Like all art movements, Graphic Design has a very deep rooted history in the art scene. Novels have been written on the origins, so obviously we can not cover everything here in one blog post. Even so, we can outline some major events and artists who made Graphic Design what it is today.
It is important for all artists to know the history of their craft. The more knowledge you can have on what you create will give you an edge on competitors, give you more professionalism, as well as culture you in what you do: art. It is also important to be inspired by these artists, and see what they created to make sure you are not overlapping a trend, but also so you can incorporate basic design elements into your own designs.
Graphic Design focuses on visual communication and presentation. Images, type, and symbols have all been used to convey messages. It is the process of communicating and the end result is a product generated. It is used in our everyday walk of life if we know it or not: from movies, to magazines, to fashion or even the Internet. Now most of the people reading this will know this information, but I want to make sure we are on the same page. Now, as for the origins, that information may not be as well known.
Graphic Design can be traced back 16,000 years ago to cave paintings in Lascaux, France…. but we don’t need to start there. What we are interested in is modern design, or design that started in the late 19th century and really sprung in the 20th.
- 1760
Industrial Revolution begins, setting the stage for advances in graphic design production. No design really took place here, but the thinking that lead to Lithography in 1796 and the first machine printing press in the 1800s is what is important about this time. - 1800
Lord Stanhope invents first printing press made of all cast-iron parts. Many had attempted before him, but this one required a tenth of the manual labor and doubled the possible paper size. - 1816
First sans-serif font makes a subtle entrance as one line of a book. - 1861
Williams Morris, who became a highly influential figure in design history, sets up art-decorating firm. He was a textile worker who is often considered the grandfather of design because of his color harmonies and display elements. Here are two samples of his work:
- 1880
Development of halftone screen allows for first photo printed with a full range of tones. - 1890
Art Nouveau movement begins and changes design, making its way into all types of commercial design and utilizing all types of arts. This movement was so large and revolutionary, I can not cover the importance of it in a “Crash Course.” Some of the most influential designers and important faces in design came from this time. Such as: Aubrey Beardsley, Jules Cheret, Gustav Klimt, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Eliseu Visconti. Here is an image of my personal favorite artist at this time, Lautrec depicting the Moulin Rogue:
- 1917
Another art movement called De Stijl, Dutch for “The Style” was on the rise. This incorporated more than just poster work. It included furniture and architecture. It only really took place in the Netherlands, but the premise of it was harmony and style of design. It was a simplification of color, using primaries, black, and white. Also taking away form and using verticals and horizontals for balance. Piet Mondrian is the most famous of this movement, and he is considered one of the founders of modern day design elements. Here is a famous work of his:
- 1919
The Bauhaus, a German school, is founded, eventually providing the framework for modern design. – This is another one I could really elaborate on. Famous artists include: Anni, Joseph Albers, Wassily Kandinski, Paul Klee, Otto Lindig - 1932
Stanley Morison oversees design of Times New Roman font, commissioned by the Times of London. - 1940
First issue of Print Magazine printed. - 1957
Max Miedinger designs Neue Haas Grotesk font, later renamed Helvetica. - 1959
First issue of Communication Arts printed. - 1969
Douglas Engelbart develops first computer mouse, setting the stage for the future tool of graphic design. - 1984
Apple releases first Macintosh computer, featuring bitmap graphics. - 1985
Aldus, formed by Paul Brainerd, develops PageMaker software. Brainerd coins the phrase “desktop publishing.” In the same year, New York firm Manhattan Design creates the MTV logo. - 1990
Photoshop version one released, and physicist Tim Berners-Lee develops the world wideweb, along with HTML and the concept of website addresses.
Well that is about it. A complete srach course in design. If you would like to know more about a certain date, please make a comment and I will consider posting more information at a later time. Thank you for taking the time to read.
My source(s):
http://www.about.com
College professors who would be surprised I remembered all of that.
