History of Graphic Design: Lec

PLVS 2050 | Fall 2011 | Faculty: Ethan Robey

The goal of this course is to learn about twentieth century graphic design movements and design pioneers and to gain an understanding of how graphic design, perhaps more than any other design discipline, is a visualization of the social, economic, and political conditions of a particular time, place and culture. The history is presented somewhat chronologically though there is a great deal of overlap between movements and styles that dont always fall into neat categories. In addition to looking at and analyzing the formal elements of an individual designer's work, the class studies how posters, books, magazines, packaging, corporate communications, information design, and motion graphics function as instruments of persuasion or as marketing tools, identifiers, style setters, and/or organizers of information. Pathway: Visual Studies