How did the first printed work ending up in changing the society to the degree as it has up through the time of history and to the present? How has graphic design kept its significance through time and still plays such an important role in everyday life?

The theme I am going to write about is the significance of the printed media, and how it has affected the society through out history and up to today. I will go through the first steps of why this was such an important invention, when it was created, and why it affected so many people. Further more, I will analyze how it changes the majority of the society from illiterate people: starting from the point where it’s not only the nobles or high born that can read and write. When the first printed material was made, and how this affected the general public –which was and is enormous. Now you don’t need to be rich or highborn to be able to learn how to read or afford the printed material.

First of all, what is Graphic Design and what do we see as Graphic Design. Graphic Design is printed media. Through out the history every printed work is Graphic Design, but the definition of what Graphic Design is in the modern eyes has changed very much, from the first works and up to the latest trends in our generation. It is just recently in the modern history, that the media of the modern world that has changed how we look at design and typography. It is now everywhere on the Internet, the TV advertisements, you have it in the music industry and the film industry. So to put it plainly Graphic Design is everything; it surrounds us, evolve us, and consume us. Everything we see and touch -that has typography- and design elements are Graphic Design. I will take you back to where it all started, where the society as we know it today was born.

I’m going to talk about the history of Graphic Design, I will compare it to the present, and how it has changed how we look at design and typography. How the history has changed, and how our society works today based on technology. This changed how we communicate today, and how it took the people to enlightenment. Without the development of Graphic Design, our society would not have been where it is today, and with this article I will tell you why this has been so important, and how it has changed the way we communicate with each other. Our whole society communicates with Graphic Design without even realising the effects of it.

Before the first printed works by the letterpress technique, every book were made by the monks and they were written in Latin. They could only make a few copies at the time, because of the long period of time it took to make them. These books were very expensive and only the rich people could afford them, besides the commoners and poor people could not reed so there were no point for them to go through the struggle to get one. The paper that the monks used was first introduced to Europe by Asia and China. As the demand for paper grew, so did the need for a new faster way to produce printed works. The demand for paper was tremendous, and before the technique behind the paper came to Europe, the paper was very expensive, because it was imported from Asia it was rear to get a hold of in general, and you had to have a substantial amount of money to be able to afford it.

To import products at this time, it took a long time and cost a lot just in the transport of the goods. This made the books expensive not only for the labor with the handwritten pages, but the cost of the paper itself. A 100-page book took 3-4 months to crate and complete. Even though it was so much work put into these books the cost of the labor was still nothing compared to the cost of the imported paper it was written on, and the constant rising demand of more paper and books. The secret behind the paper lead to the people who sought out the secrets behind the production of paper, and how to introduce these technique into Europe, to be able to get the cost of the paper down. They had to travel to Asia to find the secret and technics behind the paper. The technics was discovered during the crusades that traveled through Europe and brought it with them from Asia.

In the year 1102 the paper mills came to Sicily and then moved on into Spain by the Moors in the middle of the 1200 century. By 1276 the paper mills were established in Fabriano, Italy. Troyes, later France had their first paper mill in 1348. The well-established paper mills used a special technique where they pressured watermarks into the paper. With this you could tell where and when this paper was made, it also valued the paper after witch mill it came from. The watermarks were only visible when u held the paper up against the light. These were also made to be able to see the differences form the different paper mills, also to prevent people form to steel their reputation by imitating them.

There were many molds that were developed by the success of the different paper mills. The molds were for the different sheets, sizes and the grade of the paper. Some of the known well-used watermarks designs were mermaids, unicorns, animals, flowers and heraldic shields. By the growing access to paper throughout Europe, there was growing an interest in the printed field. They were on the hunt for new ways to make books and other printed material. They sought out Asia yet again to take inspiration to further evolve these technics and desires to find new ways to create printed works.

