Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel

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Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel

Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel (* 1943 in Bad Hindelang / Allgäu) is a German designer.

Life

As a teenager, Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel was introduced to complex issues of design in modern society by his uncle, Hans Schmitt-Rost , who worked together with Hans Schwippert and Egon Eiermann as editor of the journal of the German Werkbund "werk + zeit" ( including architecture, design, photography) brought into contact.

After graduating from high school in the USA (1962) and in Duisburg (1964), he completed an internship in the Cologne studio of the photographer Gunther Sander, August Sander's son . Schmitt-Siegel came to the HfG through the recommendation of Hans G. Conrad , at that time the worldwide advertising manager of Lufthansa based in Cologne and client of Otl Aicher , Rector of the Ulm School of Design . He started studying visual communication there in October 1965 with a focus on photography / typography. After the 1967 summer vacation, he took a leave of absence. Because the HfG stopped teaching in 1968, Schmitt-Siegel could not finish his studies there. Instead, he devoted himself to studying psychology , sociology , pedagogy and information theory at the Universities of Cologne and Bonn. He completed his design studies at the Offenbach University of Design as a qualified designer.

activity

From 1975 Schmitt-Siegel worked as a freelance communication designer and management consultant in Düsseldorf for public clients, commercial enterprises, organizations and associations. Among other things, he photographed for Lufthansa and developed corporate design for the Sparkasse Bad Oeynhausen , the artist Niki de Saint Phalle , Sony , the Kunstverein Bonn and Blaupunkt .

After teaching positions in visual communication at the Düsseldorf Art Academy (1977), visual design at the University of Wuppertal (1980) and typography / layout at the FH Aachen (1981/82), he was appointed professor for methodological and conceptual design at the FH Bielefeld in 1985 . He taught there until his retirement in 2009. At the same time, Schmitt-Siegel has taken on numerous teaching positions abroad (visiting professor at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design , Halifax, Canada, 1985; DAAD scholarship for a visiting professorship at the École nationale supérieure de création industrial, Les Ateliers, Paris, 1990; visiting professor at the Art Center College of Design (Europe), La Tour-de-Peilz , Switzerland, 1991; visiting seminars at the Art Academy Krakow, Poland, 1993/94, 1997/98 and 2006; visiting seminars at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, Chislehurst / London, England, 1995; guest seminars at the Rhode Island School of Design , Providence RI, USA, 1998/99). In 1993/94 he was responsible for the concept for a European School of Design in Potsdam on behalf of the Minister for Science, Research and Culture in the State of Brandenburg.

In 1997 Schmitt-Siegel was appointed to the group of founders of the German Design Council (Frankfurt / Main) and in the same year was elected a full member of the Type Directors Club New York. In addition to his professional activity, Schmitt-Siegel has been involved in voluntary work for many years . From 1977 to 1980 he was in charge of setting up a communication center ("Sociocultural Center ZAKK eV") in Düsseldorf. From 1975 to 1983 he was a member of the board of directors of the Deutscher Werkbund North Rhine-Westphalia, from 1978 to 1983 member of the Werkbundrat (Darmstadt), from 1981 to 1983 co-founder of the German Cultural Council (Bonn) and deputy chairman of the cultural work / socioculture section, from 1989 to 1992 member of the board of the International Design Center Berlin (IDZ) as well as 1997 founding member of the professional association communication management in the Federal Association of German Management Consultants (BDU) and until 2000 its deputy chairman.

meaning

Schmitt-Siegel is one of those designers who advocate a comprehensive understanding of communication and design. According to this, design is not just the superficial nature (shape, color, proportion, etc.) of artifacts, but the result of a multi-layered process that is holistic . From this point of view, communication is not divisible: corporate communication is not limited to mass media (e.g. advertising, PR ), but also includes products, services, architecture and employee behavior. More important than a spontaneous idea is the methodical development of all-round concepts on the basis of systematic analysis: "The designer translates verbal concepts or declarations of intent."

The focus of his work was initially on the work that resulted from the implementation of the then new concepts of communication and design, in particular the concept of an overarching visual appearance for companies and public institutions of all kinds, which Schmitt-Siegel, however, in the continuation of the convictions of the HfG Ulm is not viewed as a fashionable, sales-promoting coating, but as a deep expression of fundamental and long-term motivated goals, values ​​and convictions: "Corporate design is the optical concentrate of a formulated self-image."

This results in the claim that the designer's field of activity inevitably extends far beyond the typical core work areas. Schmitt-Siegel therefore took on assignments as a management consultant with the subject of identity strategy as a management concept. He was probably the first designer in Germany to deal with corporate design as a management tool for change management. The questions that must be answered by the client in order to develop an adequate design solution are: Who are you, what do you want, where do you want to go and how do you want to be seen? Against this background, Schmitt-Siegel can be described as the founder of psycho-semiotics.

