Reflection

      From early paintings in caves to modern print on posters, after taking The History of Graphic Design online course I can say that I have learned a great deal about what graphic design is and what it is not. Graphic design pertains to visual art and mass communication as stated by  William Addison Dwiggins. In simplest terms graphic design is visual communication - communication that seeks to effectively and efficiently convey an idea or message through the use of visual aids and cues. Throughout this quarter as I journeyed through history by reading Megg's History of Graphic Design, I learned that we got to where we are today thanks to breakthroughs in the visual communication and design fields - breakthroughs in technology that led to efficiency and ideas that started movements. What I enjoyed most about Professor Manske's class was that it forced us to go beyond the pages of the textbook and delve deeper into related subjects or what we found interesting based on observations outside of class. The learning community fostered in this online course was an interesting concept to me, and in my opinion, it was good to see the research of others and learn from their findings. After reading some of the other field journals, I got a feel for some of the relationships between the present and the past.

       Initially, I thought the history of graphic design was limited to digital revolution era when the computer and creative software allowed artists to fully realize their talents and apply their creations to the commercial world at large; however, I was misinformed. I learned that the world of graphic design had its roots in the early prehistoric era and has traveled through time and evolved to what it is today. The field journals have been a great way of relating what I have learned in the chapters of the textbook to today's world. It is evident that the styles of the past still have their influence in society as they can be seen in the everyday objects around us. My favorite field journals would have to be #6 on De Stijl and #5 Behren's Philosophy. These are my favorite because they are things I have learned about this quarter that directly relate to some experiences in my life. In the future, I will also try to relate what I have learned and taken away from this class to the things I see in the world around me. The field journals are an excellent starting point and practice for this. Each era in graphic design history has its own distinct feel and after reading about the transformation and transitions which occurred, I feel like it is a lot easier to identify certain design aspects and influences in today's world. 


        In all history, it is the past that shapes the present and the present that shapes the future, and with respect to the world of graphic design and its status in the world today, I believe that there are limitless possibilities to be explored. It is hard to say exactly what the future holds for graphic design, but based on the trends found in the textbook, I believe that there will be a reinvention of past styles or call to a past age that fits a modern context. Ultimately, it will be up to the new generation of graphic designers to learn from the past and invent innovative and intriguing design and styles with the technology of their age.

- Jaysen Parmar