No one knows exactly how woodblock printing came in to Europe, but there is substantial evidence that traces that follows the crusade that opened Europe to eastern influence. There are a number of examples of playing cards and religious images that were early developed and there is circumstantial evidence that implies that paper, caliph printing from woodblocks spread west from china. The Chinese were also using moveable letters long before it came to the west; the wooden letters were too fragile and not accurate enough or as easy to align, this made it challenging to make accurate prints in the same quality as the hand made books. These techniques were highly desired in the west, not only because it would be easier to make prints but also faster. Even though the technique were established and used in China it took time before it was successfully established in the west.

Furthermore, I will examine the important points through the history: when different things were invented and created. Fonts and styles played and important role in the different wars, revolution and other political arguments, there has been a tremendous development in the time of the Graphic Design art.  For example, the first printed letterpress book was the Gutenberg Bible. This was the first printed large book that was made. This has changed how people communicate and access information, also how stories was shared in the time before the Gutenberg bible. It was a transition form the vocal stories to the written stories.

I am sure many of you have heard about Johannes Gutenberg and the production of the first printed bible, which was printed in 1440 .c. Johannes Gutenberg was born and raised in Germany and worked as a blacksmith and a gold smith, and later also as a printer. Johannes Gutenberg was not the first one to invent and try the letterpress technics, many had tried before him, and all of them had failed. He was the first one to success, he converted a vine press into the first letterpress; he also invented movable metal letters into his system. Witch was usable more then once, and could be used over and over again without getting worn out as the old wood letters would. Gutenberg had a passion of finding new metal alloys witch drove him to his creation of the first metal letters, and the special ink and the paper to use it on.

One of the things that drove Gutenberg was his passion and interest in new metal types. He was one of the first to successfully make the metal letters, he was one of many who have tried to develop these techniques, and he also invented the type mold, this mold made it easier for others later to create type and to reproduce typefaces. He also developed a unique alloy of 80% lead, 5% tin and 15% antimony to maintain a constant mass throughout the process of manufacturing type.  The medieval block printers used watery ink made from oak gall, this ink worked well with the wood block, because the wood would absorb the access water, but with the metal press this did not work. It would ether run off and smudge or make a puddle, this made it impossible to use the old ink that had been used for generations. Gutenberg developed a new type of ink, were he used boiled linseed oil colored with lampblack. This created a thick, sticky ink that worked well with the new metal letters. It was easily applied and the functions of it were suitable with the pressure press, witch Gutenberg had created for these new metal letters. He had converted a press that was originally created to make wine, cheese and baling paper. He converted the press so that it would be more suitable for the letterpress process. His method allowed a constant quality in contrast to the hand-rubbed methods of the Orient and the early European block printers.

His invention spread through out all of Europe by 1490 .c. almost every country and big cities had a letterpress. This was the birth of a new era, the era of science and enlightenment. He was also a major reason and source for the change in the Christian religion, where Martin Luther was able to share his vision and thoughts with the world. Some also clams that the renaissance is due because of the invention of the letterpress. However the impact of this new knowledge and understanding ended up growing and spreading faster, and bigger than any of them could have imagined. It took people out of the era where the nobles and rulers of the world were the voice and the ones who acted on behalf of the people. The people became educated and enlightened, because of the letterpress written word was more available for the public and not least affordable. They also got a voice of their own witch ended up changing the world to what it is today. All these events in the history of our world still have a hold on us in the present. These small steps in history has from the point that Gutenberg developed and invented the letterpress technics in Europe, changed the world, and from this point the era on enlightenment, and the modern world was created. Just in the few seeds that soon was devoured and spread across Europe and through out the world.

The printed word, typography and the design who surround us and evolve us today is known as Graphic Design, and it is waster and bigger then what people in general would like to think. Everything you touch and see around you in your every day life has traces of Graphic Design. Most people do not even recognize this as Graphic Design, because it has become such a big part or our daily routines. Just think of all the products and every other thing you use just before you go out of your home in the morning, your breakfast, toothpaste and other products you may use. Also your phones and other technology have Graphic Design in or on it. We are consumers and everything that surrounds us is an outcome of the technology that Johannes Gutenberg established all those years ago. It has also become a part of how we communicate with each other. The tradition of how people used songs or stories that was passed down through generations is now dying out. There are still some of these traditions, but the volume and value of these traditions in decreasing. We no longer need them; within seconds we can find all the information we need just by a few clicks.

