Tamia Jewell Carroll
August 10, 2018
Intro to Graphic Design
Graphic design has been used from what seems like the beginning of time. Everything
from product advertisement, war recruitment, and new art advancements were involved with it. It
was perfect to relay all different types of messages. Throughout the years, the popularity and
preference of certain styles and designs shifted very frequently based off of mindsets and values
the people had in certain locations. Sometimes there were entire different types of graphic design
that would be dedicated to one culture or community. There were times when design was wordy,
structured, and informational. On the contrary, design eventually became more illustrated with
less words and more excitement and movement. Some examples of this would be Japanese
watercolor paintings of things that one would see in everyday life and depictions of happy
families after the war. Also, the tools used to do things like create words on paper in mass
quantities were developed and perfected over time to make them easier and more efficient to
operate. Overall, graphic design is a form of expression for things like messages, ads, art, etc. in
any and every genre, race, field, culture, ethnicity, or occupation that is usually used more for
communicating ideas than visual appeal.
William Dwiggins created the word graphic design in 1922. Around that time
professionals would draw by hand to produce the image that they wanted advertised or
displayed. Due to this fact, design wasn’t seen as nationally or globally as it soon would. This is
when the technique was at its purest form. Toward the 1940s, designs were divided into two
parts: World War 2 designs and advertisement that was very direct and was based heavily on
slogans. Patriotism was swimming in the streets of America directly after the war so design was
steered in the more optimistic direction. Plus, the stock market and economy were thriving so
there was more demand for things like packaging designs, messages, and ads. The 50s was a
very unusual and interesting time for design. Advertisement became way more specialized. More
specifically the first issue of Playboy magazine was publicated. Apart from sexual things, the
image of happy people sold many of the products like socks, cigarettes, bedding, etc. Cultural
and activism were alive and well in the 60s and so were smarter ideas and broader thoughts in
ads. Even music advertisement used brighter colors and interesting shapes and patterns. But the
70s was when music ads really started to boom. With the new addition of technology, we began
to see color photography, television ads, and personal computers. 80s graphic design was much
more shapely if you will. Mainly because geometric shapes and vibrant, complimentary colors
were preferred. Also, this was a turning point for how women were represented in the media.
The representation of fashion was big in the 90s but it was hard to focus on one theme because
everything was so diverse. The style was very crazy and in your face.
Graphic design is the art of coordinating and displaying ideas with visual and textual
outlets and mediums. It usually is in physical or electronic form and includes pictures, visuals,
text, etc. There is no limit to which the scale of the designs can be. It can be intended for a small
group of people or distributed off in mass quantities. Also it can be used for anything even if it’s
advertising, knowledge, culture, or politics. Overall, graphic design is away to express an event,
thing, or brand in a creative and presentable way.
Graphic design actually could date back to prehistoric times when people drew in the
walls of caves. Many think they did it because it aided them in hunting. Other examples are
ancient Egyptian pyramids and artistic illustrations and Chinese calligraphy. During the 19th
century, designers started to develop many new styles and events like avant-garde. Posters were
graphically designed with typography and pictures which displayed messages that altered
society. Typography is the use of typefaces put together cohesively to relay a message. The
better the typography is the bigger the impact the consumer will have once they view it. As
previously stated, the war in the 40s really allowed the army to recruit many more soldiers into
it. For example, activism posters in the 60s had a textual depth because to get people to join a
movement or cause took more than just seeing a detailed picture. Typography was also used to
publish books in larger amounts. Previously, monks and scribes would hand write books
individually, but with this method they could piece together different letters to make sentences or
paragraphs and stamp them onto the paper all at once. Later on in history, things like typewriters
were invented which were slightly advanced versions of what was traditionally used. One of the
downsides to graphic design is that it is in most cases unsigned work and people usually only
ever have something to say about it if there is something wrong with it. Throughout history,
graphic design has changed so much because culture shifted frequently. Things that were popular
during a certain time period was definitely portrayed in the media and advertisement campaigns.
As humans it is natural to criticize things, but we also build up and mirror the world around us.
This would explain why graphic design was always changing, but still held some of the same
characteristics of the previous version.