Designers are social
commentators of their time. We design in response to things that are happening
around us. Throughout history technological advancements have pushed design
into uncharted areas. What parallels can you make between the technology
explosion of the early 1900s and the technology explosion that is happening
today? How did it affect those designing at the turn of the century, and how
does technology affect designers today?
We learned today that technology influenced the types of medium that design and art can be a part of. The Industrial Revolution gave us more types of communication; the invention of the steam press made printing paper a lot easier and cheaper, which makes producing and distributing things like magazines, posters and newspapers just as easy (1). This created a new demand for design in the form of advertisement.
ReplyDeleteA similar explosion is happening now. Computers, mobile devices, and tablets mean new mediums: websites and applications. Although there was user interface (UI) design before – in airplanes, machines, cars – it wasn’t closely linked to the idea of graphic design. Web and application design combines graphic and UI design seamlessly in a way that didn’t really exist before.
The Industrial Revolution somewhat created advertising, while our internet/mobile era gave a new meaning to UI design.
1 http://barber-history-of-graphic-design.blogspot.com/2009/02/chapter-9-graphic-design-and-industrial.html
Katie, both points (past and present influences) hit home the idea that our field is continually changing to reflect what we experience. Different aspects of technology developed and sure enough visual communicators figured out ways to embrace them and utilize them. You mention UI design as a more contemporary example and yes, this technology has had the same effect on us. This offers viewers the chance to actively engage with content, even manipulate it if they desire.
DeleteI agree that the steam press was one of the biggest inventions to happen for artists. With that invention, it became a lot easier for people to print and mass produce art. I think its interesting how you said that UI wasn't associated with graphic design until recently because I never really thought about it much. It is interesting how we have changed the way we interact with technology in the last couple years.
DeleteI agree with your point that the industrial revolution gave us more ways to communicate. The printing press opened up so many doors when it came to advertisement, which allowed designers to advance in there creativity.
DeleteYou bring up an important point about how the printing press really sprooted graphic design. It makes me think what if it was never invented? Even if it wasn't I do believe it eventually have been created however our modern day advances in design would probably be delayed.
DeleteIt's crazy to look at how everything has shifted to become more electronic. Just last semester I was reading in World HIstory about the effects of the printing press and how it changed communication forever. It will be crazy to look back and see how things like Adobe applications and new advances in the programs we use today have changed us and to read about them in younger generation's textbooks.
DeleteOur social surroundings play an important role in shaping the way people think and create, as well as the way the audience responds to the product of such creation. The content of the message has to be relevant to the time and place. With the progress of technology not only the content changes, but the means of communication do as well. In the early 1900s there were lots of social changes that lead to a transformation of art. Graphic design became very relevant because it provided an opportunity to reach a wide audience with a clear message through art. Throughout WWI and later, during WWII, posters became very common because they could be used as propaganda for political purposes. This way of successfully using images to persuade the audience to do something may have lead to an increase in posters used for advertising. Vintage posters from that time period are valued even today because they were visually appealing and caught the viewer's attention.
ReplyDeleteNowadays we can also see how social change and technology affect the development of visual communication. Right now it's obvious that the Internet is a very important source of information for the general public. That means that companies need to advertise their products or services online as well, in addition to posters or ads in magazines they develop websites, YouTube channels, etc. Graphic design evolves with these changes too; designers create 3D videos and presentations in addition to the traditional 2-dimensional pieces of work. They also need to know web-design in order to professionally present their portfolios online. Something that was basically non-existent 20 years ago is the new normal now.
Poster art is one of my favorite mediums found in street art today. Poster art allows you to integrate almost any type of art form you can think of to help get your point across. Shepard Fairey has truly taken this to a new level. He combines graphic design work with paintings, stencils and various other mediums that always manage to get a rise from his audience (good or bad). The whole point of propaganda is to make you question your surrounding whether it be the places, the people or the mind set you are in. Technology today has allowed for the opportunity to mass-produce posters such as the "Obey" piece in order to really make and impact on the people. By having more the ability to mass produce it not only gets your name out as an artist, it allows for you to get your point across to more of a wide ranged audience. Poster art seems to be one of the few forms that will allows be around.
Deletehttp://www.obeygiant.com/about
I never thought about how the world around us changes the nature of advertising. New technology and mass production has transformed advertising to include so many different kinds: magazines, newspapers, billboards, posters, print collateral (1). Aside from print advertisements, we also have digital/audio ones: website ads on a sidebar, TV commercials, radio commercials, video commercials on Youtube, and emails (1). We're bombarded with a ton of advertisement that people have nevervhad to deal with before.
DeleteIn general, I feel like digital forms of advertisement are less timeless and lower in quality than print forms, like posters. What do you guys think?
(1) http://www.ehow.com/info_7736409_10-kinds-advertising.html
Advertisement for graphic designers has changed a lot over the last few decades due to the Internet. Whereas before advertisements was used a lot through newspapers, magazines and the hanging of posters. Like you said, designers now need to be able to design small banners that can be displayed on YouTube or design advertisement backgrounds on blogs for products and TV shows.
Delete-Jasmine Berry
Like you said, thinking about who your advertisement is going to affect is vital. If you look at the differences in advertisements and graphic design today there is a huge spectrum with work at both ends and in between. Demographic determines so much of design and is an important thing to consider when looking at work.
DeleteIn a world where technology is growing more rapid than ever, so is design. More thought is being put into design than it ever was. Teams of designers all over the world work hard in order to develop even newer ideas to effectively match and market the growth in technology.
DeleteOlya, Posters of WW1 and WW2 did an excellent job at motivating and persuading the general public. It's proof that effective type and image has the power to engage, motivate, inspire and even manipulate. Continue forward in your design career with the understanding that what you create influences others. There is power in that ability. You must decide how you want to use those powers!
ReplyDeleteSome links to vintage WW1 and WW2 poster design sales sites you might like to check out:
• http://www.rare-posters.com/
• http://www.internationalposter.com/
• http://www.christies.com/vintage-posters-22862.aspx
In 1910, Henry Ford introduced the world to the assembly line. The assembly line became the standard to all kinds of jobs. (1) This is because the assembly line was more time efficient and therefore saved more money. Back then the assembly line consisted of people who acted in a robotic way. Assembly lines created new companies with new products. This gave artists more jobs to advertise their products.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, many large companies use assembly lines to make their products faster and more efficiently. Assembly lines now consists of humans working along side with machines to make the products. People can get their products faster and cheaper because of this. Art is also able to be created faster with this process. There can be large scale printing done with very little time and less money. Artist and designers are able to get their work out there faster and are able to keep up with the fast moving world around us.
1 - http://www.ushistoryscene.com/uncategorized/secondindustrialrevolution/
Its obvious that the combination of both man and machine is extremely beneficial for modern day working conditions; however its strange to think that their are still those who feel that technology is literally taking jobs away from people. I don't believe that those people realize how many different types of jobs are made available to us with just the thought of making an advance in technology. For example someone must think up new ideas which is a job in itself, this then leads to jobs for those who take the idea and turn it into reality, and this process will continue further down the line adding more jobs as it goes.
