Final Reflections

For the past 10 weeks, I have compiled the following journal entries as part of the History of Graphic Design class at Foothill. Each week, the students were asked to expand on a subject covered in the reading in an effort to enrich their knowledge on the subject. Through this assignment, I not only expanded my understanding and appreciation of subjects already of interest, but I also developed a greater appreciation of design history overall and the way it impacts daily life.

The course load for this class could often feel overwhelming. Within one week, I would be asked to read multiple chapters, take a quiz with a short essay question, research and write a journal entry, and read and comment on the work of another student. In itself, this level of work was not overwhelming, but when taken in conjunction with my responsibilities, I had difficulty completing all the requirements.

When it became evident that I would not have the energy to complete everything in the class, I was forced to make a decision to sacrifice something, and determined that most of my time and effort was best served in these journal entries. Although these entries did not have the highest points value, they were the best chance to develop my knowledge and appreciation of the design world, and therefore seemed like the best choice to divert most of my energy.

This class really opened my eyes to the importance of design and its impact on the world, but the quizzes were mostly memorization and regurgitation of facts, things that can easily slip from my mind when they are no longer an immediate focus. These journal entries allowed me to apply that knowledge. Reading the textbook assignments became more than just snagging on to facts that might show up in a quiz. It was my first opportunity to be inspired by something in the history that spoke to me and inspired interest, and making the effort to connect it to other things that mattered to me. Each week changed my perspective of design or caused me to look deeper into an area I thought I already understood.

The first week showed me that so many things I never regarded or recognized as design were in fact part of the rich history. That graphic design was used in the development of the earliest methods of communication and has been a part of human history from the beginning. The second week awakened me to the differences of native reading directions and caused me to wonder whether this changes how we respond to the organization of a design work.

Week three taught me about the important role of mathematics in the development and organization of design, from finding the perfect measurements for typography to determining the most pleasing organization of a work on canvas. In week 4, I learned about the Arts and Crafts Movement, connecting it to the artistic entrepreneurial site of Etsy.

Weeks five and six showed me how early pioneers in the world of design can inspire styles and methods that endure forever. Art Nouveau's focus on women in advertising posters, and the way the female subject became a greater focus than the product, is a theme in advertising that still exists to this day. This movement can be seen as an originator of the way modern advertising is structured. Meanwhile, Apple borrowed the style of Plakatstil in the creation of a wildly successful advertising campaign for the iPod that is recognized worldwide.

In week 7, I learned that art and the world around it influence each other. While art and design can change how we respond to our environment and develop it for the future, the world also shapes the art we create and how popular it becomes. The events of World War II had a significant impact on the art world, changing the center of artistic communities and developments, and also making art an outlaw. The Nazi Party labeled abstract works as degenerate, but their attempts to stifle and ridicule it may have actually helped the artistic movement to grow and gain a larger audience.

Finally, I devoted the last three weeks to looking more in depth to a solitary element and seeing the part each played in the design world. I delved into the Akzidenz-Grotesk typeface, seeing the many other fonts it inspired and recognizing its enduring appeal and constant utility. A closer look into the artist Armando Testa allowed me to see early efforts in television advertisements and the growth of the Italian design world. His story is also a testament to the value of hard work in persistence in the pursuit of design as many of his early efforts resulted in failure. The man was let go from 28 different employers, but still kept pushing himself, eventually meeting with success. Lastly, research into the design firm Pentagram showcased the development of a design studio from humble origins to the status of one of the most prolific and successful studios worldwide.

Most of these topics were barely covered in the textbook, and I could only develop the knowledge by pursuing it outside that source. An overall history course cannot explore such depths of history without taking ages to complete, and has to content itself with an overview of what it sees as the most important aspects. But the lack f inclusion of these topics in the book does not equal less importance, but a lack of room and time. This class would have been a much weaker and two-dimensional experience if we were not asked to pursue the pieces that had to be missed. I look forward to continuing to search for those missing pieces and learn more about the history that had to be left unsaid within the time constraints.

