Crawford Dunn

Crawford Boddie Dunn (October 26, 1918 – September 17, 1980) was a designer specializing in graphics and corporate communication. Dunn is known for his modern design aesthetic and holistic approach to graphic identity and communication, which he applied to a variety of clients in the Southwest. In a 1975 newspaper article, Dunn said of the range of his work, "This spectrum comprises the design of print graphics, architectural graphics, as well as corporate identity." A company brochure identifies another aspect of his work, "environmental signing design."

Early life and work history

Dunn was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana, and attended Haverford College and the University of Alabama before graduating with a bachelor's degree in industrial design from the Art Institute of Chicago. Dunn arrived in Dallas in 1951 where he first worked at the Vought Corporation. Ten years later he opened his own design firm, Crawford Dunn, Inc. A newspaper article from 1963 identifies his firm as Ikonogenics, Inc., and a later article announced his affiliation with the RYA Group to form RYA Crawford Dunn Incorporated. Upon his death in 1980 his firm was known as R.Y.A. Graphics.

Communication philosophy

Dunn's central philosophy of visual communication is expressed in his 1971 article "Alphasignal, Parasignal, Infrasignal: Notes Toward a Theory of Communication."

Another prominent commission that Dunn completed was the logo for the City of Dallas, which was described as "simple, uncluttered, and modern." The same logo began to appear on police cars in 1973, in an effort to facilitate better communication between citizens and the police. Dunn said, "We feel that the police car should reflect the attributes of a good policeman, approachable instead of threatening, authoritative instead of imperious."

Dunn also worked with a number of museums on publication design projects, including the first comprehensive catalog of art held by the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art.