Watching Words Move

Words have the power to move. In 1962 a modest design studio created its own riff on that statement in the form of a small booklet of typographic brilliance, and changed forever how designers thought about the graphic potential of words. Decades later, the impact of watching words move is still felt. Never before had the idea been so lucidly and playfully expressed that type itself could speak, that word-forms carried their own implied visual meanings; that the placement of letters on the page could suggest motion, narrative, emotion just about anything. Now widely available for the first time, this reproduction of the original includes thoughts by influential designers George Lois, April Greiman, Kit Hinrichs, Michael Carabetta, and Steven Heller on the lasting impact of this lively type primer, and presents its still-fresh innovation to new generations of designers.

Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar have been partners in their design firm for more than 45 years. They have designed many famous trademarks, such as those of Mobil, PBS, and Xerox, as well as several major museum exhibits. A large exhibition of their work recently has been shown in New York, Washington DC, Tokyo, and Mexico City.

Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar have been partners in their design firm for more than 45 years. They have designed many famous trademarks, such as those of Mobil, PBS, and Xerox, as well as several major museum exhibits. A large exhibition of their work r