DeleteThere is no question that some jobs are being lost to technology and I support your sentiment about the other types of jobs technology creates. Here's an interesting article John: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/05/technology/apple-study-on-job-creation-spurs-an-economic-debate.html?_r=0
DeleteI remember having a discussion about the invention of the camera. When photography made its way into the world, artists/illustrators began to worry that their work would no longer be needed. However, as we talked about in class, these are simply just two forms of fine art, meaning that they are ultimately just two different forms of expression. It makes me think about how advanced photography is today with these new cameras that take crystal clear photos to a whole new level. But what's interesting is that in school, when it comes to photography, the basics are never lost. They don't just hand you the most recent version of a digital camera. Students are working with developing their own photos in a dark room, using cameras like a 35 mm single lens reflex camera.
DeleteI'm not exactly sure whether technology has ended or created more jobs. There must have been a huge amount of people working in factories, hand making clothes instead of having a machine churning them out. But there's also a ton of jobs created: graphic designers, database administrators, "social media specialists."
DeleteI do think that the quality of jobs has improved because of technology, at least in developed countries. I'd rather be a designer than a "sweatshop worker."
Andrew Carnegie was one of the main influences in the late 1800s. He was known for his steel factories, which were at the time considered the most technologically advanced in the world, although this placed a huge burden on his workers. In the 1800s when technology was first arising it almost seemed to be more of a burden than it was worth. However steel was produced and used when iron could not be. In today’s world we have technology that can create technology and lighten the workload for human workers. There are also new technologic advances that often replace or give us another option for what we want if we cannot find it in one product. Improvements allow for such things like music players, phones, computers and other technologies to become large corporate businesses. We are given choices to cheaper and various products to choose from much like the choice between iron and steel.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ushistoryscene.com/uncategorized/secondindustrialrevolution/
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-technology-advances-12579.html
Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology Advances
It is interesting to think that due to technological advances, we as the consumer are allowed for more choices. These improvements allow for feedback and even better products in the future. It is a cycle that goes from producer to consumer back to producer.
DeleteKitty your comment about feedback is spot on. Thanks to social media and accompanying technology companies know exactly what their audience is thinking! Prior to this, companies would put a message out there and hope for some sort of response. Not anymore!
DeleteIt's interesting/ironic how hard we work to ultimately lighten our workload. For example, first there is a problem or inconvenience, such as a design business owner having to create and keep track of a budgeting system and work schedule. It took a lot of time away from their actual design work, which of course translates into a loss of money. Then software developers and engineers worked hard to create project management systems complete with scheduling components (1). The paradox is that after working hard to develop these complex and intricate systems, the workload then becomes lightened due to them. It is an interesting cycle as time passes and we see how we prioritize things by what it is we are advancing on. For example, it is clear that society places a high value on communication electronics - just take a look at the leap cell phones have made in just 10 years.
Delete1) Managing the Design Process: Implementing Design, Stone, p 78
I've always had this thought in my head, that maybe technology would be the down fall of man kind. That society would get so technically advance it would just eliminate jobs themselves and where machines would be replacements to "lighten the workload". Just like the lose of jobs during to turn of the century due to technical advance and the jobs that had must have been lost when Andrew Carnegie built hes machines in his factories.
DeleteThe start of the Industrial revolution birthed a myriad of new technologies, such as the lithograph, that propelled graphic design into new territories. With the new technologies of the revolution product is cheaper allowing a much broader audience of viewers to receive and digest information. Also, because the birth of the graphic design came by the start of the Industrial revolution, early designers focused mostly on print work such as magazines, posters, books, etc. Today in the modern era of electronic the areas of work for designers has broadened vastly, with the introduction of the computer and the internet, graphic designers can now specialize in fields such web design, phone and desktop, apps, and more. This gives individuals, with designing tools such as adobe being accessible to any and everyone with a computer, the ability to become a designer. This accessible has made conceptual ideas somewhat valued more than technical skills, such as drawing, painting, sculpting. The conceptual idea behind a design has become the defining factor in standing out as a graphic designer.
ReplyDeletehttp://maeveconwayfried.wordpress.com/texts/graphic-design-the-rise-of-aesthetic-freedom-and-creative-control/
http://pacificgraphicdesign.wordpress.com/courses/history-of-graphic-design/chapters-meggs/meggs-chapter-9/
Derek, your post pushes me to ask this question: do you think print and interactive should be separate areas of focus in school and in our industry? Don't products and brands need to be promoted in both mediums?
DeleteTo go off what Derek said about how technology has made it possible for any and everyone with a computer to be able to become a designer—this statement sparked a memory of a previous conversation I had with my mother. My mother also happens to be a graphic designer. She went to school at Pratt, and she had said at that point in time everything was all hands on. Nowadays, a large majority of our graphic design work is handled on the computer. I remember my mom saying how when the Microsoft Office Suite came out, it made everyone think they had the ability to be graphic designers, meanwhile the programs were what really did the work for them.
DeleteI agree with Derek and Sam - the accessibility of computers and design programs have made a huge impact on the way people interact with design. As long as you have the money, you can purchase the same exact Creative Suite programs that professionals use; this has both positives and negatives. On the negative side, it allows for poorly produced posters and websites by people who were not educated in design. I believe this leads to visual clutter and the tendency for society to think that design is "easy." On the positive side, it allows high school and college-age students that are interested in design to get a feel for the software and be familiar with it before they even land their first job.
DeleteSam, yes, there was a HUGE transition from hands on to digital in the 1980s... the start of the digital revolution. We'll cover this in great detail later in the next few weeks! Talk about a major shift in our industry! Every aspect of design and the creative process changed practically over night! You know how I talked about the yin and yang of design? Many designers are referring back to that hand done, textural approach... the constant swing of the pendulum.
Deleteyea i feel as though the digital age is now. computers and phones are the next step in art and design. the fact that you can easily sculpt something on the computer and now with the introduction of 3D printers these sculptures can become a reality. pretty amazing to think about what 3D printers can do for artist around the world. i for one am very excited
DeleteI definitely see what you're saying about designers referring back to hand done approaches and I enjoy it! I've seen a lot of work that has looked hand done lately. Which makes me think of how funny it is that in a similar aspect photography has done the same. We all have fancy smartphones that take crystal clear pictures but we use apps that provide the film effects to the picture! I can say I am one of those that cant get enough of the "cross-process" effect!
DeleteAt the time during the technological explosion in the 1900's many people were given new opportunities to create and break out of the normal boundaries in design, advertising and marketing. The Industrial Revolution gave way to a better living standard for the average person or family. To continue with Kitty's comment, the combination between man and machines working together to create lower prices on everyday household items became beneficial to the middle class, raising the standard of living. The practicality of these technological advancements paved the way for a life away from work laden days just meant for providing for yourself or your family.
ReplyDeleteOn the same note in today's modern world we come into contact everyday with new breakthroughs and technological advancements to enhance our daily luxuries; whether it be Apple's latest iPhone, or iPad, the fastest internet, or another creation to save the consumer as a whole time and energy. This idea of being time efficient and leaving technology to do as much menial work for the consumer as possible is kept alive from the times during the 1900's.
