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19th Century Advertising
Graphic design in the early 19th century consisted of posters meant for protest againts heavy British taxation on America and advertising via intricate posters specifically designed to catch the viewers eye (AdAge). As the century progressed, designers made posters for a variety of applications including company posters and guides for how society operates. While these may have proven usefull in the 1800s, many people would find most of these "society guide" posters offensive today. -
Offensive Ads of the Early 19th Century
Many advertisements of the 19th century included content that many people would find offensive today. -
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Nazi Propaganda
Nazi Propoganda used cleverly designed posters and advertisements to literally brainwash an entire country (USHMM). They were known for using images of strong powerful women in Nazi uniform because this (at the time) gave women a sense of empowerment and inspired masculinity in men. -
Nazi League of German Girls
Images of women were powerful forms of advertisement during the rise of Nazi Germany. Designers portrayed standard "Aryan" women in seeming positions of power to inspire people to join the Nazi cause. (Date approximate) -
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The Early Modern Era of Graphic Design
Post-Depression culture spurs a new era in visual arts. Filmmaking explodes into a worldwide superpower and new companies arise from the ashes of the economic crash to rebuild America. The United States got involved in wars agains the will of the general population and new technology was on the horizon. -
Saul Bass: The Godfather of the Cinematic Title Screen
Graphic designer Saul Bass uses unique, fitting typography to revolutionize the art of cinema. Beginning with Otto Preminger's "The Man with the Golden Arm," Saul Bass ventures out into uncharted ground and creates an entire new field for graphic designers to lend their talents (Annyas). -
Paul Rand's "Company Identity" Movement
When Paul Rand's 1956 IMB logo was revealed, similar companies of that caliber were racing to have their own company identity desgined. While today company logos are commonplace, in the 1950s having a universally known symbol was vital for your companies growth (Hamm). Rand's run included logos for UPS, Morningstar, and ABC. This movement created a massive industry for logo designers that are still popular today. -
The Vietnam Protests
Peaking in 1968, the overwhelming opposition of the Vietnam War produced a new style of propaganda. A contrast from the patriotic-base war propaganda from previous wars, these new posters and symbols called for the United States withdrawal from the war (Resnick). A similar style has been utilized in recent years over the wars in Iraq and Afganistan. -
Paula Scher's Album Cover Revolution
Paula Scher utilizes melds her graphic design and art skills to create asthetically pleasing album covers for popular bands. Never before has a band had the opportunity to produce an image that fits their style of music (Paula's Tribute). This also spurred the creation of band clothing and posters that are still commonplace today. -
Graphic Design to Promote a Place to Live
Milton Glaser's iconic "I Love New York" symbol has been a powerful tool for The Empire States adverising campaigns since it's inception in 1977 (LogoDesignLove). Glaser did the project for free and it has since been trademarked by the state of New York. -
Moving from Analog to Digital
1984 saw the release of the first Macintosh computers. Preloaded on these computers was a program called MacPaint which allowed designers to create complex designs on their computers from scratch. Preloaded with shapes and other design tools, MacPaint allowed designers to get their work done faster than ever (Shusteck). -
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The Rise of Modern Design Technology
An advance in technology revolutionized the ways designers did their job. From the release of the Macintosh computer and MacPaint to modern touchscreen applications. This time period saw the field of graphic design turned on it's head. -
Dirty Typography
David Carson created a new way of using words in his designs. Later dubbed "dirty typography," his lettering was not always as legible as common designs and this made for interesting and applealing magazine content (Lupton). His methods have been utilized by other designers in magazines, clothing and many other applications. -
The Big One
In February of 1990, the field of graphic design was changed forever. The release of Adobe Photoshop gave rise to a new breed of graphic designers. With seemingly endless ways to use Photoshop's innovative tool system, even the most amateur designers could produce images worth viewing. Adobe has since released other programs such as InDesign that you can use in tandem with Photoshop making it the most powerful design tool to this day. -
Stefan Sagmeister, Inc.
In 1993, Stefan Sagmeister founded his company Sagmeister, Inc. in New York. Producing designs for clients such as HBO and The Rolling Stones, Stefan Sagmeisters unorthodox approach do design made him a very popular designer amongst large companies. He has worked on many album covers, packages and promotional campeigns for his clients (Heller). -
Simple Design
Apple's current logo, in use since 1999, has given rise to a new way to brand your company. In contrast to more flashy, 3D logos of other companies, Apple's logo is a flat, rather plain image. Apple's implementation of a basic logo has shown designers that it's not necessarily about creating eye-catching logos. -
Handwritten Typography
The mid-2000s saw a rise in handwritten typography. Designers were able to use new technology to had their own writing onto their designs. This became very popular in internet and magazine ads. -
The iPad
2010 saw the release of Apple's iPad. Featuring a large, responsive touchscreen, the iPad was the first of a new technology called tablets. Tablets have since become a vital tool for graphic designers and artists in any field. The responsive touch controls and easy to use interface allowed designers to create complex images with ease and even publish their work via their cellular carriers network.
