Graphic design transforms strong ideas into compelling visuals, shaping our perception and even our purchasing behavior. Influencing every aspect of the consumer and media experience, this impactful discipline reveals the power of fundamental design principles to produce loyal customers and shape entire artistic movements.
Inspiration from the past can provide powerful insights as we move into the next era in graphic design. To that end, we will provide a detailed look at the history of graphic design.
The Early Years: 1900s to 1930s
The principles of design have existed in some capacity for millennia. Historians point to the use of familiar strategies to convey important messages in cave paintings from tens of thousands of years ago, along with woodblock printing in Ancient China and Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Through the Middle Ages, graphic design principles emerged in an effort to preserve sacred works. In Europe, scribes employed advanced lettering techniques while also designing detailed layouts designating specific spaces in which illustrations would later be added. Monks understood that these illustrations must provide educational value while also, as graphic designer and historian Philip B. Meggs explained in Britannica, “creat[ing] spiritual overtones.”
Arabic calligraphy formed the basis for a distinct Islamic visual culture, transcending regional divides by acting as a “binding element.” Despite this, the Met’s Department of Islamic Art points to considerable variations, “demonstrating the creative possibilities of calligraphy as ornament.” Islamic calligraphy has since been included in UNESCO’s Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage, referencing its influence as both an art form and as a means of communication.
Graphic design took a major step forward with the development of the printing press but became far more prominent as consumer culture took over in response to the Western Industrial Revolution. This also aligned with the rapid growth of advertising, which had grown far more prominent by the mid-to-late 1800s.
The Birth of Modern Graphic Design
Some believe that our modern conception of graphic design emerged during the early 1900s, when print media dominated and designers began to experiment with emerging tools and techniques. This was when Art Nouveau in graphic design took over, featuring organic forms and flowing elements, along with the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Another noteworthy trend from this era? Plakatstil, otherwise referred to as Poster Style. Emerging in Germany around the turn of the century, this represented a clear rejection of previous ornate styles, instead highlighting the power of simplicity in design. Featuring minimal text, when possible, these designs relied on bold colors and contrast. Lucian Bernhard deserves much of the credit for pioneering this approach which influenced many of the styles we will discuss later.
Technological Advances and Their Impact
While the 16th century European renovations to the ancient Chinese printing press arguably played the most powerful role in driving graphic design as a practice and as a profession, several technological advances encouraged further growth. These are often related to the dominant mediums of each era. For example, as radio took over, graphic design was used to establish the visual identity of brands that were primarily known by radio advertising.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, magazines provided a wealth of opportunities for visual storytelling. Cutting-edge typography and grid systems proved significant as magazines became one of the most essential platforms for advertising.
Printing processes also evolved during this time. For instance, offset lithography allowed for mass production. Based on the assumption that water and grease would not mix, this strategy used metal plates to great effect. Meanwhile, graphic design techniques such as halftone printing allowed for the expanded use of photography by utilizing dots to achieve a gradient effect.
Computer typesetting gradually replaced previously required manual processes. Because this boosted efficiency, it allowed for more experimentation from graphic designers. This resulted in new typography movements and allowed sans-serif typefaces to take over.
Post-WWII Innovation: 1940s to 1960s
Graphic design experienced a revival in the Post-WWII era when a sudden increase in American consumer spending led to enhanced efforts to attract customers. Corporate branding became a priority, with leaders increasingly recognizing and leveraging the power of brand recognition.
Iconic Designers and Their Works
A number of graphic design legends made their mark after World War II. This remarkable period in graphic design revealed the true artistry of the field and demonstrated a clear understanding of marketing principles and the need for strategic visual branding. The era’s most influential graphic designers included:
- Paul Rand. Inspired by Bauhaus graphic design and clearly impressed with the Swiss Style, Paul Rand believed that graphic design could form a universal language. His most iconic contributions include the familiar logos for IBM, NeXT, and Westinghouse.
- Saul Bass. Known for his spectacular film collaborations, Saul Bass made his mark with memorable film posters but also was a force for change in the broader world of graphic design. Through his work with corporate logos and poster designs, he aimed to reveal the essence of each brand. Memorable Saul Bass designs included logos for United Airlines, Quaker Oats and AT&T.
- Carolyn Davidson. Credited with creating Nike’s iconic swoosh, Carolyn Davidson found early inspiration from the Greek goddess of victory. Although she only earned $35 to create this groundbreaking logo, she went on to carve a reputation as the “Logo Lady” and was even gifted a swoosh-shaped ring and several shares of stock in what, by the early 80s, was an athletic sensation.
- Georg Olden. As CBS’ head of on-air promotions during the earliest days of television broadcasting, Georg Olden was a true pioneer. He uncovered hugely influential innovations such as an early vote-tallying scoreboard. This was displayed during the nation’s very first televised election returns (involving the presidential election of 1952). Recognized by the American Institute of Graphic Arts for inspiring a new generation of African-American designers, Olden not only won multiple Clio awards, but also created a distinct Clio statuette.
- Herbert Matter. Highly experimental, Herbert Matter made great use of photomontage while also embracing Swiss Design via grid systems and sans-serif typography. His work with the New Haven Railroad was especially striking, and it was even referred to by Bloomberg as the “perfect train logo.”
