The Olympic Games are nearly upon us again, and in what has become an accompanying tradition, that means it’s time to lament the current installment’s graphic design. The look of this year’s games is, well, it’s terrible, but every recent Olympiad must contend with what is widely considered the high watermark of design for the franchise: Otl Aicher’s seminal work for the 1972 games in Munich.
For those too appalled by the 2012 graphical identity, starting at the end of this month you can drive ninety minutes outside of London to Canterbury, Kent, where the University for the Creative Arts is hosting an exhibition and symposium on the design legacy of Munich ’72 The project draws on the personal collection of Ian McLaren, who was a senior designer for that Olympiad, and the companion Web site Munich72.org previews much of the material. For completists, be sure to also check out the unaffiliated site Otl Aicher and the 1972 Munich Olympics.
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