This connects back to what I was discussing in class Lisa. In today's design industry we are creating rules in one room, executing them in another and creating an entire new set of rules in yet another. Technology and visual communication go hand in hand. Your best bet is to keep your ear to the ground and stay abreast of these changes. Doing so will make you a more effective communicator!
DeleteIt seriously made me laugh when you brought up the "forked-banner." I agree that it is definitely necessary to research work and take a look at whats around you as a designer and to stay on top of trends. Let inspiration be just that though, to inspire you! Now that I've been thinking about the forked banner, I've seen it multiply times this week, whether in motion graphics, infographics or posters!
DeleteKelly, it is our responsibility to keep an ear to the ground and know what's cool, hip and trendy. Consumers are like moths to the light. They flutter from one "in thing" to the next. The key is to know the trend but then anticipate or set the next trend. You're message will have a better chance of standing out from the crowd.
DeleteI realize I went off on a tangent about the forked banner inspired designs. This was the first, contemporary example that popped into my mind. Truthfully I have nothing against them personally! Just as we are talking about certain hallmarks that define a design style from the 1920s, in about 20 years we will be doing the same thing about design created in 2013. Who knows, maybe those forked banners will be one of those hallmarks! LOL
Bettering the human condition and lively hood is the connection I see in both the technology explosion of the 1900s and now. The Industrial Revolution was the turning point in history where it changed the living aspect of everyone. Both population and income became to rise at and unprecedented rate. There was a negative impact in the graphic art field where jobs like punch-cutters, type casters, typesetters and printers were losing their jobs to new mechanized methods of type casting and printing (1). Technology today I would say is still greatly influencing society today, I believe in an art perspective technology raised the bar; it gave artist more mediums, methods and inspiration. Art and technology will grow hand and hand as time progresses because they both influence each other so artist are the one the have to convey this in there art work.
ReplyDelete1. http://www.designhistory.org/Arts_Crafts_pages/IndustrialRevolution.html
Production artists, camera operators, film strippers and press operators can be added to your list! Technology, desktop publishing especially, took many separate design process jobs and put them onto the graphic designer's plate.
DeleteAs we covered in class, the early 1900's was a time of rapid change. With the introduction of the car, wireless radio, motion pictures, and steam press brought on a more consumer driven and based culture; thus opening the door for graphic designers. Magazines, newspapers, and posters were now mass produced due to the technological advancements that came during the industrial revolution. Because of this, companies now marketed their products in the form of designed advertisements.
ReplyDeleteAs technology continues to rise, so does the world of graphic design as technology is directly linked with design. In a world where individuals have become dependent on electronics, design is everywhere you look. I believe it's fair to say that what magazines and newspapers were in the 1900's, is comparable to what social media sights are today, in terms of relevance. The invention of the iphone as it comes with thousands of applications that make life all the more convenient. These modern inventions incorporate design in ways that it has never existed before.
I agree that technology makes it more convenient for us. It also allows us to become more creative and to produce our ideas more quickly. This also allows artists to really think out of the box to come up with new and different ideas that someone hasn't created yet.
Deletei feel like the iphone really set the standard for design. the sleek look of all the apple products is something that alot of companies are trying to copy. they are simple looking phones that pack a punch. Now many companies compare themselves to apple, from product designs to software.
DeleteI like that you mentioned the invenction of the iphone because this has been a big deal in mayor industries but also for people who do art just for fun. Now there are applications that make more accesible the creation of new art works.
DeleteTechnology will always and forever continue to rise, in my opinion. Graphic design these days will continue to build itself with the use and advances of technology, and with the advances of technology that keep growing, graphic design will always be in high demand. I agree with your statement where you said, "In a world where individuals have become dependent on electronics, design is everywhere you look,"you are 100% right. Not only are we depending on the electronics we have today, but what catches our attention about the electronics is the design used in it, as well as to advertise it.
DeleteThe statement you made about technology being directly linked to design was 100% accurate. As the years go by technology advances and as it evolves so do the designs. It seems as though design mirrors the level of technology of the particular era.
DeleteiPhone applications have not only made our lives more convenient– they have also established an opportunity for creation that previously did not exist. App developers have the ability to share their designs on a platform previously unimaginable, as well as an opportunity to have their ideas used by hundreds or thousands of users every day.
DeleteAlso, to add to what Paul has mentioned, it's not just Apple's sleek, sexy hardware that has grasped the world's attention– since the beginning, Apple has been synonymous with an extremely user-friendly interface. People respond well to a device that is easy to interact with and, due in large part to Apple, are beginning to recognize lesser quality as poor design.
We rely on digital design mediums today as much as those in the 1900s relied on traditional print mediums (newspapers, magazines, etc.). We have a hunger for information and it's safe to say we thrive on it. It's amazing to think how large the visual communication universe is. There seems to be enough room for both digital and print to be present and communicate to us.
ReplyDeleteWe are in constant communication and today's innovations had make it possible to reach to different places and different audiences. We have a hunger for information but better yet a hunger for new technology, we want to make it better, faster and more effective. For graphic designers if the technology makes it possible to send the message faster then it works well. Today's world is all about visual enhancements and thats why new technology has been successful.
DeleteYou say hunger... I say obsession! LOL
DeleteA little prior to the actual “explosion” in the 1900s, what had already been happening overseas, expanded to the United States, also beginning with the textile industry. Around 1800, the first factory was opened in the US, housing spinning machines, and creating mass-production of thread and cloth. Soon, investors revolutionized the American textile industry, allowing for expansion, and thousands of jobs for young women (where they could receive higher pay, independence, and for some, the only other job option besides being a servant).
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of the parallel between textiles then and today, I think of a particular instance in incredibly advanced technology I’ve found extremely fascinating. I’ve seen it in a certain instance on the TV show Project Runway (a runway competition amongst several talented fashion designers). One challenge revolves around each person designing his or her own fabric using a digital textile printer. Using a touch screen computer, in almost any design program (like Photoshop or Illustrator), designers could draw, or some even used dry paintbrushes directly on the screen to design their own fabrics. Inkjet printing was first patented in 1968, but around the turn of the century, the technology developed to format printers with the ability to handle various materials from paper and canvas to vinyl and fabric. The endless possibilities are truly amazing, and makes me wonder what there is to come in the next few decades.
http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/Almutaz/Documents/Enviro_courses/ENVS-561/Chapter%2025%2026.pdf
http://fashion-incubator.com/archive/introduction-to-digital-fabric-printing/
We can draw many parallels to that show and graphic design Sam. Your example of how they created textiles through technology is excellent. Notice how some of those patterns turned out. Some were quite successful and beautiful, others, not so much!
DeleteFor those of you who have no idea what we're talking about, watch the episode:
http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/video/season-7/episode-10/full-episode-10-hey-thats-my-fabric
I see the technology explosion of the early 1900s and the present time to be similar in that they both created new jobs that were previously not even imagined. In the 1900s, with the invention of the motion picture and wireless radio transmission (1), new jobs were born – actors, directors, radio personalities, etc. In the 1800s these careers were nonexistent. Designers now had to keep in mind the emerging celebrities and trends and had much voice in how these people/fads were portrayed across mediums.
