The story behind the book The IBM Poster Program: Visual Memoranda is fun because it is really about us sharing a gift. It began in 2016, when retired IBM industrial designer John Stram, of Kansas City, Missouri gave Auburn University a collection of industrial and graphic design work from the IBM Design Center at Boulder where he had worked 40 years earlier. Part of this gift included a stack of over 90 posters strikingly designed and produced within the Design Center for the sole purpose of informing and educating IBM’s employees.
Icons of twentieth century furniture occupy a prominent position in the contemporary interior and design landscape. Although often conceived decades ago, many have remained in production, while others are brought back into the marketplace on a regular basis. Several of these iconic works have also been the subject of re-interpretation by designers, artists and other creatives. These re-imaginings constitute a notable aspect of design practice in the new millennium, just as appropriation and remix are integral themes in contemporary art.