Digital Revolution: 1970s to 1990s
If the TV gave rise to spectacular achievements in advertising, the same can be said of computers and the era of digital marketing. This phase was also marked by an increased social consciousness in America, spurred by the unrest of the late 1960s and the desire to bring diverse voices to the forefront in popular media and the overarching consumer conversation.
The Introduction of Computers in Design
Computers began to influence graphic design as soon as they became widely available. For reference, Muriel Cooper began advocating for the use of computers in graphic design early on and even predicted that enhanced processing would “make the transition from print to electronic communication the basis of a vast industry.”
The most significant transition occurred during the 1980s, especially as new software solutions promised to expedite previously time-consuming tasks. Desktop publishing (DTP) software, in particular, introduced exciting new opportunities for creating layouts. Soon, graphic designers were expected to demonstrate technological proficiency in addition to marketing experts and creative professionals.
Evolution of Digital Design Tools
Initially, digital tools primarily aimed to improve efficiency in then prominent marketing strategies. For example, the desktop publishing program PageMaker limited the need for classic typesetting and instead allowed for rapid designing and formatting so that flyers, brochures and other print materials could be produced promptly and at a lower cost.
Meanwhile, early customer relationship management (CRM) solutions such as GoldMine! helped businesses more effectively track customer interactions while allowing intuitive solutions to handle a myriad of tasks that had previously been spread across numerous systems.
By the late 1990s, businesses were quickly transitioning, no longer reliant on simply using digital processes to facilitate traditional marketing strategies. Instead, digital itself took over, as evidenced by the rapid rise of Dreamweaver for designing websites.
The Modern Era: 2000s to Present
By the 2000s, the shift from print to digital marketing was nearly complete, also impacting trends in graphic design. Yes, classic print strategies have remained paramount, but there is no denying that consumers are heavily influenced by their online experiences and interactions. The nature of these interactions began to shift with the rise of the smartphone and social media. These trends are expected to continue shaping the always-changing world of graphic design as we move into yet another era.
The Impact of the Internet and Social Media
Increasingly, today’s digital graphic design trends are dominated by social media, which dictates how we interact online and how consumers discover and engage with various brands. Today’s graphic designers must tailor their approach to different types of platforms and even different mechanisms within those platforms. For example, content displayed in ‘conventional’ Facebook or Instagram posts will feature different styling as compared visuals for Stories or Reels.
Contemporary Design Trends
As we move into a new era of digital marketing, prominent trends from the 2000s and 2010s are giving way to a more varied approach. In recent years, a busier aesthetic has taken over, featuring the extensive use of abstract concepts and geometrics. Spotify’s Wrapped campaign, for example, embraces chaos. The 2023 Wrapped graphics incorporated eclectic shapes, aiming, as Spotify’s head of brand design Rasmus Wängelin explained, to form “a blurred line between the internet and real life.”
Also important are accessible options that accommodate users from all walks of life. Meanwhile, responsive design ensures that styles appeal to users with many types of devices. This concept was pioneered by Ethan Marcotte, who, in 2010, advocated not only for technical essentials such as “fluid grids, flexible images, and media queries” but also for a new mindset—striving to “progressively enhance our work within different viewing contexts.”
The Future of Graphic Design
Graphic design has come a long way since its inception, but its evolution is only beginning to take off. Some currently unfolding trends are expected to accelerate in the next few years, and while some will spark exciting opportunities, significant challenges are also to be expected.
Emerging Technologies and Their Potential
Graphic design, like technology itself, continues to evolve at a rapid pace and is especially impacted by developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Several current and aspiring graphic designers fear that these technologies, and especially generative AI, could have a detrimental impact on their field.
AI has its role, but graphic designers can take comfort in knowing that it simply does not match the human element that creative professionals continue to offer. Instead of displacing graphic designers, AI would ideally complement their work. This could involve automating time-consuming processes like resizing the same image multiple times. That could free up graphic designers to spend more time developing and experimenting with cutting-edge ideas.
Sustainability in Graphic Design
The relationship between graphic design and sustainability is complex. Graphic design can draw attention to eco-friendly products and practices, but some design strategies and materials may be harmful from a sustainability perspective. Graphic designers are increasingly aware of these implications, and many prioritize eco-friendly materials, such as recycled paper and biodegradable ink.
Digital media allows graphic designers to bypass the potential waste generated by physical materials, but the computers and other equipment used to create designs will ideally involve minimal energy consumption. Many concerns can impact this, including everything from preferred file sizes to servers for hosting websites.
Ultimately, the goal of sustainable graphic design is to strike an optimal balance between eco-friendly practices and aesthetics. With the right practices, neither of these priorities will see significant compromises.
Join an Exciting Graphic Design Legacy at RMCAD
For years, Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) has provided powerful graphic design instruction. We encourage each new generation of passionate professionals to develop their distinct vision and style and leverage cutting-edge graphic design tools and technologies while continuing to make the most of fundamental marketing techniques. Reach out to learn more about our on-campus and online graphic design degree programs.