Later Fust and Schoeffer became the most important printing firm in the world after they took over Gutenberg’s print shop, he had borrowed to much money without being able to pay it back to Fust. If Fust had given him a little more time, Gutenberg would have been able to pay everything back when the book was done and published. Peter Schoeffer (c. 1425-1502) was an artist/designer experienced as an illustrator and manuscript dealer, and a scribe at the university of Paris in 1449. It is possible that he played a key role in the format development and style design for the forty-two-line bible (the Gutenberg bible). He might also have been the first typeface designer; this is also the reason why the next books developed after the Gutenberg bible later on. With Fust as a businessman and Schoeffer in charge of the printing, they established a hundred year dynasty of printers, publishers and booksellers. Schoeffer married Fust’s daughter around 1469, and their first work as partners was the completion of the forty-two-line bible (the Gutenberg bible), which was practically done when they took over after Gutenberg.

Because the Gutenberg bibles lack of page numbers and title page, there were no real distinct differences that separated it from the handmade manuscripts. Gutenberg and his costumers probably wanted it this way, but when Fust brought the book to Paris, he was accused as a heretic and for the use of witchcraft. To avoid conviction Fust had to revile the secrets behind the books. After this, they used title page and page numbers as a start to separate the letterpress books from the hand made books. Fust and Schoeffer were also the first ones to use color in the typography. The colors they used were red and blue; they were at first used in a magnificent psalter in Latin. This was in its time a major invention and seen as one of the most beautiful technics, it stood out from the other works that just used one color.

Not so many years after this, the War forced many to flee the country because of the power fights in Germany. The looting of the print shops made many take their equipment on wagons and brought it with them out of the country, and with them the young printers and ex-printers. Many of them never returned and were soon established printers as far away as France and Italy. This is one of they ways that the secrets behind Gutenberg’s invention and technics entered the rest of Europe.

One of the interesting things that you find when you go back in the history of Graphic design is that you find pieces of important people and events that still had an important role in today’s society. One of these things is among other Claude Garamond he created one of the oldest -and still used- typefaces, the typefaces are Bembo and Garamond around 1570, the other one is Baskerville who was created by John Baskerville in 1761. This font was created in the 1600^th century and in 2014 it is still used, mostly in books and larger texts. The fascinating thing about this is that even after all these years it still has such an important role in our society. It only shows the beauty and incredible skill that these typographers had when the first fonts were created. Some of the oldest fonts are still among the most used fonts. Baskerville was also the first one to create a font that was meant to be able to use italic in the Old Style/ Roman font. It was meant to replace the color text and still have the same effect, but in a more elegant way.

Also because of the development of the printed methods Martin Luther was able to pass on and share his opinions to the public, and because of this he started a new chapter in the Christian history. Martin Luther became one of them most influential figures in the Christian history; he was the reason of the Protestant reformation in the 16^th century. Because of him it became a reformation within the church, he also wanted the people to understand the message from god, and therefore he translated the bible so everyone could learn to read, and be able to read gods words and then be closer to god. He was hated and loved, but what he did and how he used the letterpress technics to spread his message was a big turn around. People acknowledged the power of the written word; furthermore it was to an affordable price. This was the beginning of the peoples voice in the public media, and it has not been the same after this, as well as the Christian Catholic Church is no longer what it was, it was split into different sects.

Graphic Design has changed a lot during the history; there are many important events throughout the history, which has changed the future to what it is today. These events determined the development of the people, how people grew to more established and developed nations, who were not controlled through general dictatorship, but rather by democrats and the people by a much higher degree then before. As the time went by the people got a stronger voice and demanded to be heard. With the growth of the written word, the people were more enlightened and educated. It become harder and harder to hide what the rulers did, and controlled the people who had a voice and disagreed with them.  The general dictators got challenged and their way of ruling the people become became more difficult, which lead to the disturbances, revolutions and the wars for freedom, and the right to share their opinions and to be heard, the leaders fought for their power.