ReplyDeleteToday, the technology explosion has created numerous new jobs and companies. Many design/marketing firms that are focused around social media would not have existed even ten years ago (2). Designers must consider not only how their work will be translated across print and web but also across social media platforms and handheld devices. They must keep in mind the different aspect ratios to make sure everyone sees the design as it was intended.
I attended an AWNY advertising conference last semester and was reminded of one of the workshop topics as I answered this question. Keynote speaker Mary Baglivo of Saatchi & Saatchi said that “Creative people create priceless value; that is, they improve peoples’ lives. Great ideas are often obvious in hindsight.” She went on to include Amazon and iTunes as examples of great ideas – now it makes complete sense to buy items and music online, and it’s hard to remember what you did when it didn’t exist. I believe the same has happened with these technological explosions; even though social media is so new, it’s hard to imagine life without it, and the same goes for movies and radio.
1) Megg's History of Graphic Design, p. 256
2) http://humboldt.edu/career/tips/735/
I totally agree of the fact that these new improvements have been created in order to facilitate our lifestyle and by that we are in constant change as we accommodate to better conditions. Buying online for example, even if it's a new type of accommodation it has become one of the easiest mediums to access a product and obtain it. People accept this technology and access it because it's simple, innovative and easy.
DeleteDana, I loooove Baglivo's quote. Thanks for posting this!
DeleteThe industrial revolution, which symbolized the start of a new era for many, was a time of inventive and total transformation that aim to a more industrialized society. In the 1900’s cities grew larger, masses of people shifted away looking for progression and eventually the need for more technological improvements started to grow rapidly. The industrial age opened the doors to facilitate the access of a better lifestyle and new technology. It was all about innovations that created an “Insatiable demand”(1), improvements of typography, a whole new revolution in printing, different mediums of communication and the use of photography were just some examples of innovations that were achieved for a more efficient and economical environment.
ReplyDeleteToday, mass-communication leads us to an era of modernism where new technologies are constantly being developed. No only it has created new opportunities but also has set an unreachable limit for improvements. The need for better human conditions that started in the Industrial revolution continues throughout this time.
No matter what technology we use, we will always try to convey a message send a point across, and communicate. New technology opens the possibility to knowledge and facilitates to go beyond the limits. Designers willingly accept the explosion of technology to reach their audience.
1. Meggs' History of Graphic Design 145
I agree with Maria when she said there’s an unreachable limit for improvement. I believe because of the new innovations of technology and the growth of new products are being produced a gap would slowly form. Where we would seek something more technical and that would be the average norm of society, kind of like today with every new apple upgrade people feel as if it something that’s need cause of its semi-new features.
Delete"No matter what technology we use, we will always try to convey a message send a point across, and communicate." That pretty much sums it up Maria!
DeleteArt, at it's core, is a form of expression. It is a way to portray an artist's current emotional state or current state of mind. Mainly it's an outward depiction of an internal state of being. Artists are people who take external stimuli and use it as inspiration in order to produce a new creation. Therefore any form of creation, whether it be a drawing, a painting, a bridge, or a building, is a form of art. And for any artist life is the ultimate inspiration. The lives of people in the early 1900's and the lives we live today may have a vast number of differences but our similarities in artistic taste have not changed all that drastically. Font styles and arrangements in poster styles are still very similar. More than anything however the particular texture of the art that was produced in the early 1900's almost looks as though it reflects the particular level of technology they had at the time. Today we live in an age of high definition crystal clear quality and it shows in the art that we produce in today's world. Whereas the early 1900's design art had a particular look to it that clearly reflects the tools they had to work with back in those days.
ReplyDeleteI get what you are saying about art in your statement above. Is there a difference in this definition when it is applied to graphic design and visual communication?
DeleteNot necessarily!
DeleteHow about the art before the importance of individualism raised? How about those antic Egyptian murals which depicted how the society built up and what function people had? Most of the cases in the antique and medieval period we don't even know who the artist was, that much it wasn't matter what the artists thought or felt. But it is still art.
And what about advertising? They don't convey the artists' "current emotional state or current state of mind", they convey a persuasive message from advertisers. Those can be art too!
Many parallels can be seen between the technology explosion of the early 1900’s and that of today. Graphic design is all about trying to get a message out to a certain demographic in a creative and effective way. This concept hasn’t changed, but the methods and vehicles of advertising become more advanced all the time. During the early 1900’s the easiest and most efficient way to get messages out to people was through print publications such as newspapers, books, posters, etc. War propaganda posters had major influence on gaining support of the American citizens and newspapers keep the nation up to date daily.
ReplyDeleteAs time has passed there has been a shift from print publications to the more electronic alternative. The internet gained more popularity with it’s convenience of instant email and messaging as well as the opportunity to get any information at one’s fingertips. Not only can designers reach people more conveniently but they can also do it more creatively with new programs, applications and more advanced technological resources.
Today's technological advancements have definitely made it easier and faster for designers to output their work than it was a century ago. However, don't you think that this might be more difficult for artists to achieve fame and make a name for themselves? Yes, it's much more simplistic to expose your art through the uses of social media and instant uploading, but that also makes the competition pool a much larger one. Artists have to work that much harder to think outside of the box and stand out from other designers, so that clients want their unique work. While today's technology may be a blessing in some ways, it might be considered a curse in others.
DeleteI agree, as the technology advances we find more mediums which we use to advertise our products. In the early 1900's they utilized newspaper and posters and in today's world we still use those same mediums as well has Youtube advertisements and iPhone Apps.
DeleteI agree as well, the way we advertise has definitely changed for the better over the course of the century. Technological advancements give designers opportunities to take advantage of the software and programs given on computers and tablets. It gives more variety and freedom to create and expand in designing posters and billboards as well as digital ads on the internet.
DeleteI agree with this post as well because technology does determine the way we design. Designers are trying to reach as many people as we can to convey our message and we do so with the most popular method of our time, or with the most advanced technology. During the early 1900's that technology was print and the printing press and the idea of mass producing posters or magazines. Today, it is the internet and the digital world and this idea of sending something out into cyberspace and making sure people see it. I also agree that now we can be more creative easily. Maybe not more creative, but we certainly have the means to do create and design easier now (which may or may not be a positive thing).
DeleteThe technology explosion of the early 1900s dealt with the inventions and modifications of the printing press. Automatic devices were developed for making stereotypes. Web offset presses were then used for the first time for small newspaper runs (1). This invention made it easier to communicate. It also brought a new demand for different types of advertisements like the newspaper and magazines. By there being a new demand for advertisement design then came into play.
ReplyDeleteThe technology explosion is also happening today. With the inventions of the tablet, ipad, and laptops, it makes designing more convenient. You also don’t need to print out your work to show a client but rather show it on a tablet, which makes the product look better and ultimately saving money, by not printing.
http://www.mercurynie.com.au/print_museum/print_history.htm
I never really thought about how we are seeing a boost in design technology today due to tablets and smartphones. We are moving toward tablets being able to take the place of laptops. Also, many graphic designers use tablets such as Wacom and Bamboo to create designs that may be harder to do using a computer, and later transport the image. This is a great example of technology making design easier and expanding.
