Until the late 20th century, the graphic-design medium was based on hand-craft processes: layouts were made by hand so as to actualise a design; type was specified and ordered from a typesetter; and type proofs and photostats of images were assembled into position on heavy paper or board for photographic reproduction and platemaking. Over the course of the 1980s and early ’90s, however, rapid changes in digital pc hardware and software utterly altered graphic design.
Software for Apple’s 1984 Macintosh computer, such as the MacPaint programme created by computer programmer Bill Atkinson and graphic designer Susan Kare, had a revolutionary human interface. Tool icons controlled by a mouse or graphics tablet enabled designers and artists to use computer graphics in an intuitive manner. The Postscript™ page-description language from Adobe Systems, Inc., enabled pages of type and graphics to be placed into graphic designs on-screen. By the mid-1990s, the transition of design from drafting-table activity to an on-screen computer activity was virtually complete.
Personal computers allowed typesetting tools to be placed into the homes of designers, and so a time of experimentation began in the creation of new and unusual fonts and page layouts. Type and images were layered, fragmented, and disfigured; type columns were overlapped and run at very long or short line lengths, and the sizes, weights, and fonts were changed within single headlines, columns, and words. Much of this type of research occurred in design education at art schools and universities. American designer David Carson, art director of Beach Culture magazine in 1989-91, Surfer in 1991-92, and Ray Gun magazine in 1992-96, caught the imagination of a youthful audience by taking such an experimental approach into publication design.
Rapid advances in onscreen software also enabled designers to make elements transparent; to stretch, scale, and bend them; to layer type and images in mid-space; and to blend imagery into complex montages. For example, in a United States postage stamp from 1998, designers Ethel Kessler and Greg Berger digitally montaged John Singer Sargent’s portrait of Frederick Law Olmsted with an image of New York’s Central Park, a site plan, and botanical art to commemorate the landscape architect. Together, these images evoke a rich expression of Olmsted’s life and work.
The digital advancement in graphic design was shortly followed by public access to the Internet. A completely new operation of graphic design activity developed in the mid-1990s when Internet business became a growing sector of the world-wide economy, causing organisations and businesses to scramble to establish Web sites. Designing a website involves layout of screens of information rather than of pages, but approaches to the use of type, images, and colour are similar to those used for print. Web design, however, requires a host of new things to consider, including designing for navigation through the site and for using hypertext links to be taken to additional information. An example of strong web design is the Herman Miller for the Home Web site, designed by BBK Studio in 1998. These designers created a purposeful visual identity, effective navigation, and informational clarity. Attributes that contributed to the effectiveness of this Web site included a consistent colour palette, an informative use of pictures of products, and a scrolling montage of products.
Because of the global effectiveness and reach of the internet, the graphic-design trade is becoming increasingly global in scope. Moreover, the integration of motion graphics, animation, video feeds, and music into website design has caused the merging of traditional print and broadcast media. As kinetic media expand from motion pictures and basic television to scores of cable-television channels, video games, and animated Web sites, motion graphics are becoming an increasingly important area of graphic design.
In the 21st century, graphic design is far-reaching; it is the main component of the complex print and electronic information systems. It permeates contemporary society, delivering information, product identification, entertainment, and persuasive messages. The relentless advancing of technology has changed dramatically the way graphic designs are created and distributed to a mass audience. However, the essential role of the graphic designer, giving creative form and clarity of content to communicative messages, remains the same.
Looking for art supplies? Australia is the lucky country when it comes to canvas art supplies and if you are looking for a painting easel, make sure you consider Discount Art Warehouse.
Sphere: Related Content