The first one to challenged this power and shared the thoughts with the people was Martin Luther. Martin Luther was one of the first one to take advantage of these new techniques to spread his words to the people. In the end this changed the power of that church had over the people. The people questioned the authority of the church, and the thought of a free choice was now not just a dream, but a possibility. Nevertheless it was not without a cost, many died for their believes in the defiance of the church.

The industrial industry revolution

Steam powered presses, mechanized letterpress, lithography, chromolithography and photography was invented and developed in this period. The period holds also one of the most important inventions of the century for Graphic Design. This is a new era where they discover, search for new ways to express themselves and also how to try and play with different styles.

Five years after Bodoni’s death in 1813, his Manual Tipografico  – this included a comprehensive discussion over three hundred typefaces from across Europe, Greek, Roman, Gothic, Russian as well as Asia. He also includes lines, borders, symbols, numbers and musical notation; this is a collection of his lives work, where he shares his knowledge and understanding of typography. This book influenced generations of future typographers. This publication served in many ways as a culmination of the classical period of typography. This began in the 1500^th1 century, and the changes in the society during the 1900^th century fundamentally altered the field. His collected work was a part of how people came to an understanding of the different typefaces, and how to use them. Also with a better coherence in the Graphic field, where it slowly grew from just an informational field to what it is today.

During this era the element of connoisseurship that had here-to-fore, played such a prominent role in the history of the typography world, to be devaluated in favor for the pursuit of commerce. The fundamental changes in how people saw and used the printed works, changed because of Bodoni’s book. The 1900^th century also witnessed the birth of Graphic Design.

The Victorian era

The Victorian era witnessed the first development of the Graphic Design as a Profession. The Victorian era is seen as a messy and shameful period in the Graphic Design history. In this period there was so many styles witch tried out. They mixed many different styles and created a messy and an over designed look where more was better. The 1900^th century was a chaotic morass of vulgar and tawdry ornaments where “more is more”. They mixed styles and eras; nevertheless, in this era there also came inventions that changed the cost and access for the people of the printed works, such as photography, mechanic letterpress and cheap newspapers.

This is an era where the boundaries of the Graphic Design field are researched end explored. The excitement for new things among with the cost saving processes that was offered. With the steam driven letterpresses, it came on the cost of the designer, many of the workers who controlled the machines started to take on design offers. That further lowered the cost for the clients. These people were often not trained artist who just put some work together as fast and as cheap as possible. This had a horrific outcome on the works that were produced. Even though this is an era that is considered as a messy, it has still been an important stepping-stone for the future designers. They have learned through this time, that there was a need for a better design that was controlled within a style or in an artistic way.

The importance of Graphic Design is a never-ending story that always evolves because of people’s curiosity in search new ways to express them selves. Old and current styles get out of date and become boring. In the noise of the present there is always someone who tries to take your attention in the mass of advertising. The field has to evolve to keep up with the hunger of the public for entertainment. The public want to see new and unexpected things, and above all we need beauty, symmetry and an aesthetics design that pleases the viewers eyes. The market of the creative environment is hard; you have to keep up with the new constant shifting trends, as our technology develops faster and faster for every year that goes.

Owen Jones was one of the most influential designers in the Victorian era; he wanted quality and good design over quantity for a lower cost. He was one of the key persons to help create a house style for the firms in Graphic design. He meant that the designers of this era were under educated in needed of a better education in Art in general. Owen Jones meant that the reason for the design at this time was the lack of education and priority for a low price over a well-designed piece.

The yellow-back novels became a very popular product among the traveling public in the Victorian era. It was on the market in the mid century, the novels were featuring romantic or sensational stories. These stories appealed to the traveling public, not only for the stories themselves, but also because of the affordable price, as they were not meant as collectable purchase. The American authors had an important role among the list of the yellow-back titles. The reason behind this was because of the British copyright law who allowed them to reprint the stories without paying the author.