Delete-Jasmine Berry
I agree, with the boost of technology one rarely has to have any physical copy of a particular project. This makes, or more so enables, design to be much more sustainable then it was in the past.
DeleteThat's a good point, I too hadn't really thought about the advantages in design technology using a tablet, or ipad to be more convenient. It definitely is a lot more helpful and money saving to use the new technology we have today, as well as to help us look more professional. We as designers needed that high demand in the 1900s, new inventions took place helping designers communicate easier, as you said.
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ReplyDeleteThe early 1900s was a great time for technologic exploration. After the Industrial Revolution taking place from 1760 through 1840, it opened the door for the technologies that begin to change the world in the late 1800s, and especially the early 1900s. The inventions of the early 1900s include the beginning of sound films and the auto industry. Also, home televisions and radios were born out of the early decades. Due in part to the Great War beginning around the world, there was a push for my more labor, in which cause many women who were housewives to begin working. Other great inventions of that era are the Brownie camera and stop action photography.
ReplyDeleteThe parallels of all of those inventions are still evident today around us, just in better form. Now, TVs aren’t simply black and white, and bulky, but flat with HD and surround sound. We have watched the evolution of films go from silent to sound, to now something we take home with us on DVDs or watch with VOD.
As stated before, design changes as technology does, Pablo Picasso is often credited with the birth of modern art and cubism with his painting Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, as other design movements begin to take place in the early 1900s. With these movements design begins to have dimensions, visible messages, viewpoints and texture. Today, technology has continued to expand design, and make it easier in the process, from the uses of programs like Adobe to digital cameras that can show you an image instantly.
-Jasmine Berry
http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/twentieth_4.htm
One thing is certain, we absorbe these innovations like a sponge! If you're comfortable with "the same" design is not the industry for you! It changes like the wind direction!
DeleteI completely agree. We live in a society where new things are being introduced to the world every single day. Why would we keep using the same thing over and over when newer versions are coming out all the time. Advertising and design should remain along the same pace. Why would someone find the same design appealing over and over, when artists are constantly developing new work.
DeleteDuring the early 1900s, we saw a great change in technology. Technology began to grow and became something more widely accessible. Technology during this period had dropped in costs and increased in the produce of print accessories. There was a greater use for technology, which created a high demand for it, thus the era of mass communications rose.
ReplyDeleteOver the course of the 19th century, many new technological advances were being developed. The Industrial Revolution had radically reshaped printing, played a role in typographic communications, manufactured wood types for display printing, collaborating photography with printing, and much more. Since then on, the world has been looking for new ways to improve technology and to obtain a better life style.
The technology explosion that is happening today is creating a numerous amount of jobs for many people around the world. Today, we thrive on new information, and with the help of technology it is easy for us to access it. With the advance in technology such as computers and the internet, a new door has been opened for anyone in the field of design. In todays society, we will always be looking to find ways in expanding the technology we use today, just as we did in the 1900s. Designers today can find more jobs online, create websites where they post their portfolios, they can reach people sharing their visions and talents more creatively with new programs that have been created today.
-Mahayan Alkaslasi
Meggs History of Graphic Design, Chapter 9, pages 8-34
I like how you brought up that technology i the 1900s cost less and increased in the produce of print accessories. Yes it was definitely cheaper, compared o today, where designers are required to put out a lot of money to update their technology and software. But i agree technology is a blessing to designers, it is easier for us to access the new technology.
DeleteI would agree with this but I believe that easiness that modern technology provides for designing may take away from students ,or individuals learning about design on their own, the ability to step away for the computer and create designs will decrease.
ReplyDeleteWorking digitally or stepping away from the computer to create more tactile elements is completely up to the individual designer, no? Is there room for both methods of creativity in the design landscape?
DeleteTechnological advances helped with the creation of design and art. The industrial revolution paved the way for this change. One thing that i found very interesting which many people may not see as a certain art form is plastic surgery. “Plastic” is derived from the Greek plasikos, meaning “to mold.” World War I saw the first types of plastic surgery. i read that because of trench warfare, soldiers would get parts of their face shot off. Surgeons then molded the parts of the face that were missing. To me I see it as a form of sculpting.
ReplyDeleteShying away from plastic surgery, today art has gone more digital due to certain advancements in technology. I felt that having a program on the computer is an artists dream. No need for paint, or brushes, or an easel. The fact that you can have one tablet with one pen makes things more simple. Art has also become more mobile. Apps on phones change the way art is made in a dramatic fashion. On the bus or subway art can be made with just your fingers. Things will become more simple and more advanced thanks to technology. Programs like Photoshop makes it that much more easy to create large scale posters with ease. Masterpieces can be made without a drop of paint or the stroke of a brush.
Technology = options.
DeleteA designer can use paint, brushes and easel if they so choose. They can also opt for complete digital manipulation. More options means more creative possibilites and solutions.
I've never thought about plastic surgery as a form of art before. Now that you bring it up though, it can certainly be considered a modern art form. You can see the progression of plastic surgery from the 1900's to the 21st century; back then, it was used on wounded soldiers. Meanwhile today, it is for any paying customer who wishes to "fix" a certain physical feature they are unhappy with.
DeleteI agree with the professor, technology definitely opens up more options. Personally, I know that I still enjoy picking up a paintbrush and making the first stroke on a clean canvas. However, I also enjoy being able to open Photoshop or Instagram with the click of a button and be able to create art in an instant. The "old" art techniques still exist, but the modern technology era has presented designers and artists with a multitude of more options to create art.
I agree with all of you. Technology has given perks for designers everywhere; it gives them the abilities to use programs on computers and tablets. However, getting the same effect of, let's say a splatter effect on canvas, I feel isn't the same as applying it to an art board on Illustrator or Photoshop with the touch of button. Yes, it makes creating designs twice as easy and fast, but I feel the authenticity isn't the same.
DeleteI recently went to the Blue Man Group and part of their act is to splash paint everywhere and and create beautiful designs on canvases- with their mouths! It was something that I would have never guessed could be created to that extreme, and it's something that, I think, wouldn't really be achieved on a program until it's actually been created by hand (or mouth, in this case). I can say the same thing with the coffee incident with our professor- the creation of his personal design wasn't achieved until it was discovered as a "happy accident" in a garbage can! I'm not saying that all art is created from a dumpster, but what I'm trying to say is that the design was created with "real materials" first, and then perfected later in computer programs.
-Amelia Monastra-Gonzalez
Technology from the early 1900’s came about from bigger human ideas of equality. Thus the value of education and literacy became much more important in the typical American. With this huge advancement, the idea of communication becomes more widely popular and rapid. Since it becomes much more of a necessity now to the public, technology was pushed its commodities in order to create a mass amount of printed materials in order to inform the public. By lowering unit costs, a broader amount of the public becomes interested in such product (whether it’s magazines, posters, newspapers, etc.). (1) However with the incredible boom of popularity communication has earned, traditional methods of informing the public slowly start to decay. This new explosion has converted the hands-on approach to a more computerized and technical method. Designers are constantly adapting to today’s newer product (computers, tablets, and other mobile gadgets). Graphic design itself has become more popular in retrospect of today’s new advancements. It’s with these advancements that designers adapt to the constant change and react with new mediums. Myself, I get to witness this reality since my dad deals with design everyday. He always stresses how he has to constantly change approaches when dealing with new devices. On the plus side, these new developments are creating new ideas and design that previous technology probably couldn’t achieve.
