive and is part of the Ulm Museum.

Exterior view of the Ginza Graphic Gallery in Tokyo featuring banners for the “Identity Systems Germany” exhibition on German corporate design, including the Lufthansa crane and the Braun logo
Exhibition posters from the Kyoto ddd Gallery and the Ginza Graphic Gallery in Tokyo: “Identity Systems Germany – Rebranding West Germany after 1945” in blue and red, featuring the key visual
Schematic wall layout of the logo wall from the exhibition: A grid-like arrangement of 31 historic German corporate design logos on a white background

The exhibition showcases groundbreaking corporate design solutions by renowned designers such as Otl Aicher (1922–1991) and Anton Stankowski (1906–1998). The exhibits include rare posters and design manuals documenting the original concepts. Original documents, including concept drawings and print proofs, attest to the high quality of the craftsmanship involved in the design process. An introductory segment showcases examples of early German brand design from the 1910s and 1920s. Short texts explain the historical context and provide interesting facts about selected projects and figures. The ephemeral nature of the exhibition provides experts and interested laypeople alike with easy access, whether they wish to learn more about design or reminisce.

Close-up of early German brand design from the 1910s and 1920s, featuring the Bayer emblem and the Kaffee-HAG logo as examples of the first systematic corporate identities
Blue exhibition wall featuring a reprint of Braun's 1955 Corporate Design Manual
Close-up of a glass display case containing printed materials from the 1972 Olympics, as well as the original designs for the Olympic logo; also included is an original photo of Otl Aicher
Glasvitrine mit Ausstellungsdoku Glass displaay case with exhibition materials on the visual identities of Lufthansa, Braun, ZDF, and ERCO against a white wall menten zu Laufthansa-, Braun, ZDF- und ERCO-Erscheinungsbild an weißer Wand
Exhibition table featuring the SPD’s visual identity designed by Helmut Schmid, including campaign materials titled “Keep Building on the German Model” (1976) and an article in the Japanese design magazine IDEA
Glasvitrine mit historischen Designdokumenten zu Lunch Bier, Corporate Design der Stadt Berlin, Deutsche Bank, Viessmann; Designer Anton Stankowski
Exhibition wall featuring historic Lufthansa travel posters and posters from the HfG Ulm (Ulm School of Design) with a visitor
A child with a suitcase in front of the exhibition's large-scale logo wall featuring historic German corporate design brands such as ZDF, SPD, Lufthansa, AEG, and Tengelmann
View from the ggg Gallery in Tokyo through the window pane bearing the blue inscription “Identity Systems Germany – Rebranding West Germany after 1945” onto the street in the Ginza district
Display case featuring corporate design brand guides, including Wilkhanh seating, the 1972 Olympics, Clima Hotel, Manag, and more
Glass display case featuring corporate design manuals and visual identities, including Wilkhahn seating, the clima Hotel Innsbruck, the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, and the Ulm School of Design (HfG Ulm)
Glass display case containing green brochures and printed materials related to the Leverkusen city identity project of the 1970s; Designer: Rolf Müller
Exhibition space in Tokyo featuring illuminated display cases, dtv posters, and posters from the 1972 Munich Olympics
A glimpse into the exhibition at the Kyoto ddd Gallery, featuring window lettering in red that reads “Identity Systems Germany – Rebranding West Germany after 1945”
Entrance to the Kyoto ddd Gallery featuring a white ddd logo and Japanese lettering; behind it, the “Identity Systems Germany” exhibition with a red wall and a pictogram panel

Project Partner: DNP Foundation, Tokyo
Japanese typesetting: Nicole Schmid, hs design, Osaka
Services: Concept and Design, Research, Exhibition Design, Corporate Design
Year: 2024—2026
Photography: Nobutada Omote, Mitsumasa Fujitsuka

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