Introduction of the term ‘Graphic Design’:
"In the matter of layout forget art at the start and use horse-sense. The printing-
designer’s whole duty is to make a clear presentation of the message - to get the
important statements forward and the minor parts placed so that they will not be
overlooked. This calls for an exercise of common sense and a faculty for analysis
rather than for art" 1922, William Addison Dwiggins (successful designer)
Cave Paintings are heritage of visual communication, there are no written words meaning the images tell the story.
By adding type to an existing image does it then become graphic design?
‘Although graphic design as we know it originated in the late nineteenth century as a tool of advertising, any association today with marketing, advertising, or capitalism deeply undermines the graphic designer’s self-image. Graphic design history is an integral part of advertising history, yet in most accounts of graphic design’s origins advertising is virtually denied, or hidden behind more benign words such as “publicity” and “promotion”. This omission not only limits the discourse, but also misrepresents the facts. It is time for graphic design historians, and designers generally, to remove the elitist prejudices that have perpetuated a biased history’
Steven Heller, Eye, No. 17, 1995, reprinted in Bierut, M., Drenttel, W., Heller, S. and Holland, D.K
(eds.), (1997), Looking Closer 2, New York, Allworth Press, pages 112 - 119
This image is an example of simplified modernist graphic design created by Peter Behrens, 1910. However, five years later Great Britain still seemed miles away from the rest of the worlds revolutionary simple graphic design. The poster below was created by Savile Lumley in 1915 and is still very illustrative and fine art aesthetically.
Below is another piece of graphic design this time from mainland Europe and 2 years later than the previous design. Around this time there was WW1 and a lot of graphic design i.e. posters took influence from heritage and promoted nationalism.
(F.H. Stingemore (UK), London Underground Map, 1931 - 2)
There is only 1 year difference between these 2 maps being created but the difference between the two seems like decades of graphic development. The one above is a more realistic, life like map whereas the map below is a more simple modernist graphic style using only vertical, horizontal and 45 degree diagonal lines as opposed to the realistic curved lines of F.H. Stingemore's map.
(Henry C. (Harry) Beck (UK), London Underground Map, 1933)
(Oskar Schlemmer (German), Bauhaus logo, 1922)
Above is the Bahaus logo, The Bauhaus is the first institution where Graphic Design was taught and considered a discipline, breaking up composition.
(Herbert Matter (Swiss), Swiss Tourist Board, c. 1932 - 34, posters)
(A.M. Cassandre (French), L’Intransigeant, 1925, newspaper poster)
(Josep Renau (Spanish), Stalingrad: The New Star of Freedom, 1942)
Saul Bass movie posters
‘There are other things more worth using our skill
and experience on. There are signs for streets
and buildings, books and periodicals, catalogues,
instructional manuals, industrial photography,
educational aids, films, television features,
scientific and industrial publications, and all the
other media through which we promote our trade,
our education, our culture and our greater
awareness of the world’
Ken Garland, First Things First Manifesto, 1964
(Paul Rand, logo for American
Broadcasting Company, 1962 and poster for IBM, 1970)
‘Once we’ve acknowledged that designers have certain inherent limitations as
message bearers, the question which must be asked
is: “Can graphic designers actually do
something to change the world?” ‘The answer is “yes”, if one disregards the fact that there are very limited outlets for
this kind of work, and accepts the fact that being
socially responsible means taking the
initiative oneself, dealing rationally with
issues, and having a commitment to a
specific cause’
Steven Heller, 1991
Final thoughts
• Graphic Design is a relatively young
discipline
• Links between Graphic Design and different
disciplines, e.g. Fine Art, Advertising are
arguably becoming increasingly blurred
• Although born out of consumerist/capitalist
interests, Graphic Design is arguably
becoming increasingly concerned with social
issues