ReplyDelete1. Meggs' History of Graphic Design 145
Do you know how lucky you are to have your father as a sounding board? His experience and perspective supports exactly what we're talking about!
DeleteThe Industrial Revolution impacted life worldwide, and the many advances in technology required art and designers to response to the changing society. With the new technological advances available, in particular the invention of the lithography designers were able to further design in ways they were unable to before. Prior to the lithography, all printing was created using movable type which restricted all design to an inflexible grid (1), but with lithography designers no longer had to be restricted by this strict grid and were instead able to design more freely, thus growing with all the new technology available. In addition to lithography, the many technological advances resulted in an increase of manufactured goods and products. With these products there was a greater need for advertisement and printed design material, so opening up many new opportunities for graphic design, such as product packaging and advertisements.
ReplyDeleteLooking at our world today, I feel that designers must still response and adapt, like those designing during the early 1900s. Even today there is always some new type technology coming out, whether it be a new model of a phone or the latest Adobe program. In the early 1900s designers were adapting to the fact that packaging and advertisements were more in demand; whilst designers today are still working with those types of design, theres is also design now apart of new technology like mobile apps and websites. For example an important part of web design currently is creating not only sites that are designed well, but have a responsive design that will change depending on whether it is opened on a computer or mobile device. It is the job of designers to react to the world around us and with changing technology we are able to reach out to an even greater audience while utilizing new technology to meet the needs of clients.
-Deanna McGeown
(1) http://www.citrinitas.com/history_of_viscom/grid.html
"I feel that designers must still response and adapt, like those designing during the early 1900s." Deanna, you hit the nail on the head with this statement. Your mention of responsive design is a wonderful contemporary example of designers adapting to evolving technologies.
DeleteI agree with Deanna that design is still evolving because of today's vast technological development. Things change at a very fast pace, so designers definitely need to be in touch with the current situation, and even to foresee future development of technology and demand for design.
DeleteI'm so glad that Deanna brought up the idea of the inflexible grid and, more specifically, how advances in technology have allowed us to break free from it. As designers with both technical skills and a wealth of visual references, the design we are capable of envisioning and creating pushes the bounds of imagination. However, some of the most successful graphic design today still utilizes the strict grid to achieve beautiful results. It is an interesting way to put the content of this course into perspective; in the midst of a technological explosion and limitless new possibilities, we are building upon the ideas of the masters who paved the road for us.
DeleteAs designers we try to get our work out into the world in a sufficient and successful manner. The acceleration of technology in the 20th century and today has helped designers in a big way. There was an increase in technology in the 20th century; inventions like the steam press and the assembly line increased opportunities for designers. Today, designers have many different ways they can broadcast their work. Laptops, cell phones, and iPads give designers a new and fast way to create and show their work. Softwares and Applications like photoshop, indesign and illustrator give designers more options when it comes to bringing their vision to life. With the help of these technologies over the years designers are able to broadcast their work to a large audience giving them the opportunity to succeed.
ReplyDelete-Rande Archer
An effective designer is one who embraces these different methods of visual communication. Our audience is always evolving, we must alter the way we visually communicate to keep their focus and attention. The designer should remain in front of the trend and shift mediums, messages, application programs, design styles, etc to remain relevant and stay ahead of the curve.
DeleteTechnology is ever changing and making things seemingly much easier, which to some can seem fruitful while to others can be threatening. For instance, with movie and tv hosting websites like Netflix and Huluplus, renting dvds from your local Blockbuster has gone out of style and business. When inventions like the printing press were up and coming, it became easier and more common to have books and magazines and print daily news papers but seemed to threaten the jobs of the labor intensive scribes and provided jobs to designers, printers, and many more. So soon enough new jobs were higher in demand including our field of interest; graphic design. Today the technological advances have made graphic design computerized and easily accessible with programs like those included in the Adobe Suite. Where physical work became computerized, mistakes became easily forgotten with a simple command+z. The computer also provided for a whole new area of design, the web. And eventually with the web provided social media, which has changed the ways one communicates, becomes inspires, and even sees the world. As time goes on, what seems crazy today will be real in 5 years. Like Samantha Parlato mentioned in her post about the computer where you interact with it physically through a paint brush, it is amazing to imagine what could exist tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteAs designers, in this time of social media and the vast web where anything you want to see can be accessible in a click, it provides great opportunity. Designers are hired and made responsible of how people see a product, a organization, a website. It is a field that allows a designer to be in control of creating that connection between a persons ideas for their product or project and the way people see it. With technology and communication expanding, not only does it push designers to be informed of whats out there but it gives them the proper tools to create precise identities and really connect with their clients.
"Allows designers to be in control of creating that connection between a person's ideas for their product or project and the way people see it." The designer is the protector of the brand and message. There is much responsibility on our shoulders!
DeleteThroughout recorded history, there has been a correlation between technological innovation and the turn of new century. It is then no surprise that the Industrial Revolution of the early 20th century gave way to many technological advances that change the way the world operated. Businesses and global connectedness expanded at an alarming rate as people from around the globe began to travel in search of their own piece of the modern world. With the expansion of consumerism, a need for new way yo broaden the horizon of advertising and mass marketing of these products increased substantially. Because of this, designers were pushed to improve aspects of poster and commercial designs: typography, printing style, the introduction of photography, etc; All of which enhanced the inventions the created an “Insatiable demand”(1). Similarly, the methods of advertising and design have altered because of the introduction of computers and subsquently online media through social networking, which makes it even easier to connect on a one-on-one basis with the consumer. Yet and still the target and goal are still the same: market to a new generation of people who are eager to adapt to modern technology through well crafted and properly executed design.
ReplyDeleteSource: Meggs' History of Graphic Design 145
I totally agree that the computers and technology have made easier the contact with costumers not only in advertising but to artists themselves. Social networking being the most used by small and big brands who want to get attention of the costumers.
DeleteI think you make a very important point that, though we have progressed with our technology, as designers we still have the same goal as designers did during the early 1900s. Though our goal hasn't changed graphic designers have so many more platforms and options open to them to reach out to the population, and its amazing how because of social networking thousands and even millions can now see something posted by a designer almost instantly.
DeleteWe are continually challenged to improve our communication tools. Consumers are drawn to the new and unexpected. If we keep using the same tools, messages, styles, etc in our communication methods the message will become expected. If it's expected, it isn't new or engaging.
ReplyDeleteDo you think it is two distinct directions or a myriad of directions in between?
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point, I think that designers tend to lean one way or the other, but ultimately there is so much going on that we are influenced by a lot of things at once, so designers develop their own styles based on both the 'old' and the 'new'.
