This is a BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma report by Matthieu Elwyn Pearson, submitted on 22 June 2026. It investigates the graphic design movements Minimalism and Bauhaus through the work of Walter Gropius and Saul Bass, and explores how their principles can inform a cookie-focused logo and branding project.
This is a BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Graphic Design report by student Matthieu Elwyn Pearson, submitted on 22 June 2026. The report is titled 'Contextual Investigation OTHELLO' and is intended for assessment within a graphic design course. It examines how historical art movements and designers can inform a practical branding project, specifically a cookie-focused logo and identity.
The report begins with an introduction explaining the relevance of Minimalism and Bauhaus to the student's own design work. It states that Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus school, and Saul Bass, known for logos and film title sequences, were chosen because their approaches to simplicity, typography, space and shape can help create a cookie brand logo. The introduction also mentions contemporary designer Jessica Walsh as someone influenced by these figures.
The historical context section covers Walter Gropius's background, his education in Berlin and Munich, and his founding of the Bauhaus school in Weimar in 1919. It describes his belief in simple, practical design for everyday life and lists key works: the Bauhaus Building in Dessau, the Fagus Factory, and the Bauhaus Masters' Houses. The section notes the industrial, social and cultural changes in Germany during his formative years.
A separate section covers Saul Bass's biography, his education in New York, and his move to Los Angeles to open a design studio in 1952. It describes his innovative film title sequences for 'The Man with the Golden Arm' (1955) and 'Vertigo' (1958), as well as his corporate logos for AT&T, Continental Airlines and United Airlines. The cultural and technological context of the 1920s-1940s in the United States is also discussed.
The report includes a historical comparison between Gropius and Bass, noting both shared beliefs in clear communication without decoration and differences in expressive versus structural approaches. A historical and contemporary comparison contrasts Bass's minimalist style with the experimental, typographic and photographic work of Jessica Walsh. The specialist area section discusses how Gropius's functional design and Bass's visual identity through simplicity and symbolism can be applied to…