Publications

  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: Less is more, but more is more sensual than little. In: form 97/1982, 11–15.
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: The Netherlands - almost a designer paradise… In: form Zeitschrift für Gestaltung, Vol. 108–109 / 1984, 52 f.
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: Communication Centers. The urgent need for socio-cultural infrastructure. In: Culture in everyday life. New forms of local cultural policy. Edited by Harald Naegeli, Roland Günter, Klaus Staeck a. a. Hamburg: VSA-Verlag 1985, 113-118.
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: Corporate Design. A communications designer's motto. In: Marketing-Journal, Vol. 6/1987, 602-606.
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: A clear line from the start. What do "corporate design" and "corporate identity" mean. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung, Vol. 92/21. April 1988, XIV.
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: Design as a market factor? How important is »Die gute Form« to German companies? In: Süddeutsche Zeitung, Vol. 216/19. September 1988, 28.
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: Observations of a Communication Designer. In: Business Strategy International, Vol. 1/1989, 96–98.
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: Corporate Identity: "Only appearances are not deceptive." In: Wörkshop, Vol. 2/1990, 44–48.
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: Only identification creates motivation. In: corporate culture. One way to market success. Edited by Richard Bachinger. Frankfurt / Main: FAZ Verlag 1990, 60–71. ISBN 3924875499 .
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: Appearances with esprit. In: Page 1/1991, 24-32.
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: From pioneer to mediocre. The federal German design training is in crisis - goal: Reforming the reforms. In: Deutsche Universitätszeitung, February 18, 1991
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: From pioneer to mediocre. The federal German design training is in crisis - goal: Reforming the reforms. In: Deutsche Universitäts-Zeitung, Vol. 4/1991, 14-16.
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: Design as a market factor. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung, September 18, 1991
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: The apparent only is nondeceptive. In: Siegmund, W. Christian: Design Agencies Europe, Vol. 1. Moisburg: Siegmund Verlag 1992, 16–35. ISBN 3923251548 .
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: "Only appearances are not deceptive." In: ECON-Handbuch corporate policies. How your company is successful. Düsseldorf: Econ Executive Verlag 1992, 124-144. ISBN 3430119065 .
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: A pulp of boredom. In: advertise & sell, Vol. 14/1993, 26.
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: Nederlands graphically ontwerp - or why are you so good? In: Made in Holland. Design from the Netherlands. Edited by Gabriele Lueg. Tübingen / Berlin: Ernst Wasmuth Verlag 1994, 34–36. ISBN 3803030617 .
  • Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: Corporate Identity. In: Corporate Design 2007, Bonn: Varus-Verlag 2008.

literature

  • von Kornatzki, Peter: Design planning plus the will to create. In: novum Nutzgraphik, Vol. 7/1976, 4–11.
  • von Kornatzki, Peter: Communication and Orientation System for the University of Wuppertal. In: novum Nutzgraphik, Vol. 7/1977, 4–14.
  • von Kornatzki, Peter: Institute for Communication. In: IDEA International Advertising Art, Vol. 141/1977, 44-51.
  • Igarashi, Takenobu (ed.): IDEA Special Issue: European Trademarks & Logotypes. Tokyo: Seibundo-Shinkosha Publishing 1979, 87 + 153.
  • Wuppertal, orientarsi nell'università. In: domus, Vol. 590/1979, 24-27.
  • La città informa. Ed. Comune di Padova. Padua: Eurograf Verlag 1983, 36 f.
  • Institute for Communication. In: IDEA International Advertising Art, Vol. 1/1985, 44–51.
  • Ota, Yukio: Administrative Management Pictograms. In: ders .: Pictogram Design. Tokyo: Kashiwa Shobo Publishers 1987, 383. ISBN 4760103007 .
  • Spiekermann, Erik: Two software companies (GER). In: novum Nutzgraphik, Vol. 7/1989, 8–15.
  • Leu, Olaf: Corporate Design, Corporate Identity. Design as a program. Munich: Bruckmann Verlag 1994, 281–285.

Exhibitions and awards (selection)

  • Exhibition Design and Visions , Art Center College of Design (Europe), La Tour-de-Peilz (Switzerland), 1991
  • Exhibition Design as Therapy, City Museum Düsseldorf , 1996–97

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ [Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: "Only appearances are not deceptive." In: ECON-Handbuch corporate policies. How your company is successful. Düsseldorf: Econ Executive Verlag 1992, 124-144. ISBN 3430119065. ]
  2. ^ [Helmut M. Schmitt-Siegel: "Only appearances are not deceptive." In: ECON-Handbuch corporate policies. How your company is successful. Düsseldorf: Econ Executive Verlag 1992, 124-144. ISBN 3430119065. ]
  3. ^ [Olaf Leu: Corporate Design, Corporate Identity. Design as a program. Munich: Bruckmann Verlag 1994, 281–285.]
personal data
SURNAME Schmitt-Siegel, Helmut M.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German designer
DATE OF BIRTH 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH Bad Hindelang , Allgäu