From the Series
Versatile, strong, durable and easy to clean are some of the characteristics of the one of the most ubiquitous materials of the past century: Formica Laminate.
Found on surfaces in millions of homes, offices, schools, hotels and restaurants, the famous laminate material recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.
To mark the occasion Abbott Miller and Michael Bierut, together with Daniel Weil, paid homage to the brand and the innovation, design and cultural impact it has had over the decades.
The campaign launched with the Anniversary Collection, a series of new Formica laminates designed by Miller, featuring patterns that explore the material’s seamless quality, history and its limitless potential.
Miller worked closely with the design team at Formica to create four patterns – Dotscreen, Halftone, Endless and Elipse – exploring ways in which the translucency of ink and, the interaction of pattern and colour work together. Each pattern is available in three different colours.
Formica Laminate was invented in Cincinnati in 1913, originally intended as a substitute for the mineral mica (“for mica”), used for electrical insulation. In the beginning the material was composed of fabric bound with resin; later it was made with sheets of kraft paper laminated with melamine.
Over the years it was found that the material can be printed with colours and patterns, and amplified with variations of stripes, dots and other graphic elements.
A commemorative book, Formica Forever, chronicling the company’s history was also designed by Miller. It is set to be published later this year.