How did Peter Behrens create a visual identity system for AEG?

In 1907, Emil Rathenau, the head of the AEG, appointed Peter Behrens as an artistic adviser to bring visual order and consistency to the company. This collaboration is widely considered the first cohesive "visual identity system" in corporate history.12

Behrens achieved this by applying a unified design philosophy across all aspects of the company’s output, ensuring that style was subordinated to purpose. His approach included:2

• Consistent Branding: He utilized a standardized hexagonal logo, specific roman typeface styles, and geometric grids.12
• Integrated Design: He applied these elements consistently across diverse media, including product catalogs, magazines, posters, office stationery, and other printed materials.12
• Architectural Unity: Behrens extended this visual language to the physical environment, designing retail shops and factories—most notably the AEG Turbine Factory—which served as corporate symbols of the company’s industrial power.13

By controlling trademarks, typefaces, and formats in a consistent manner, Behrens established the foundational principles for modern corporate identity programs.2