1. A History of Graphic Design

2. Text
Design does not operate in a void.

3. Text
It is dependent upon what is happening culturally, socially and politically at any given time.

4. Text
It happens in response to the social condition.

5. Text
And as a result, design frames our understanding of the world we live in.

6. Text The design of history is the history of design. — Ivan Chermayeff
Chermayeff & Geismar
The history of design has been to document graphic design innovation and those designers who have influenced its continuing evolution.
If we understand the past, we will be better able to continue a cultuer legacy of beautiful form and effective communication. If we ignore this legacy, we run the risk of becoming buried in a mindless morass of a commercialism whose minute vision ignores human values and needs as pushes forward into the darkness.

7. 24-115
The Dawning of visual communications as we know it (made for purposes of communicating - survival, utility, etc)
Pictographs, simple, stylized, nonlinear, overlapping, shifts in scale, etc
Cave painting from Lascaux, c. 15,000 ‑ 10,000 BCE. Paintings like this can be found From the Paleolithic to the Neolithic period
Random placement and shifting scale signify prehistoric people’s lack of structure and sequence in recording their experiences.
Gabriela Rodriguez, “I Don’t Need Legs if I Have Wings for Flying,” poster, This poster is an ode to Toulouse-Lautrec from Mexico.
Gabriela is inspired by Polish poster design
She uses wit, insight and the highly conceptual qualities of the poster to communicate

8. 24-49
Timotheus, The Persians, papyrus manuscript, fourth century B.C.E This excellent example of the Greek alphabet shows the symmetrical form and even visual rhythm that evolved. These qualities made the Greek alphabet the prototype for subsequent developments. (24 character alphabet)
Greek civilization lay the foundation for many of the accomplishments of the western world — science, philosophy and democratic government. Greeks adopt and improve upon an alphabet in development handed down from the Pheonicians.
Pg 18 in text shows the evolution of language
Luba Lukova, “Peace,” poster, A medley of weapons is used to construct a dove.
Lukova (originally from Bulgaria, now living in NY) confronts social and political issues through contrast and repetition

9. 24-7
1265 CE: Masterpiece of International Gothic style in this illuminated manuscript, the Douce Apocalypse.
100 illustrated pages.
The multitude worshipping God. St John becomes a roving reporter looking into the picture frame.
Uses Textura (from Latin meaning woven fabric) lettering done by hand by a scribe (compared to a picket fence in its vertical style)
During this time period textura literally referred to littera moderna , latin for Modern Lettering
All vertical strokes were drawn first then modified for accents or serifs
Open space left for illumination letter form - never added
Illustration from the last passage of the 7th chapter of Revelation.
Illuminator and scribe are distinct activities
This publication cover design is emblematic of the influence of digital technology during the 1980s
Glenn A. Suokko (designer) and Emigre Graphics, cover for Emigre 10 magazine, Traditional typographic syntax yielded to an experiment in unconventional information sequencing for a special issue about a graphic design exchange between Cranbrook and Dutch designers.

10. 24-57
A primary example of printing from movable type. 42-line bible, 2 volumes, 210 copies total (180 on paper & 30 on fine vellum)
Johann Gutenberg, pages from the Gutenberg Bible, The superb typographic legibility and texture, generous margins, and excellent presswork make this first printed book a canon of quality that has seldom been surpassed. An illuminator added the red and blue headers, initials, and text by hand.
Chinese are experimenting with movable type in the form of a lazy susan by 1313 CE
Stefan Sagmeister, Lou Reed poster, “We designed a poster announcing his new album ‘Set the Twilight Reeling,’” explains Sagmeister. “The lyrics are extremely personal. We tried to show this by writing those lyrics directly over his face.”
Excerpted from Meggs’ History of Graphic Design, Fourth Edition. Copyright 2005, All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

11. 18-31
Erhard Ratdolt, Peter Loeslein, and Bernhard Maier, title page for Euclid’s Geometriae elementa, A dazzling white‑on‑black design brackets the text, and incredibly fine line diagrams in the wide margin visually define Euclid’s terms.
Ratdolt was a printing inovator, relying upon woodblocks to print image and border designs specifically. His three-sided border became a sort of trademark.
Leading up to this time all print related activities were specific to the individual: parchment maker, papermaker, typefounder, printer, designer, woodblcok cutter, illuminator, bookbinder
Example from the International Typographic Style (Swiss)
Josef Müller Brockmann, public awareness poster, Red type declares “less noise,” while the photograph graphically depicts the discomfort noise causes.

12. 20-64 Significant in the Arts and Crafts Movement
First production from Morris’ Kelmscott Press uses a gothic inspired type design called Troy.
William Morris (designer) and Walter Crane (illustrator), title‑page spread for The Story of the Glittering Plain, Operating on his compulsion to ornament the total space, Morris created a luminous range of contrasting values.
An example of postmodern design (borrowing influences from diverse references)
This mark is noted for being one of the first to modify and transform itself through deconstruction while standing for the same corp entity
Pat Gorman and Frank Olinsky of Manhattan Design, MTV “puzzle” logo, The logo is assembled, dismantled, melted, and shattered without losing its ability to verify identity.

13. 14-20
Mathew Carter, Walker Typeface, snap on serifs and other elements add to the detail of this form.
The poster goes to war
The poster reached its height of communicative power during World War I ( )
Printing was far more advanced than other technologies like radio - poster became a global form of communication
Curious German medieval approach to this 7th War loan poster
Lucian Bernhard, poster for a war-loan campaign, A sharp militaristic feeling is amplified by the Gothic inscription, “This is the way to peace--the enemy wills it so! Thus subscribe to the war loan!”

14. Quote http://www.hillmancurtis.com/hc_web/film_video.shtml
James Victore
David Carson
Sagmeister