Currier & Ives print was founded in 1857; they were also involved in playing an important role of how Americans thought about themselves. Currier & Ives were intended on creating “cheap and popular prints”. The style that they used, drawing in the print, this style became linked to “americanness” as the Germans to the black letter as their national identity. With their works, the general public in America started to get a sense of who they were as a country. Many of these paintings were linked to novels that were sold in the train stations around the country, which meant that the general public all saw the same things. This created a connection between the people who shared the same memories.

One of the interesting things is how the election of Abraham Lincoln may have been caused by his use of the photo that was published of him to the public. It was not painted or a lithographic drawing which many others used. These were not seen as trust worthy, because they could be altered. The photography was seen, as trust worthy and authentic, which made the general public feel connected and recognized him. They gained a personal connection to him, as they never had been able to before. They saw him as a person because of all the photos that were in circulation. This made Lincoln popular among his people; he was published in magazines and newspapers among with the small photos that were distributed around in America. He was one of the first to take an advantage of this. He used this as a way to advertise himself to the people. Lincoln used the technology that was available for him at that time, to be able to convince the people that he was the right man for the job, and he succeeded. The way he used the media and the photography, and the power it had at the time, took the people by surprise and they believed that what he said and what they saw were true. They did not believe that photos could be changed at this time; at the time this was a capture of the truth.

Another event that had an important stimulus to the rise of Graphic Design was the establishment of the advertising agencies. The first advertising agency was N.W. Ayer & Sons, was established in Philadelphia in 1869. Other New York firms established their businesses in the 1870s. By 1880 there were hundreds of advertising agencies in all of the major cities in America. With the agencies it became a new stepping-stone where they had realized the importance of the Graphic Design, and the importance of a proper designer. By the 1890s most of the larger firms employed an art director as a part of a separate department. This made it possible for the firms to take the over the design of the advertisement as well as their own marketing. The art directors or also called “ art editors” was concerned and seen in terms of Graphic Designers as kings, the art directors had all the power and had gained the highest position as a designer, they were admired and hated.

One veteran design reformer, who made a fundamental contribution to the establishment of Graphic design profession, was the multifaced theorist and practitioner William Morris (1834-1896). He believed that the design arts had an important role to play, in improving people’s lives of everyday working people. He was the first to recognize and acknowledge the problems with the industrial industry, with the ugly mass-produces designs, he was by the perception that the poor design lowered the value of everyday workers lives. He wanted to find a way to bring more beauty into the everyday life of the working people, because he thought that it would increase the life value, and make their lives easier. He was unable to offer a workable solution other than expensive handmade designs, among many others was used and bought by Queen Victoria.

In 1891, Morris expanded his firm to include book design; previously he had created furniture, wallpaper and other designs, but not crafts in the Graphic Design field, he had only been a theorist around this subject before he started with book design. He founded the Ketmscott press named after his family estate in Glucestershire where the business was located. Morris produced limited editions featuring hand made paper and expertly tooled leather covers, in contrast to the poor mass-produced products by the industrial industry. Parallel to this he worked on other decorative arts.

Morris was an inspiration for others to open their own boutiques press that published exquisitely designed books. Morrison also worked in the field of type design; witch was designed for his own books where he created several historical typefaces. As a theorist he had all these great ideas about how to improve the design and the peoples lives, but with his sense of esthetic and the quality that he produced in his product, it was not possible to include this in the industrial work. It turned out to be more of a dream then a reality where he contradicted himself and exclusively made expensive design, regardless of what it was, everything from chairs to books.

In the future, designers will agree on that the model that Morris used with his sense of style and his love for the old historical styles that were used in his designs, were inappropriate and out dated for the modern urban society. The early designers are not Graphic Designers of the modern culture or by the quality, but they have been a major asset to how our society, culture and the field have changed and become what it is today, this is the stepping-stones which lead up towards the culture and the design that we have today.

