1. Maxwell 1
Samantha Maxwell
Mrs. Corbett
AP Literature
18 November 2011
The History of Graphic Design
Though not entirely evident, everybody in the modern world is exposed to graphic design
on a daily basis. The world is almost constantly bombarded with seemingly simple images that
were in fact carefully crafted to serve a very specific purpose. Graphic design as we know it
today has lived a short life compared to other art forms. However, its predecessors and its
various components have existed since prehistoric times. Therefore, the vast history of certain
other art forms has directly impacted the way that pictorial information is created and construed
today.
The first art created by humans was from the Cro-Magnons around 40,000 years ago
(“Rocks and Caves” 1). These early peoples were adept in sculpture, body ornamentation,
painting, and engraving. The cave paintings now considered primitive and sloppy were the
essential first step in the creation of graphic design. Not only was it the first art form, it was also
the introduction of applied art. Applied art is defined as, “art that [is] used for a purpose such as
conveying a message, advertising, and other graphic design purposes” (Brian 1). According to
this definition, cave paintings created in prehistoric times were, in fact, graphic design. It is a
widely accepted belief among most experts that these cave paintings were created by Shamans or
other respected leaders in hunter-gatherer groups in order to tell stories and to keep a
pictographic history of the group. However, cave paintings were not the extent of the Cro-

2. Maxwell 2
Magnon’s contribution to design. Petroglyphs are “images incised in rock, usually by prehistoric,
especially Neolithic, peoples” (“Rocks and Caves” 5). These too are believed to have contributed
to graphic design history because they were most likely used for rituals and ceremonies, which
implies that they too fall into the category of applied art. Though these art forms are obviously
very different than the graphic design recognized today, they were crucial to the development of
all types of art and how art and design can be used in everyday life not only to entertain, but
more importantly to inform viewers and express ideas in the simplest way possible.
The next easily recognizable phase in graphic design history came with the advent of
written language. The English language is unusual in the fact that it does not use pictograms,
which are “images that represent objects” (“History of Graphic Design” 1). Most languages use
pictograms instead of phonetics, the idea of which was essential to the development of graphic
design and typography alike. Written Chinese was the most influential of these languages
because it “is composed entirely of pictograms” (“History of Graphic Design” 2). The Chinese
language is composed of over 80,000 (though only 3,500 are regularly used) characters, all that
pictorially represent an object, action, or idea. However, it is not only the Chinese language that
has impacted graphic design history. Every written alphabet ever created has helped develop the
idea of graphic design because it is the idea of using pictures (even though letters are not usually
thought to represent pictures) to get a message across. In fact, many analysts agree that graphic
design was “directly inspired by [the alphabet’s] design” (“The Alphabet” 1). This early idea of
seeing typography, letters, and symbols as art has had a profound effect on every type of art and
design.
After the creation of written language, there seemed to be a long period of graphic design
inactivity. In such a simplistic time, artistic communication was not extremely important to

3. Maxwell 3
average people. However, visual arts in this time period became more refined as artists learned
how to make new mediums and learned to work with new tools to create more realistic art, which
provided humans with the skills they need today to produce effective designs. The next leap
forward in the history of design, however, did not come until the Middle Ages. At this time,
trade guilds all over Europe began “using marks to identify the origin and content of their
products” (“History of Graphic Design” 4). This use of symbols to represent a company was
really the first form of logos. Though they were simply symbols, they were designed so that
consumers would see the symbol and would know where their product came from. From this
time period came the term “hallmark,” which was the “identification marks that metal artisans
stamped into metal when exhibiting wares in the guild hall in London” (“History of Graphic
Design” 4). These too show the conception of the idea of a logo used to identify a certain artist,
brand, or company. This time period also made the distinction between logos and logotypes.
While these terms were not used at the time, the difference between logos and logotypes still
influence the choices that graphic designers make when creating advertisements for a new
company or brand. While a logo is simply a symbol used to represent a company or brand, a
logotype is defined as “a symbol comprised entirely of typography” (“History of Graphic
Design” 2).
Though the previous steps were all very important to the advent of graphic design,
perhaps the most significant event in history was the invention of the printing press. According
to Brian Scott, “graphic design got its real beginning with the invention of the printing press” (1).
Before the printing press, art and typography had to be hand copied if they were to be
distributed, which took significant amounts of time and manpower and resulted in art and
literature that was different in every book or poster. However, once the printing press came

