Table of Contents
A Brief History Of Graphic Design
Graphic design is such an integral part of our everyday society that it is difficult to envision life without it. In certain cases, we never have: visual contact is as ancient as our opposable thumbs, though it has been a long road from stone tools to digital tablets. In brief, the past of graphic design is a tale that covers much of human history and has the potential to encourage and educate even new graphic designers.
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For one thing, understanding where, when, and how this business arose lets designers appreciate their role in history. In more realistic words, stylistic patterns follow a cyclical pattern, and observing the past will encourage some novel ideas in the present. So come along with us as we follow the origins of architecture from pre-industrial times to the industry we know today. With luck, you’ll be able to leave your own imprint along the way!
Before the printing press: Prehistory to the Renaissance
Graphic design as we know it today started with the advent of the printing press in 1440, but the origins of graphic communication can be traced back to caveman days. In this part, we’ll go through the historical events that paved the way for graphic design centuries before the rest of the world were ready for it.
38,000 BCE cave paintings
It seems that humans have often had an innate need to create art, as shown by prehistoric cave paintings. Subjects range from wildlife to hand imprints to hunting cases, and they have been discovered all over the globe (Australia, Spain, Indonesia, France, Argentina, just to name a few). Historians dispute the fine points of how these were supposed to interact with (whether each other or their gods), but one thing is certain: mankind has always had a talent for interacting with images.
Advances of Chinese printing from 200 CE to 1040 CE
China retains the majority of the records for printing inventions, including non-papyrus paper production, woodblock printing, and movable type—all of which happened even earlier than you would expect.
China used wood reliefs to print and stamp patterns on silk clothes, and later paper, as early as 200 CE. More than 400 years before Gutenburg introduced a similar invention to Europe, Bi Sheng developed the world’s first movable form printing press out of porcelain in 1040.
700s – Medieval calligraphy
Typography began to take off in the Middle Ages when society began to broaden the aesthetic horizons into the letters and terms themselves. Since texts were written and copied by hand throughout this time span, a little artistry added value to the books and distinguished some scholars from others. Typography was especially significant in Islamic societies since figurative art was considered sacrilegious, making typography one of the only allowable forms of artistic expression.
The coat of arms was the world’s first emblem, used as a sign to denote family houses or territories. Scholars believe the activity gained popularity during the Crusades, when intermingling soldiers from various countries and houses necessitated a way to tell anyone apart, especially on armour and battle flags.
A house’s coat of arms, including logos, tended to reflect the people’s ideals, features, and types. Later, these symbols were used for more specific uses, such as wax seals to indicate validity.
Storefront ads – 1389
Beer and ale became viable, if not preferred, alternatives to drinking water in the 14th century, when most water bodies were poisoned. King Richard II of England made it a rule that ale houses would have signage out front to make it easy for the people to locate them.
Not only were these the first signs that depicted businesses rather than homes, but they have started a wonderful trend that continues to this day.
The Renaissance and Industrial Periods ushered in the birth of graphic design.
With the invention of the printing press in Europe, mankind was able to reproduce text, sculpture, and architecture on a large scale and at a low cost. The forefathers of modern firms, who were also on the rise, soon realised how such visuals could influence purchasing habits and increase income, and hence modern graphic design was born.
The Gutenberg press is invented in 1439.
In 1439, Johannes Gutenberg introduced moveable form to Europe, ushering in mass media and permanently altering Western society. People no longer had to rely on lengthy academic reproductions of books thanks to the Gutenberg press, which brought literature (and literacy) to the masses and made it accessible. The Gutenberg press opened the way for more industrial applications of illustration, ushering in the modern age of graphic design.
Logos for the first time appeared in the late 1400s.
The publishing industry was the first to utilise labels, but they were restricted to symbols on their own publications. It was not just a promotional tool, but also a way to demonstrate your printing prowess—how good your emblem was printed showed how well all was printed.
The printing press gives way to the “coranto,” the forerunner to the journal. These corantos also included the first printed ads in the early 1600s.
(While written advertising may be traced back to ancient Egypt, this is the first time we see pictures of mass-produced advertisements.)
Chromolithography was invented in 1837.
Technological advances, such as the ability to print in colour, or chromolithography, fueled the progression of graphic design. Although chromolithography was mainly used for reproducing paintings for home decor, it often opened up new avenues for ads.
Brands could also utilise all of the popular advertisement techniques we know today, such as distinctive colour schemes and emotional bonds built across slice-of-life scenes. Previously, graphics were hampered by technology (see the ink blot coranto illustration in the previous section) and prioritised simple transparency over touching on deep emotions. However, chromolithography allowed some realism, enabling advertisers to focus on beautiful women, current fashions, and imaginative colour use.
Graphic style of the twenty-first century
Graphic design as we know it today emerged in the industrial period, approximately from the late 1800s until the end of World War II. While the nineteenth century was focused on scientific advances and revolutionary capabilities, the industrial age was focused on discovering how to use these advancements for more creative purposes. With printing being a mainstream technology and rivalry driving creativity, artists and designers were forced to experiment with different designs and strategies, which soon spread to advertisement and branding.