ReplyDeleteOne of the parallels I notice almost immediately between the technological advancements of the early 1900s and today is the unprecedented speed at which information moves. Even looking as far back as Gutenberg's printing press, we can see a revolution in the creation and distribution of the written word– furthered, of course, by advancing print technology, assembly line technology that my classmates mentioned, etc. The introduction of computers and digital printing as design tools made it even cheaper, faster and easier to spread the printed page. But today, it is truly the age of the internet that facilitates instant communication through this widespread, omnipresent medium. Printed magazines moving into online articles is just one way we are seeing a design shift in this direction, too. Blogging sites like Twitter and Tumblr allow messages to reach hundreds (if not thousands, or even millions) of followers at the click of a mouse or the tap of a screen. Imagine the power of design as digital media to change with and adapt to an ever-changing world at a moment's notice. If we are speaking of contemporary design as a reflection of the world around us, the internet age allows design to literally and explicitly respond to social, political, and relevant issues as they emerge. This not only impacts the nature of a designer's work, but also creates a more dynamic and interesting conversation between designer and audience.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your statement that information seems to travel faster and to greater distance because of technological advances. I never noticed it before although it makes perfect sense! Whether it be the telegraph or email, the inventions that thrived and we more so sort out were the innovations that got information to travel greater since the spread of information quickly and efficiently is especially valuable.
DeletePrior to this technological, instant access to information shift, we would put visual communication out into the world and didn't really know if the message got through to the intended audience. There were few ways of tracking it. (OK, aside from direct mail, you can track that. You send out 1000 pieces and 500 respond, you know how well it worked!)
ReplyDeleteToday, there is a dialogue between the designer and the audience. This conversation allows designers to be more proactive because we have the opportunity to receive almost instant valuable feedback. This is sometimes positive and sometimes negative. Either way, you know who's listening and what they think about it!
I think this brings up a broader question on how if designs has the power in which it has completely rewired us to be even more self-concious on what others perceive of our ideas and believes. Are we still that hesitant to really bring out whats etching in the back of our minds? However, today, I think it's fair to say we're pretty radical on terms of how liberal the public has accepted past frowned-upon values. And if design just gave a little jumpstart on the bigger change in the world then kudos.
DeleteTechnology has affected both the designers of the early 1900s and the designers of today in similar ways. In the early 1900s the Industrial Revolution was occurring and many things were being invented (wireless radio transmission, motorcar, airplane)(1). It was also around the time of WWI and designers were creating posters and propaganda for the war, influencing it both negatively and positively. Out of the Industrial Revolution came a new series of art movements like Cubism, Dadaism and Futurism, which in turn influences the way designers began to design. People were no longer afraid to do or say how they felt and design was a way to express that.
ReplyDeleteThe technology explosion that is happening today with everything happening online and in a virtual reality is also forcing designers to evolve and express themselves in different ways. Yes, things are still being printed like they have always been but there is also a high demand for designing on the web and in a digital space. People are looking at Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest for their latest inspiration instead of in books and designers need to find a way to reach out to a different audience in this way. With the next best thing in technology coming out everyday, designers are forced to keep up with the changes. This can be both positive and negative. It creates more jobs for designers, especially younger ones who know the newest technology and the audience they are designing for. But, it also pushes aside the old; many printing companies are going out of business like magazines or books because there is no longer a demand. People are reading everything online and with E-readers.
I think one of the most positive things about both of these times for design is that they both have made it more accessible for people to see design and learn about it. In another time, before the Industrial Revolution, people would never have been able to express the way they felt about the war through so much advertising and propaganda if the printing press had not been invented. And today, students would not be so educated with the history of design and the new designers out there if they couldn't look on the Internet for such information. It is also easier to access the programs and the information that makes designers able to do what they do. If sites like Linda.com or Youtube.com were not invented then it might be a little more difficult to be a designer in today’s day and age.
1. History of Graphic Design, Meggs Page 256
Katherine, Excellent point about design being more accessible!
Delete"With the next best thing in technology coming out everyday, designers are forced to keep up with the changes." - I think this is the beauty and the curse of designing. It is always exciting, there are always new things to discover but on the other hand you can never feel you are on the top of the game.¬
DeleteTechnology has always had an effect on the nature and fads of art, especially when it revolves around graphic design. The boom of the Industrial Revolution led to art and propaganda being exposed anywhere and everywhere. With the inventions of the motor vehicle and airplanes (1) it was much easier for design to be exposed all over the country, or in different countries, in a much faster time frame than it had previously. With the introduction of the motion picture in 1896 and the wireless radio transmission in 1895 (1) it was now possible to spread messages to a large group of people at once, even in the comfort of their own home. These technological advancements were huge during the WWI era, when the government was trying to spread war propaganda.
ReplyDeleteIn today's society, everyone and everything has gone wireless. Instead of walking over to the library to look up information, we just take our smart phones out of our pockets and "google" everything. In 2010, the average American spent about 32 hours a month on the internet, and researchers predict that this number will rise with every passing year (2). People now use social media outlets, such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Tumblr to share art and designs with the world wide web. A four-year old can now upload a design with the click of a button and anyone with access to the Internet can see it, whereas this same task would have taken much, much longer a century ago.
The introduction of new technologies in both time periods have definitely helped expose society to new art, with speeds that were extremely proficient for their times. These new inventions were outlets to express art and help share it with the rest of the world. While today's technology is obviously more advanced than that of the 1900's, it was still new and exciting back then as well. The only downside to today's quick speed is that since everyone is exposed to the "new" designs and fads, designers must work that much harder and faster to create the new innovative thing and make them stand out from the crowd. The competition is even rougher nowadays, and the use of the computer now adds even more different artistic approaches that they can take.
1. Meggs "History of Graphic Design," Page 256
2. http://www.comscoredatamine.com/2011/01/average-time-spent-online-per-u-s-visitor-in-2010/
Consumers' constant exposure to fads also makes them more impatient. It takes more to grab their attention and to keep it.
ReplyDeleteOnce "desktop publishing" was mainstreamed, there was quantum shift in the role of the graphic designer. Many design support services closed or converted to the digital technology. Graphic designers were forced to take on the roles of typesetting, and pre-press production, formerly not their responsibility. The graphic designer's hand skills were surpassed by the need for digital expertise. Designers were now required to spend thousands of dollars on constantly updating hardware and software. They must continually upgrade their skills- now at the mercy of the industries they helped promote. (1)
ReplyDeleteI feel that technology is changing all the time around us. It's basically unstoppable. It's a curse and a blessing. It helps designers move forward with their skills and creativity, but also have to leave behind their old "responsibilities." However, it has become much easier to produce work and create new innovated ideas thanks to the new technology that surrounds us. Tablets, smart phones, laptop computers- designers are constantly on the go, and the fact that these inventions are available to us, we have the advantage of simply creating an idea that we can do anywhere.
I feel that the new and old technology works both ways. The old technology helped build us the programs that we have today that enables designers to choose whether to plan out a creation on the go, or use both materials and technology to get the job done.
(1) http://www.designhistory.org/Digital_Revolution_pages/Impact.html
I agree that the transition from hand done print to technology has suppressed the range of the modern designer. Many designers nowadays are not even skilled in fine arts, but are more familiar with the programs necessary to make a design digital. Although we can not fight the technology, since is engulfs our society and is constantly advancing, it can be used as a tool along with hand done elements to create a creative edge for each individual designer.
