Art is a revolutionary tool in teaching and impacting society and especially the design industry. Lessons and ideas can be learned from artistic periods throughout history, specific movements and also influential figures. An important ideal which has been developed and improved over the past century is corporate identity. This was created by the industrial designer Peter Behrens. Corporate identity is displayed almost everywhere in society today and has become a core principle in business.
Peter Behrens is an important figure in the history of corporate identity because he is regarded as the first person to have designed and designated importance upon the elements of corporate identity. Working as a consultant for AEG, Behrens eventually designed their entire corporate identity. Corporate identity is the way in which a business, corporation or firm displays themselves to society and the impact in which this has towards branding and facilitating their business goals. The identity of a company can range from their logo design, to color palettes and typefaces. The goal for companies is to have a corporate identity which is recognizable to society and when the specific service or product they offer is thought of, their corporate identity is the first thing that comes to mind. An example of this is the sporting brand Nike, the swoosh is internationally recognized and is known for the quality and innovative nature of their athletic products. The widespread recognition is a key factor in selling goods and services and the overall success of a company.
The movement that Behrens started within the industrial design field has shaped modern businesses and the importance that they place on their identity. These companies are more aware of the minds of their consumers and the impact of which good branding can have on their financial success. If Behrens had not created the industrial design industry and made companies aware of the importance of their identity on their financial success, advertising and branding as we know it may be different and much less developed in the modern day.
In the current day, designers face challenges in regards to creating effective and simple designs which can capture the attention of consumers and create a connection between the brand and the specific product or service which they are providing. Along with the idea of corporate identity, Plakatstil or poster style was an example of simple images with a solid background and one word to get the point through to the consumers or viewers to draw upon feelings or some sort of connection. This ultimately leads to brands becoming household names, for example, a tissue can be interchanged with a Kleenex and chips can be interchanged with Doritos.
In closing, Peter Behrens influence on corporate identity and industrial design has shaped modern advertising and branding. Companies are aware of the importance of their designs in drawing in consumers so extra finances are allocated to those areas. This is a result of learning from the past and the progression of the ideal which Behrens originally created. Overall, this example shows how crucial it is for us to focus on the history of art and design because of the valuable lessons embedded in each event, movement, period or individual.