Synopses & Reviews
This comprehensive illustrated history begins with the origins of the alphabet itself and carries the reader through the first handwritten books, the invention of printing in the Renaissance, the explosion of graphic styles (and printed media) in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the impact of digital technology on design today.
Like E.H. Gombrich's magnificent Story of Art, The Story of Graphic Design is a compelling narrative that explores the evolution of styles under the pressure of social, cultural, and technological change, accompanied by a comprehensive selection of illustrations of key works in typography and design since the invention of writing. It covers a remarkable number of topics, from the art of the medieval manuscript to the birth of advertising to the workings of modern mass media. Unlike all other historians of design, Patrick Cramsie is able to bring a designer's eye to the analysis of visual communication.
The Story of Graphic Design is an indispensible book for designers, historians, and students, and will find a wide readership among people who are interested in the visual arts or concerned about the future of the printed word.
Synopsis
Since 2004, the London gallery Elms Lesters Painting Rooms has hosted seminal exhibits of contemporary artists, including graffiti artists Futura, Delta (Boris Tellegen), Space Invader, KAWS, and others. Here, graphic designer Iain Cadby documents the graphic components that accompanied exhibitions held between 2008 and 2014. The graphic design for each exhibition is examined, including specific visual language or identity design and accompanying projects, including books. The text by GavinLucas provides a historical overview of the period, putting the gallery, the artistic movement of street art, and graphic design into context.
About the Author
Patrick Cramsie is a graphic designer whose work has centered on corporate identity and book design. It was while reviewing books for the Times Literary Supplement in London that he felt the need to have a comprehensive history of graphic design that also served as a introduction to the subject. He lives and works in Herefordshire, England.