Designers and students have paid tribute to Pierre Keller, the graphic artist and former director of Swiss design school Ecal, who died of liver cancer on 7 July.
Keller directed the École Cantonale d'Art de Lausanne (Ecal) from 1995 to 2011, transforming it into one of the world's most influential design schools.
Industrial designer Luke Pearson described Keller as an "extraordinary force of nature".
"He was a great influence to so many young students and professionals and in many ways Pierre shook up design education globally producing ripples that traveled far and wide," Pearson wrote in a comment on Instagram.
Prize-winning graphic designer and former student
Born in Gilly in the Vaud region of Switzerland in 1945, Keller studied graphic design at Ecal, graduating in 1965. He became a renowned graphic designer himself, representing his country at numerous international biennials and winning several prizes. He joined Ecal in 1995, transforming the school into one of the most highly regarded of its type in the world.
Under Keller's direction, the school became renowned for its graphics, photography and industrial design departments. One of his innovations was to bring in international brands to set real-world briefs for students while generating income for the school, a practice that has since been adopted by other leading schools.
Instrumental in securing the new building
Keller was also instrumental in securing architect Bernard Tschumi to design th...