Raymond Hawkey

Sadly Raymond Hawkey an extremely influential and innovative graphic designer died recently aged 80. He was design director at the Daily Express in the late 1950s and early 60s, and later at the Observer until the mid-70s. He changed the look of newspapers with his introduction of banner headlines, using a simple photographic line style and sans serif fonts. 

It is fair to say that he also changed the course of the visual culture in Britain.

In 1962  Hawkey was asked by the writer Len Deighton, to design the cover for The Ipcress File. The book's publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, were appalled when they saw Hawkey's Ipcress design – a photograph of a revolver, bullets, a cracked teacup and a stubbed-out cigarette. They refused to pay him more than 15 of his 50-guinea fee for his "disgusting" illustration. The cover would later be regarded as one of the key moments in design history.

The book became a huge success, and Hawkey went on to create some of Deighton's most memorable covers, including Horse Under Water, Funeral in Berlin and Close-Up. He later designed covers for Kingsley Amis, Frederick Forsyth and others.

His cover for the 1963 Pan paperback edition of Ian Fleming's Thunderball – with bullet holes cut into the Brian Duffy photograph of a girl's back – anticipated a phenomenon in which movies became a key element in the marketing and success of the Bond books. Not only did Hawkey decide that "James Bond" should be emblazoned across the top of every cover but also made the type twice the size of the title and Fleming's name. It remained that way for almost four decades.

Because Hawkey was naturally shy, he was often considered difficult. "Ray had a way of diverting questions about himself, often turning the conversation back on to you," says Edward Milward-Oliver, a friend. "In fact, he was the best company amid small groups of friends."He was wonderfully generous, especially with his time, to young people who sought his advice, whether it was on design or writing.

A fastidious and private man, he had a dread of dying in hospital; and after a long illness he died in his own bed – with his beloved wife, Mary, reading his favourite poem to him.

• Raymond John Hawkey, graphic designer, born 2 February 1930; died 22 August 2010