The E+U Hiestand studio made Swiss design history from its foundation in 1960. At the outset the studio’s style was characterized by absolute formal reduction and terseness, especially in the domain of packaging. Since 1980 E+H Hiestand have run their own studios. Ernst Hiestand extended the development of the ‘philosophy of simplicity’ in design and art, working in the fields of typography, colour and factual photography in corporate design for international enterprises, both as a designer and as a design consultant. His engagement with the education of young designers has taken him around the globe. As head of the department of visual communication at the Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich, Ernst brought conceptual thinking, creative inspiration and coherent design to numerous young students.