After a difficult and secluded period of his childhood in his ‘father’s’ kitchen (his parents owned a restaurant in Augst near Basel), he studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Basel (1932–35). He received his practical education with Hermann Eidenbenz. In 1936 Herbert went to Paris to study at the École Paul Colin. In 1938, he started his own studio and designed record sleeves and advertising, but mainly posters. With his lyrical and childlike sense of humour and his lightness of touch he became one of the most distinguished Swiss poster designers. He received many awards, among them those from the ADC Chicago (1960), Warsaw Poster Biennale (1968) and in 1974 the Ernst Litfass Medal in Kassel. Many exhibitions were held all over the world, including Chicago, Offenbach, Hamburg and his last one, at the Ginza Graphic Gallery (GGG) in Tokyo in 1998, one year before his death. In his later years he illustrated children’s books, very successfully. From 1970 on he was also a painter.