Page 22 - Graphic Design and Print Production Fundamentals

10 Chapter 1. Design History
Morris & Co.

In 1860, Morris established an interior design firm with friends based on the knowledge and experiences
he had in crafting and building his home. He began transforming not only the look of home interiors but
also the design studio. He brought together craftsmen of all kinds under the umbrella of his studio and
began to implement Ruskin’s philosophy of combining art and craft. In Morris’s case, this was focused
on making beautiful objects for the home. The craftsmen were encouraged to study principles of art
and design, not just production, so they could reintegrate design principles into the production of their
products. The objects they created were made and designed with an integrity a craftsman could feel
proud of and find joy in creating, while the eventual owner would consider these products on par with
works of art (an existing example is the Morris chair). The look of the work coming out of the Morris
studio was based specifically on an English medieval aesthetic that the British public could connect to.
The English look and its integrity of production made Morris’s work very successful and sought after.
His organizational innovations and principled approach gained attention with craftsmen and artisans,
and became a model for a number of craft guilds and art societies, which eventually changed the British
design landscape.

William Morris and the Kelmscott Press

Morris’s interest in writing never waned and made him acutely aware of how the book publishing
industry had been negatively affected by industrialization. One of his many pursuits included the
revitalization of the book form and its design components through the establishment of the Kelmscott
Press. The press was created in 1888 after Morris, inspired by a lecture about medieval manuscripts and
incunabula publications, began the design of his first font, Golden, which was based on the Venetian
roman face created originally by Nicolas Jenson.

In his reinterpretation of this earlier font, Morris strove to optimize readability while retaining aesthetic
integrity — in the process reviving interest in font design of earlier periods. Morris used this font in
his first book, The Story of Glittering Plain, which he illustrated, printed, and bound at his press. The
design approach of this publication and all others Kelmscott produced in its eight years was based on
recreating the integrated approach and beauty of the incunabula books and manuscripts of the medieval
period. All aspects of the publication were considered and carefully determined to create a cohesive
whole. The press itself used hand-operated machinery, the paper was handmade, and the illustrations,
fonts, and page design were all created and unified by the same person to make the book a cohesive,
beautiful object of design. Morris did not wholly reject mechanization, however, as he recognized the
advantages of mechanical process. He considered, redesigned, and improved all aspects of design and
production to increase physical and aesthetic quality.

Kelmscott Press produced over 18,000 volumes in the eight years of its existence and inspired a revival
of book design on two continents. In addition, Morris inspired a reinterpretation of design and design
practice with his steadfast commitment to Ruskin’s principles. Future generations of designers held
to Morris’s goals of material integrity — striving for beautiful utilitarian object design and carefully
considered functionality.