50. MATSUMOTO, INC.
Finding a solution to his children’s bedtime squabble resulted in a winning design strategy for Takaaki Matsumoto. Reading to his young twins from The Dot, Peter H. Reynold’s children’s story about artistic awakening and process beginning with a simple mark, Matsumoto realized he’d found a metaphor for the redesign of Art Center’s catalog: “I saw that I could use the dot as metaphor, bring it to the next level, use it many different ways.”

Deploying the dot strategically within Art Center’s identity system, Matsumoto sought to convey the essence and spirit of the school. “An educational institution is many things, so the mark needs to be fluid, simple,” notes Matsumoto. “The dot’s simplicity is its strength.” Matsumoto deftly orchestrates all elements of the catalog, creating a sculptural presence and rhythmic reader experience that convey Art Center’s philosophy and mission.

Student work, crisply photographed by school staffer Stephen A. Heller, is privileged by Matsumoto’s clean layouts and elegant typography. Matsumoto explains his approach thusly: “Too often designers try to mimic art, which changes or violates the art itself. I try not to violate student work, to treat them with respect, as cleanly as possible. If you do that, the piece will speak for itself.”
Dee Schmidgall