Product Description
This exciting new history of graphic design explores its evolution from the late 19th century to the present day. Organized chronologically, the book illuminates the dynamic relationship between design and manufacturing as well as the roles of technology, social change, and commercial forces on the course of design history. The layout of each chapter reflects the unique style of the period it describes, and some 450 illustrations throughout the volume provide a visual record of more than one hundred years of creative achievement in the field.
Under the influence of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement in the late 19th century, a new era started for design arts. Fueled by well loved Art Nouveau advertising, the work of graphic designers became central in the growing consumer goods economy. This book traces the emergence of varied modernist design styles in the early 20th century and then examines the wartime politicization of regional styles through American government patronage and revolutionary Soviet thoughts. Richly contextualized chapters chronicle the history of the Bauhaus and the rise of the International Style, followed by the postmodern movement of the 1970s and ’80s. After highlighting recent developments in graphic design around the globe, the author discusses the impact of inexpensive, powerful design software and the challenges facing designers now.
Under the influence of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement in the late 19th century, a new era started for design arts. Fueled by well loved Art Nouveau advertising, the work of graphic designers became central in the growing consumer goods economy. This book traces the emergence of varied modernist design styles in the early 20th century and then examines the wartime politicization of regional styles through American government patronage and revolutionary Soviet thoughts. Richly contextualized chapters chronicle the history of the Bauhaus and the rise of the International Style, followed by the postmodern movement of the 1970s and ’80s. After highlighting recent developments in graphic design around the globe, the author discusses the impact of inexpensive, powerful design software and the challenges facing designers now.
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While this book adds many more visual examples to the taxonomy of historical examples that exist (the photos of Meggs’ “History of Graphic Design” and Roxanne Jubert’s “Typography and Graphic Design: From Antiquity to the Present” tend to be somewhat small and duplicate each other), the information inside Eskilson’s book is too often incorrect or misleading. Eskilson is an art historian, but not a rather sympathetic one to the workings of the graphic designer. Unfortunately, this book will provide the student with a skewed, often incorrect, understanding of his or her own history.
While there is nothing incorrect with an art historian writing history for graphic design [which is why I wrote "unfortunately" _after_ I stated that he was an art historian, not _before_ I indicated he was an art historian] besides the historical inaccuracies, Eskilson does not comprehend the issues of graphic design from the discipline’s perspective. See the discussion posted 12.06.07 on “Design Observer.”
Rating: 1 / 5
Fabulous recipes new and ancient, so many wonderful thoughts to stir the senses and keep you begging for more. A fantastic reference guide, my only complaint is that it is too heavy.
Rating: 4 / 5
Gift for graphics production student – wonderful history with lots of pictures/illustrations. You couldn’t get all of the content from class. By browsing, I learned where all those international traffic symbols became known – the 1972 Olympics!
Rating: 5 / 5
it was a excellent product and i was pleased with the buy.it came on time.
Rating: 5 / 5
A gorgeous treatise on graphic design. Eskilson has a knack for revealing novel and fascinating connections to world history. A fantastic new college textbook, but also a delightful read.
Rating: 5 / 5