Why, What, How, Essential Product Information?, 1942, Sweet’s Catalog Service [Knud Lönberg-Holm, Ladislav Sutnar]

Why, What, How, Essential Product Information? (EPI), 1942. Knud Lönberg-Holm, Sweet’s Catalog Service, New York, USA. An oversized, 12 x 9 single sheet, folded once and printed two-colors on both sides: Sutnar orange (cadmium orange) and black. A superb constructivist design by Ladislav Sutnar (1897-1976). Printed “design: sutnar” on the lower right-hand corner interior. 

Rare. This wartime (World War II) series for product designers uses symbols and shapes to illustrate the theme “waste from lack of coordination” which emphasizes the need for an accessible, up to date product information system to help speed-up war production. An optimistic, commercial work of American modern graphic design illustrating Sutnar’s innovative methods to communicate information precisely and effectively to a specific audience. There were three versions of EPI, the same cover but each with different graphic symbols!

From 1941-60, Sutnar, who settled in NYC from Czechoslovakia, served as the art director for Sweet’s Catalog Service, publishers of a wide range of industrial catalogs. Sutnar and his prolific team of researchers, writers and designers transformed the complex language of product information into clear, concise and easy-to-use visual communication — industrial catalogs, advertising, marketing collateral, books, stationary, internal forms and more in an effort to promote speed, efficiency and guidance. Sutnar said, “The designer must think first, work later” and this is evident in this pioneering work.

A fine, uncirculated original sales booklet by Ladislav Sutnar. This rare work is included in the collection at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (Object No. 436.2009).