Thinking Archigraphia by Walter Herdeg

Title: Archigraphia
Hardcover: 236 pages
Distributer: Hastings House Book Publishers
(June 1982) USA
Language: English
Size: 241 x 238 mm / 9.5 x 9.4 inch

Don’t judge a book by its cover. Yes, This is the example. I was reading book in library and I saw archigraphia was laid on the desk. I didn’t feel like to open the book. I thought it would be an illustrator book. Because I am quite a curious person, I opened the book. I was surprise with all the information and images that this book offers. I have never imagined the graphic contents of the book from this cover; the communication has failed.

The book is designed and edited by Walter Herdeg. The book started with examples of different pictogram from Tokyo Olympic, Expo 67 Montreal, Mexico 1968 Olympic, New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation to Knoxville Zoo. The second section features the traffic and highway signage. The third section features visual guidance systems including Vignelli’s standards manual for the New York Transit Authority. The fourth section features supergraphics and animated walls. The last section is transportation and vehicle graphics.

The book is combined 3 different grid systems; 3,4,5 columns but the introduction’s inner margin is different. There are two different width of the gutters that I couldn’t find the reason behind it; however the contents of the book are excellent. Salute to Walter Herdeg by compiling all the work.