Lights, camera…¡design! The importance of graphic design in cinema
Cinema’s most important awards are back once again, ready to dazzle us with the best movies, actors, actresses, and directors, as well as a long list of professionals who work to bring captivating stories to the silver screen.
And, of course, that includes designers, too! Thanks to their impeccable work, movies are presented in a unique visual style, whether it’s through eye-catching posters, iconic titles, sleek logos, fonts, or unforgettable props that stick with us long after the credits roll.
So grab some popcorn and your favorite drink–today we’re discussing graphic design in cinema.
Beyond title sequences
When we think about graphic design and cinema, the first thing that usually pops into our mind is title sequences from movies such as Vertigo (designed by Saul Bass) or Catch Me if You Can (created by Olivier Kuntzel and Florence Deygas, heavily inspired by Bass’ designs). Or the iconic poster designs in which films like Pulp Fiction (designed by James Verdesoto) or Star Wars were presented back in their day.
But graphic design covers so much more when it comes to cinema. From font choices—we’re sure you still visualize The Lord of the Rings’s worn-out serif font— to logotype creation.
When design becomes part of the story
However, all the examples mentioned above have something in common: they’re just bystanders in the movie, hanging around without any real interaction with the story, like extras who never get a speaking role. But then, there are those rare gems where design steps up and becomes a character in its own right.
Let’s take, for instance, Monsters, Inc. The main logo, a big ‘M’ with an eye slapped on it—courtesy of Geefwee Boedoe—it’s not just some fancy decoration. It’s the face of the company where our heroes punch in their time cards. It’s plastered everywhere, from billboards to coffee mugs. And then there’s Jurassic Park, the not-so-family-friendly-after-all theme park with its own slick corporate identity built around its menacing T-rex skeleton.
And there’s there’s graphic props. This is where design really gets to shine, whether it’s adding subtle touches or playing a major role in the story. Annie Atkins has become one of the most important voices of graphic props. You might have seen her work in movies like Isle of Dogs or Bridge of Spies, but what really put her on the map? Those iconic pink Mendl’s boxes from The Grand Budapest Hotel.
And we can’t ignore the magic Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima brought to the Harry Potter saga over its decade-long run. These sorcerers of design were behind everything from maps to letters to candy wrappers, giving the world’s most famous wizard and his friends a visual identity that has become as recognizable as the lightning bolt on his forehead.
Cinema’s most memorable business card
But if there’s a scene that resonates deeply with the graphic designer inside you, that’s the business card scene from American Psycho. This scene, which accumulates more than 19M views on YouTube, consists of a 3-minute conversation comparing the businessess cards of Patrick Bateman and his coworkers.
For the average spectators, they all look the same—that’s the intention of the movie, highlighting how absurdly identical the characters actually are. But we know that, for a designer’s eye like yours, their differences stand out.
The cultural relevance of this scene is so important that business card design studio Hoban Cards had to come up with their own version of Paul Allen’s card—the main antagonist of the movie—due to its high demand.
Design in every scene
So, next time you hit the theater or watch a movie at home, keep an eye out for all the spots where a designer’s left their mark. From the posters covering set walls to the fonts in the credits, even the newspapers and signs within the movie itself, or app interfaces in certain scenes. There’s a whole world of design woven into every frame—you just gotta know where to look.
Who knows, maybe one day it’ll be your designs up there on the big screen.
