Where the 1960s "psychedelic" look came from || Short Film

When you picture hippies, you probably picture bell bottoms, long hair, and LSD.

You might also think of a very specific graphic design and illustration style, seen on concert posters and album covers: curly, cloudy, barely legible lettering, trippy color combinations, and decorative meandering borders.

This style was first conceived in San Francisco by a handful of designers in the late 1960s.

Their job? Make posters for bands like The Byrds, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Steve Miller Band, Jimi Hendrix … all of whom were just getting their start, competing for nightly stage time at venues like the Fillmore and the Avalon.

But these designers didn’t invent that now-iconic style.

In fact, they were heavily influenced by an art movement that started in the late 1800s called Art Nouveau.