Art Nouveau

In the later part of the 1900^th century especially concentrated in France, an entire generation of designers in Europe believed, that that the urban world by the industrial revolution lacked beauty; the trend with the chaotic art works was a shame rater then a thrilling sight. They shared the same visions as Morris by unifying the different design arts including Graphic Design. As a result from this they created a new style of the industrial world whit a focus on beauty and elegance. The style they created was categorized Art Nouveau or “new art” for design movements. The style was created to celebrate the vibrant pulse of the urban life. They created a range of styles that was not necessary connected to old styles; some of them are also connected to different managements. The style was heavily inspired by the Japanize style, and they were in most cases influential to the Art Nouveau in Europe, more closely in particular in France.

In the French Art Nouveau the most influential poster designer at this time was Jules Chéret (1836-1932). He was the son of a typesetter and he worked in London as a young man. By 1860s he settled in Paris, he was artistically gifted, and his works was sought after from an early age in his carrier. He was technically innovative and dramatically enchanting in the recognition of chromolithography. A firm was established in 1866 where he produced lithographic posters mainly, he were also convinced that lithography soon would replace letterpress printing in the style of Art Nouveau, this was a major shift in how they created their works. Many of the best poster designers at this time, used different technics then what had been popular in the earlier years.  He created a process that allowed him to create colorful bright posters with a high range of hue, value and intensity. There were two major styles who reflected his work and this is the influence of the Japanize style and the French 1800^th century style rococo.

Chéret’s rococo posters were inspired by the circus from the time he lived in England, even though his composition, artistic quality, and his expression in his art works, took him far from the circus posters at that time. In his work you could also trace the inspiration from the Japanize style that roomed the country, they were flooded whit ornament and art from Japan, which influenced the designers at this time, it was the combination of these styles that made the industrial revolution move on from the era, that had for so long been a shameful dark period in the eyes of the artists, especially the ones who wanted more from the Graphic Design profession. He also demonstrated the new art of Graphic Design, whit the style he used. With the help of this new found love for the chromolithography he was not bound by the rules or the disadvantages by the letterpress, he was not restricted by the limited space and lines that followed the letterpress technics. This was because he created his own lettering by hand. He was free to implement the art with the typography. Throughout his carrier he created over a thousand original compositions that was printed into millions of mass-produced posters. He helped to elevate the status of poster design during the last two decades of the century. He also achieved the highest award of the French state; he became the cavalier of the Legion of Honor (later increased to the Grand Officer).

With the newfound freedom that the Graphic Designer now found them selves deep down in, with the artistic freedom to express them selves, Chéret hade more work than he could have hoped for a few years earlier. In (1884) he had his first group exhibit and just 2 years later in (1886) came his first book on French poster art. This was the announcement to Europe that the art of posters had arrived in 1896 up until 1900 a series of lithography’s was published in Paris, with it his most significant work Les Maítres de I’Affiche (“masters of the posters”). This series was reprinted with 4 reprints and additional 16 new plates made from brand new designs. These were printed each month for five years; each product bore a special seal based on a design by Chéret. The sizes of the posters were smaller then the original that were used for advertising and these were more easily displayed in a home. They had a higher quality in both the ink and the paper. Chéret’s work inspired Europe and America, they had all their own interpretation of the style, but they had all in common the influence from Japan, but the one many of them took inspiration from was Chéret himself. Even in countries as America, Britten and Germany, they toned down the sexuality that was present in Chéret lithographic posters.

The impression and contribution of popular magazines also contributed and served a significant role in bringing new art forms to the Graphic Design; it also brought the attention to the public. One of the most popular magazines was “Le Rire” it was a journal with strong political views, it was established in 1894 by Felil Juven. They featured thousands of key designs by popular poster designers. They were mainly used on front and back covers with occasional centerpieces, which were printed in color. Further more there also came a steady demand for caricatures of famous people. At this time Leonetto Cappiello decided to move from Italy to Paris in 1898. He worked with a variety of publications in his career, where his popularity grew over the years. He also made a series that include the most popular and famous actresses in Europe, Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923). These were created for the journal La Revue Blanche. Whit his caricatures it lead to a request for advertising, this embarked to a new extremely lucrative career as a designer for commercial posers.