DeleteI completely agree that because technology is always evolving that as designers we must continue to adapt, and that many graphic designers like sydney said no longer utilize fine art skills and instead are completely computer based with their work. I think though that with a lot of graphic design that I have seen recently that designers are realizing that so many are moving away in that direction that hand done design now has a sort of commodity to them, which can add interest to a design. As a designer I feel that we must continue to adapt but not lose sight of these basic fine art skills that can be brought into our work.
DeleteYes, technology is constantly evolving. I like how you brought up the fact that graphic designers are hindered in a way that their creativity is taken away when it comes to hand skills. I also agree that it is a curse and a blessing designers improve as much as technology improves but yes, they do have to "leave behind" their old ways.
DeleteIt's weird to realize that some machinery and old technology that we consider today to be near ancient and irrelevant were integral to the forwarding of modern society in the past to what we know it as today. In example, the printing press as made popular by Johannes Gutenburg was reanalyzed in the 1940s by Raul Rosaviro to create the idea of page construction and how the "golden number" of page construction was used to establish harmonic relationships between diverse parts of a book (1). This puts a new spin on the press and it's creator in context with how it affected designers post Rosaviro's assertion.
ReplyDeleteI focus on the re-analyzation of the printing press in the early 20th century as something important because while the technological revolution took over the world and changed the entire way art was distributed and influenced, I believe the method of design was not left untouched with the use of even older technology than the time. It's even relevant to today's technological advances--despite having an incredible amount of information and references for future growth at our fingertips with high powered hand held machines and mediocre apple products, we find ourselves using our technology to reference things of the past in order to better ourselves and utilize vintage subjects for a more modern output. Whether or not your take with art of yore is original or not is basically up to you as the designer, however. (The amount of "old" typefaces available to us is almost as incredible as it is annoying)
(1)http://www.citrinitas.com/history_of_viscom/press.html
I think this is a good point also, and different from the other posts that I have read. It is interesting to think about the parallels between the two times, they are so similar in the events that are/were going on in the world, but almost a hundred years apart. Yet, the same thing is happening in the design field also. I agree, the work could have gone one of two ways, with a degree of range in between, and for the most part it went the way of technology and what was popular and new at the time. This created a lot of similarity in the work produced, as it does today. It's interesting to think about, taking a step back and seeing the work that is being designed and produced from a different perspective. Today, I think Professor Ballas, is right, you have to look at what is being designed and go the other direction.
ReplyDeleteAs we see with most (if not all) standalone periods in time, there is almost always a shift in the way the society reacts inwardly. Cultural norms transform into something they weren't necessarily before; the early 1900's are no different. With the rise of the industrial revolution and the threat of war always looming, the goals and priorities of the general public shifted from one highly due to farming and tedious work to a society where speed was now idolized above all else. Art followed suit as it was no longer a form just meant to behold and ponder on, it needed to quickly send a message. With the posters we studied in class that boldly stated "I Want You for U.S. Army", this new artform conveyed its message quick and concise. The speed of which this artform conveyed its message rivaled the speed of the machines that produced textiles and other products. This phenomenon is extremely self evident in the world today. The cultural shift has ushered us into a state of unrest, where we need to always be connected to a source that is constantly feeding us with information. These sources come in the form of television, cellphones, laptops, tablets and devices in the like. Information is being processed so fast, the structure of our society would not be able to withstand a major disconnect. In that respect, graphic design has become so vast. Technology has aided the evolution of what we now know to be graphic design, and continues to extend the boundaries of creativity. There are few cases where one exists without the other as society shifts toward ultimately designing a better world.
ReplyDeleteThe technology explosion in the early 1900s made it easier for designers to create and put their work out to the public. Also, as there was an increase in inventions, new products were being made and advertising was needed for it, made money for the producers and the artists. It opened a lot of doors for people, and shut a lot of doors for others though too. Much of the artists works at the time were heavily influenced by the change, the work became streamlined and sleeker, and more focused on machinery. Labor intensive jobs weren’t needed because the brand new shiny machines were doing the work, and people were out of jobs. Today, we’re even more of an advertising consumerist nation, they need more designers to advertise the producers work. They need new ideas and new people to advertise products that are products that’ll make things easier for them. Getting your work out to the public is easier than ever, the internet is open to everyone, and anyone can see your work. Technology has created new art forms and new ways of creating art: we can make movies, music videos, digital art, more intensive and realistic 3-D animations, video games. It’s given designers more mediums to show others their vision. I think technology has also given people more of an open mind through art, we’re not living in a time where we’re focusing in on one art movement every 100 years. We’re constantly changing, we are getting new ideas by the minute. The idea of art was being challenge back then with the explosion of technology, and even more now. Now, I can do art almost anywhere, on my iphone, on a tablet or laptop, through various mediums and upload it instantly. I don’t have to submit my artwork to submit my work to a gallery just to get noticed anymore, I have to put my work up on the internet and out there. Technology has changed our ideas (not to mention our attention spans…) and ideals faster than ever, and we just have to keep up.
ReplyDeleteThis is Sofia.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the book made me wonder if technological innovations happen that cause social changes which involves changes in art and design or when technology improves that changes how we express ourselves and it implies social trends. - I could not figure out the answer.
ReplyDeleteBut what I observed which was crucial for designers now and in the beginning of XX. Century is the importance of "being there" and "being part of it". I'm referring of the importance of urban lifestyle. While back then artists could have had a very solitary lifestyle, it seems impossible nowadays. Starting from the beginning of avant-garde artists who formed clubs and groups and preferred to live in big cities than remote areas of the country. Before avant-garde there were also schools and academies for artists but the rise of cities was necessary for the development of urban lifestyle. Most of the avant-garde artists lived in Paris for a period of time it has not changed since. Artists and designers want to be in a big city, like New York or Chicago. I think it is because of the flow of information. When technology and trends change so fast you do want to stay close to the sources to keep up.
- Zsòfia Anna Fàth
Source: Meggs’ History of Graphic Design, page 145 & page 257
It was, in a way, like the mid-1990s, when pieces of the Web came together. In Switzerland, Tim Berners-Lee created hyperlinking, the beginnings of the Web. In Illinois, Marc Andreessen and his friends created the browser, bringing images to the Web. In Silicon Valley, Sun Microsystems developed Java, which allowed Web pages to run tiny programs. As the underlying technology jelled, innovators came along to build new, unexpected companies on top of it — people like Pierre Omidyar, who started eBay(1)
ReplyDeleteThen from this time on more and more programs that have changed the world of technology. Before in time when people talked about art they thought about famous painters in their art studios. Now art and design is everywhere and more accessible. The computers and social networks are helping artist to be recognize in the industry, and more than that the digital art community is helping people to influence designers. Programs like illustrator and Photoshop being used to create amazing designs is the perfect example that technology have changed the world of art and made it easier and fun.
A portfolio website is more of a structured presentation, which is great for art directors and people looking to make a professional assessment of your work. It’s often static, and it offers little to no opportunity for two-way communication.(2)
(1) http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2003-05-01-1903_x.htm
(2) http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/07/23/what-do-we-really-mean-by-art/