In early March 2026, Sandra Bischler-Hartmann, Léonore Conte, and Clémence Imbert conducted a research stay in the graphic design collections of the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, a partner of the WYSIWYG project.

We were able to examine an outstanding collection of posters and flyers produced in the late 1980s and early 1990s, particularly by Cornel Windlin and Martin Woodtli. This body of work provides valuable insight into their generation’s sensitivity to a “digital” aesthetic. By contrast, original layouts by Jean Robert and Käti Dürrer bear witness to the still largely analog working methods of their studio in 1985, on the eve of the arrival of the Macintosh—a reality further illuminated by an interview conducted with Käti Dürrer a few days later.

The Museum für Gestaltung also holds works created by students from the Basel School who adopted the Macintosh at a very early stage: Brad Clemmons, Mara Jerman, Lisa Pomeroy, Lorraine Ferguson, and Rachel Mahler. These consist mainly of printed MacPaint drawings and layout drafts for the journal Typographische Monatsblätter. The collection is in excellent condition and makes it possible to follow the creative process of each project step by step.

In preparation: the presentation of these works to a wider audience in the form of a “Forum” installation within the permanent collection spaces in 2027. We would like to thank the curatorial team of the Museum für Gestaltung—Barbara Junod, Sara Zeller, and Meret Ernst—for their warm welcome and their support to the project.