Cappiello was ahead of his time; he simplified the commercial message to its essential message. He had the name of the product and an image. This was a massive contrast at the time; to the industrial revolution that used the term “more is more”.

During the era of Art Nouveau Graphic Design began to be considered as a fine art. They were artistically valued not only as a commercial product. The United States took inspiration from Europe; where they took the inspiration from the British magazine the Studio and the yellow book among many others as well as the French. From the French they took inspiration in such as Les Maítres the poster collection made by Chéret. The American sought out different countries to take inspiration from, because of the lack of self confident within their own artistic skill to create a new style. The reason for this insecurity was simply by the fact that they were such a young, new established nation. They did not trust their own artistic skills, and therefore sought out other to inspire them to create new styles, or more likely to follow these styles with their own interpretation. This is how Art Nouveau came to America in 1889. The style was very different in all of the other countries outside of France. Every country took their own interpretation of the style and the artistic work, the popularity of Art Nouveau diminished in popularity between 1905 and 1914.

First World War

It was a shift in the Graphic Design field during the First World War, and the time before the war, the shift came because of the lack of clarity in the message in the advertisement and posters in the style of Art Nouveau. Also because as the world moved on, the style seemed out dated. At this time Graphic Design had been established as a profession, but there were yet no places were people could turn to hire a Graphic Designer. The Designers entered competitions that frequently were held around the cities. To provide work when the clients wanted and needed work or suggestions, this was normal at this time, and it was also the only way to find the best designers. During this time there were created a new style in Germany and the style Sachplakat was the exact opposite of the Art Nouveau style. There was less elements usually just one image with the name of the product or a slogan. The style where “less is more” was used in Sachplakat to get a clearer message to the public. To avoid the uncertain message who usually followed the advertisement in Art Nouveau.

Through out Europe and in the U.S. they used the power of the Graphic Design and the effect the posters had on the public. The public heard the words of the government and the leaders. They used the printed words to their advantage, and further more to get the message out to the public and keep them up dated with the news. When the war came this became a crucial way of communicating, advertising and requiting solders for the wars across Europe and America. There were also an increase in advertising and propaganda during the war.  This was the first major step towards our society in the present, after the invention and the development from Gutenberg. There had been several small steps, through the history that has lead up to the point where it has been developed and understood at the degree it had at this time. During the First World War the importance of Graphic Design was discovered, and after this it has been developed and sought out new and better ways to share our messages, up until the present day, there are still people in search of new and better ways to communicate through the written words.

The significance that graphic design has on the present is mind blowing, and we are all part of the era where we are consumers and always crave new and better things. The Graphic Design element is helping to push this forward. It is still such an important part for the society, that people today would probably not survive without it, because of the printed media we tell our story or sell our products witch creates our economy. Further the conversion to the digital medias has increased the field of the Graphic Design even more, the when it was just used on paper. Now the effects of the Graphic Design surrounds us at all times and it have evolved into several different branches and categories as our technology has developed. How much this field has developed, is very significance, but it has happened very much in just a few decades that has spiked our need and use for the Graphic Design field. It is become a part of how we communicate in so many levels, that if we were to take it away from the public we would be helpless. Defenseless and weaken by the lack of knowledge to communicate without the written words and the design, that evolves us to appreciate the constant noise and struggle for our attention.

The importance of Graphic Design is a never-ending story that always evolves because of people’s curiosity in search new ways to express them selves. Old and current styles get out of date and become boring. In the noise of the present there is always someone who tries to take your attention in the mass of advertising. The field has to evolve to keep up with the hunger of the public for entertainment. The public want to see new and unexpected things, and above all we need beauty, symmetry and an aesthetics design that pleases the viewers eyes. The market of the creative environment is hard; you have to keep up with the new constant shifting trends, as our technology develops faster and faster for every year that goes.

Sources:

Books

Internet

http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-9389283#synopsis&awesm=~oEdNFf6WauOnrH
http://www.linotype.com/683/giambattistabodoni.html