Episode 17: Denver, Los Angeles and Stories of Designing for the Olympic Games
Bum-bum-ba-bum-bummm…Nothing brings the world together every couple of years like the Olympic Games. With such a large stage and a chance to influence audiences around the globe, designers jump at the chance to create something great. In this episode we discuss what did (or didn’t) happen in Denver in 1976 and the Technicolor vibrancy of Los Angeles in 1984.
E X T R A S :
1976 Denver Winter Olympics materials (top to bottom): Massimo Vignelli poster and sticker, Gene Hoffman poster, the Denver Olympic Committee thinking they have it all figured out
1976 Denver Winter Olympics
The Logo Smith article and reproductions
“Reluctant Host: Denver and the 1976 Winter Olympic Games” (Denver Public Library article)
Innsbruck 1976 Winter Olympics (IOC website)
1976 Winter Olympics background (Wikipedia article)
Massimo Vignelli biography (Wikipedia article)
1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics materials (top to bottom): Robert Miles Runyan logo, Deborah Sussman design system
1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics
Sussman Prezja project overview
Los Angeles Olympics background (Wikipedia article)
“The Woman Who Made the 1984 Olympics a Masterpiece of Design” (Fast Company article)
Deborah Sussman biography (Sussman/Prezja website)
Robert Miles Runyan obituary (New York Times article)
1984 Olympics Overview (YouTube video)
“Deborah Sussman Loves Los Angeles!” (Kickstarter project)
Further Reading:
“Why Are Olympic Logos So Hard to Design?” (Medium article by James I. Bowie)
“How the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was designed” (Design Week article)
“Hosting the Olympics Is Costly. For China, It’s Worth Every Billion.” (NY Times article)
“Who Made the Olympic Rings?” (NY Times article)