Lance Wyman on the power of graphic design to transcend language barriers

The legendary graphic designer spoke to us following the anniversary of his iconic work for the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games.

It has been 50 years since Lance Wyman designed the iconic identity for the Mexico Olympic Games. His brief was to create an identity that not only incorporated the five-ring logo that the Olympics are famous for, but it also has to be easy enough to be used in books and signs across languages like English, French and Spanish.

He spoke to Design Indaba during the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) in Paris. AGI is an annual convention for graphic designers. Advancing the craft of visual communication, thinking on new trends and building a community among creative people is at the heart of AGI’s mission.

He talks to us about the importance of graphic design as part of our non-verbal communication tools and as a way of creating an identity. He says that he believes in creating spaces that encourage and help the people around him, whether they are lost or exploring.