Courses > History Graphic Design

11:00–11:50am; M,W,F

COURSE TEXT

  • Meggs' History of Graphic Design
    by Philip B. Meggs and Alston W. Purvis, Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

OBJECTIVES

  • Identify key graphic design movements.
  • List the key people, philosophies and influences of design movements.
  • Draw the visual characteristics of distinct design movements.
  • Gain a broad understanding of how contemporary design fits within a cultural and historical context.

Format

Lecture-based with written examination and supportive project(s).

Components

Lectures

Test 1

Test 2

Test 3

Test 4

course calendar

 

 

day
date
activities
M
1-23
  • syllabus & introductions
  • go get textbook (if you haven't already)
W
1-25
  • Lecture 1 - What is Design?
F
1-27
  • Lecture 2 - The Invention of Writing
  • read:
    • "The earliest writing" p. 6
    • "Mesopotamian visual identification" p. 9
    • "Egyptian Hieroglyphics" p. 10
    • "Papyrus and writing" p. 12
    • "Chinese Calligraphy" p. 31
M
1-30
  • Lecture 3 - Origins of Alphabets
  • game
  • read:
    • "The Greek Alphabet" p. 22
    • "The Latin Alphabet" p. 26
W
2-1
  • Lecture 4 - Medieval Period
    • intro p. 42
    • "The Classical Style" p. 43
    • "Late Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts" p. 58
F
2-3
  • Lecture 5 - Printing Comes to Europe
  • read:
      • "Moveable Typography in Europe" p. 69
M
2-6
  • Field Trip to St. Elijah
    • Leave at 9:45, be back by 1:15pm.
W
2-8
  • Lecture 6 - Typography
  • read:
    • p. 117–119
F
2-10
 Test 1
M
2-13
  • Lecture 7 - Rococo, Photography, Lithography
W
2-15
  • Lecture 8 - Woodtype Poster
  • "Innovations in Typography" p. 135
    "The wood-type poster" p. 139
F
2-17
  • Lecture 9 - Victorian
  • read: "Popular Graphics of the Victorian Era" p. 152
    read: "The design language of chromolithography" p. 155
M
2-20
  • Lecture 10 - Arts & Craft
  • read: Ch. 10 intro, p. 167
W
2-22
  • Lecture 11 - Art Nouveau
  • read: Ch. 11 "Art Nouveau" p. 194
F
2-24
  • Film
M
2-27
  • Test 2
W
2-29
  • lecture 12 - The Influence of Modern Art on Design, Cubism and Futurism
  • read:
    • "The Influence of Modern Art" intro p. 248
F
3-2
  • Lecture 13 - Dadaism and Surrealism
  • "dada" p. 256
  • "surrealism" p. 262
M
3-4
  • Lecture 14 - Minimalism, Plakatstil
  • "Pictorial Modernism" intro p. 269
  • "Plakatstil" p. 270
  • link: Lucian Bernhard
W
3-6
  • Lecture 15 - Constructivism and De Stijl
F
3-8
  • Lecture 16 - Bauhaus and Propaganda Posters
  • read: 310-319
  • read: "The Poster Goes to War" p. 274
M
3-12
  • lecture 17 - ITS
  • Helvetica clip (Michael Bierut)
W
3-14
  • lecture 18 - Art Deco
F
3-16
  • test 3
M
3-26
  • film
W
3-28
  • lecture 19: 1950s
F
3-30
  • lecture 20: 1960s
M
4-2
  • no class
W
4-4
  • lecture 21: Design For Humans
F
4-6
  • Good Friday -- No school
M
4-9
  • Lecture 22: 70s, 80s, 90s
W
4-11
  • Lecture 23: Information Explosion
F
4-13
  • Lecture 24: Hand-lettering, Grunge, and Vernacular
M
4-16
  • Test 4
W
4-18
  • Lecture 25
F
4-20
  • Lecture 26
M
4-23
  • Contemporary Styles Presentation
W
4-25
  • Contemporary Styles Presentation
F
4-27
  • Contemporary Styles Presentation
M
4-30
  • Film
W
5-2
  • review for final (attend one session)
  • work on style book
F
5-4
  • review for final (attend one session)
  • work on style book
M
5-7
  • Final // 1:00–3:00, Style Book DUE