The History of Graphic Design is a two-volume series on the

history of graphic design History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

written by Jens Müller and edited by Julius Wiedemann. The first volume originally published in 2017, deals with the history of graphic design from 1890 to 1959. The second volume, published in 2018, covers from 1960 to the late 2010s. The series was published in English, French, and German.

Synopsis

''The History of Graphic Design'' outlines the development of graphic design as a field and explores cultural history from the late 19th through the early 21st Century through the lens of graphic design. The evolution of graphic design from

poster A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both typography, textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or w ...

s and

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wordma ...

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

design and corporate identity. The books include thousands of the most seminal works and designs in the field, as well as biographies of some of the most influential graphic designers. Chapters are arranged in chronological order, and are illustrated by visual timelines which provide cultural and historical context for seminal graphic designs.

Volume 1, ''1890–1959''

''The History of Graphic Design, Volume 1'' explores the development of graphic design from the end of the 19th Century to the end of the 1950s. It covers historically significant design styles like

Futurism Futurism ( it, Futurismo, link=no) was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy, and to a lesser extent in other countries, in the early 20th century. It emphasized dynamism, speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such ...

and

the New Typography Jan Tschichold (born Johannes Tzschichhold, also known as Iwan Tschichold, or Ivan Tschichold; 2 April 1902 – 11 August 1974) was a German calligrapher, typographer and book designer. He played a significant role in the development of gra ...

, and includes biographies of designers such as

Henry van de Velde Henry Clemens van de Velde (; 3 April 1863 – 15 October 1957) was a Belgian painter, architect, interior designer, and art theorist. Together with Victor Horta and Paul Hankar, he is considered one of the founders of Art Nouveau in Belgium.'' ...

Karel Teige Karel Teige (13 December 1900 – 1 October 1951) was a Czech modernist avant-garde artist, writer, critic and one of the most important figures of the 1920s and 1930s movement. He was a member of the ''Devětsil'' (Butterbur) movement in the 1 ...

, and James Pryde and William Nicholson.

Volume 2, ''1960–Today''

''The History of Graphic Design, Volume 2'' covers the history of graphic design from the mid-19th Century to the late 2010s. It pays special attention to the revolutions in design during the 1960s and 1970s, and the rising importance of digital technology to graphic design from the 1990s onwards.

Reception

The book was mostly well received by critics, and is considered an essential reading on the history of graphic design. Katy Cowan of ''

Creative Boom Creative Boom is an art, design and visual culture magazine and website aimed at the creative industries. The UK-based platform includes general articles, industry news, features, tips and inspiration pieces for various creative sectors including ...

'' described the book as "the most comprehensive exploration of graphic design to date", praising its handling of chronology and visual layout. Megan N. Liberty of ''

Hyperallergic ''Hyperallergic'' is an online arts magazine, based in Brooklyn, New York. Founded by the art critic Hrag Vartanian and his husband Veken Gueyikian in October 2009, the site describes itself as a "forum for serious, playful, and radical thinking ...

'' praised the book for its scope, visual design, and broad historical overview. Rick Poynor of ''Eye'' criticized the book for contributing little to existing scholarship, although he found the book's visual design enjoyable.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:History of Graphic Design Art history books Series of non-fiction books Taschen books