As I move on from this experience, it will be impossible to not carry what I have learned with me. Already, I find myself more attuned to the presence of design work in everything I do, marveling over everything from the obvious advertisements and package designs around me, to the development of characters in a coworker's handwriting. I see the history and inspiration of predecessors in the art world in how many things have come to evolve, and I believe the knowledge I have gained can help me to be a better designer in the future. I have so much more to understand and draw from when I look at prompt, and can use the understanding of movements and methods to find the best fit for the meaning behind a request.

Overall, I find myself in awe of the development of design throughout our history. I have heard it said many times that there are no new ideas, and everything you do has been done before by someone else. But looking over how far the art world has come and how many discoveries and breakthroughs have occurred, I find it difficult to believe that. I don't think that the ideas have run out, and there is still so much room for innovation. As the world continues to grow and change and technology advances, it will be thrilling to see what ways the design world develops in response.

Pentagram

Source: Prezi.com

Although major design studio Pentagram did not officially form until 1972, its origins go back over a decade to the first partnership between designers Alan Fletcher, Colin Forbes, and Bob Gill. The partnership had humble beginnings; the firm initially consisted of just the three designers and a receptionist, and there was very little to keep them busy. "What little work they had came from Time and Life, Pirelli and Penguin books," and the average charge to design a cover for Penguin was just 30 pounds (Fletcher 2013).

When Colin Forbes suggested expanding the group in 1965 by bringing in architect Theo Crosby, Bob Gill was unhappy, choosing to leave because "he found the whole protracted world of architecture infuriating, preferring the immediacy of graphics" (Fletcher 2013). However, the choice to bring in Crosby proved wise as the studio's business grew rapidly, acquiring high profile clients like Shell, Reuters, Arthur Anderson, and Canard. The growth led the trio to discuss expansion, and with the addition of product designer Kenneth Grange and associate designer Mervyn Kurlansky, Pentagram was formed.

Pentagram logo; Source: Pentagram

Pentagram logo; Source: Pentagram

Today, Pentagram is "the world's largest independent design consultancy" and has offices in London, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, and Austin (Herb Lubalin Study Center, 2013). Their client list ranges from "multinational corporations, under-funded arts organizations and interesting individuals." They are recognized for their ability "to make seemingly deadpan companies appear fun-loving people" (Webb, 1993). The company is structured differently, operated as "a federation of small overlapping companies, each run by a partner who has gained recognition in his or her own field," which allows partners to enter and leave "without damaging the overall structure" (Webb, 1993). The overall result is a multi-disciplinary firm that designes everything from "architecture, interiors, products, [corporate] identities, publications, posters, books, exhibitions, websites, and digital installations" (Pentagram, 2014).

The thought process behind the design work Pentagram does can be seen in the redesign of the Daily Show, as covered in an article by Business Week. When the television show relocated its studio in July of 2005, Pentagram was retained to design the new set and graphics for the show. The design team put in a large amount of work researching the source material they were trying to parody, in order to create a loyal homage that offered an improved design. The designers attempted to create graphics that were more subtle, as the show's executive producer state that "the best design is the things that insinuate themselves into your mind without overtly doing so" (Vanderbilt, 2005).

A list of many of Pentagram's clients and work samples can be seen on the company's website, but there is also video that shows the life of the company as though it was a person, telling the story with images of the group's work throughout the years:

Sources:

Herb Lubalin Study Center. (2013). Image of the studio: Pentagram. Retrieved from
http://imageofthestudio.com/studio/pentagram

Fletcher, R. (2013). Alan Fletcher: Work and play. Retrieved from
http://www.alanfletcherarchive.com/era/1972-1992-pentagram

Pentagram. (2014). About. Retrieved from http://www.pentagram.com/work/#/all/all/newest/

Vanderbilt, T. (2005). The Daily Show: Satire restyled. Retrieved from
http://imageofthestudio.com/studio/pentagram

Webb, B. (1993). The boy's book of Pentagram. Retrieved from
http://www.eyemagazine.com/review/article/the-boys-book-of-pentagram