History of Graphic Design
Scholars of graphic design trace the history of this applied art all the way back to cave paintings from over sixteen thousand years ago. Since then, humans have used the
combination of images and text to communicate messages with a greater depth of meaning and feeling than they could achieve with either images or text alone.
The history of graphic design moves slowly through the Middle Ages, evidenced in rare, transcendent works like the Irish Book of Kells. The monks who created this illuminated version of the Holy Scripture blended illustration and calligraphy in an unprecedented way. The result is a functional work of art that still overwhelms readers today.
Our day-to-day experience with graphic design intensified after Gutenberg's invention of the movable type printing press. Local typographers designed typefaces that would distinguish their works from their colleagues. History rewards these early graphic designers whose typefaces, many still in use today, bear their names.
As printing technology improved and accelerated the distribution of books through the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, graphic designers amplified their effects on
academia and popular culture. In 1891, William Morris launched the Kelmscott Press, which published what many historians consider the most beautiful books ever printed.
Edward Johnston elevated graphic design to new levels, which just happened to be below sea level, when he inspired the visual identity for the London Underground in 1916.
With the advent of widely available computer software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Microsoft Word, even the lay person can experiment with graphic design by mixing photos, clip art and fonts to create dynamic publications of their own. Professional graphic designers now have to make extreme works to cut through the clutter of popular culture, but history continues to reward strong, intelligent, innovative graphic design.
Start your graphic design career today by requesting information from one of our highly respected graphic design schools! Find a school near you >>
Copyright © 2008 Graphic Design Schools All rights reserved.
|