1984 Los Angeles Olympic Branding Design

Deborah Sussman’s postmodern style design work for for the XXIII Olympic Games in Los Angeles, 1984 exemplifies the shift in design and the increasing influence of women in corporate identity. Sussman pushed the postmodern aesthetic as she uses her branding system  to embrace an eclectic style with non-traditional colors such as magenta, turquoise and yellow as well as breaking the frequent use of a grid on the occasion, found in the “Bienvenue” poster design. Those elements culminating with all the environmental graphics created a celebration of diversity within cultures. 

Her work for the LA Olympics in 1984 reflected postmodernism’s values. She was able to do this by integrating influences from Latin American art and 1980s New Wave culture. Here Sussman created a design language that was both celebratory and inclusive.

As a woman in a field still dominated by men, Sussman’s impact extended beyond the Olympics. She played a crucial role in redefining corporate and event branding. She was the beginning of a massive step towards proving that identity systems could be dynamic and immersive as much as functional. She founded the idea of “graphitecture” where she was able to blur the lines of graphic design and architecture. This was huge in terms of event brand identities. Her legacy continues on and helps demonstrate how women have not only participated in but also reshaped the language of corporate identity within the public event space.

Sources: 
https://www.theolympicdesign.com/olympic-games/the-look-of-the-games/los-angeles-1984/

https://www.logohistories.com/p/la-84

https://sussmanprejza.com/bio/deborah-sussman/