4. Maxwell 4
along, artists could easily make copies of their work to be widely distributed, creating the first
form of mass media that the public was ever exposed to. Obviously the idea of printing copies of
art is still essential in the field of graphic design today. This idea of moveable type and mechanic
print created by Johann Gütenberg forever changed the way that books and other materials were
printed before being introduced the general public (“A Brief History of Graphic Design” 1).
In the world of graphic design, Johann Gütenberg is not known only for his invention of
the printing press, however. The first design principles and rules can also be attributed to him.
When analyzed by artists, the pages printed by Gütenberg were made aesthetically pleasing to
the viewer by using what designers now call the “golden canon of page construction” (“The
Printing Press” 3). This particular page construction dealt with width of margins and size of text
to make the piece easier to consume by the reader. The fact that Gütenberg did, in fact, use a
compass and ruler definitely points to the conclusion that this page alignment was not simply a
lucky mistake but the conclusion of plenty of hard work and thought to determine the best
gridding patterns. In order to make the type set uniform, Gütenberg also had to adhere to a grid
system, which is, according to experts, “another novelty in design” (“The Printing Press” 4).
Gridding is especially important in graphic design today, as designers use “picas,” which are
sixth of an inch squares set into a page to adequately measure and determine spacing in their
projects. The invention of the printing press was also important in the development of white
space as a graphic design principle. When books were hand copied, the entire page was filled
with text and symbols. However, with the development of moveable type, there wasalready “a
move towards whiter, lighter pages” which makes the type easier to read for the consumers
(“The Printing Press” 4).
As the use of the printing press became more widespread, more and more entrepreneurs

5. Maxwell 5
entered into the printing business. One of the most significant of these to the history of graphic
design was English author and artist William Morris who in 1890 introduced the Kelmscott
Press. His medieval designs featured ornaments, flowers, and plants. The work of Morris and
those after him influenced an artistic movement referred to as Art Nouveau, which was in turn
“indirectly responsible for developments in early twentieth century graphic design” (“A Brief
History of Graphic Design” 2).
From this point on, the developments in graphic design came at a much more rapid pace.
As individuals started gaining wealth, the need for advertisement and entertainment grew
significantly, which undoubtedly spurred the viewpoint of graphic design as not only a true fine
art, but also one that was highly necessary to carry out the day to day needs of important
companies and the population as a whole. The Modernist movement of the early twentieth
century was the beginning of the need for “clear, easily recognizable and memorable visual
symbols” in order to help people remember not only names and brands but also landmarks
around cities such as subways, bathrooms, and water fountains (“The Modernists” 3). The
Russian Revolution also played a big role in the development of design. After violent uprisings
and riots known as Bloody Sunday, the political culture in Russia changed significantly. This
event “also marked an important watershed for Russian graphic artists” (“Russian Graphic Art
and the Revolution of 1905” 1). With the censorship of the overbearing government now in
ruins, over 300 satirical and libelous magazines were published, opening up a huge outlet to
designers who had been repressed for so long. In fact, more graphic art was produced in Russia
during the Revolution than had been published during the nineteenth century. In 1919, an art and
architecture school called Bauhaus was founded in Germany by Walter Gropius. The school was
created in order to bring together art, crafts, and architecture. The school did not last long, as it

6. Maxwell 6
was under severe pressure from the Nazi Army to shut down. However, the school did move to
America and survived one year under its original name until it became, simply, the School of
Design. The Bauhaus was important to several artistic movements and also “introduced many
innovative ideas regarding graphic design” (“The Bauhaus” 1).
In 1930, an even more important idea came onto the graphic design scene. A German
typographer known as Jan Tschichold “created a new style by introducing the use of
photography in his designs,” which was obviously essential to design, as both photography and
typography are used in almost all designs (“A Brief History of Graphic Design” 6). In the 1960s,
artist and pop culture icon Andy Warhol became famous and was partially responsible for the
“collapse of boundaries between high and low culture,” which made the graphic arts more
accessible to the general population (“Andy Warhol Biography” 1). Warhol’s silk screen works
are still highly inspirational for many designers.
The final stage in the history of graphic design was the invention of the computer and
digital photography, which has taken design to a completely new level. According to Brian Scott,
“the history of graphic design is closely tied with the history of computers, computer software,
computer imaging software, computer scanners, computer printers, and digital photography” (3).
This technology boom has made graphic design what it is today—a field of art that is consumed
by the masses, perhaps more than any other art form. With such rapid technology growth,
graphic design gets significantly more advanced every day.
While it seems that graphic design is a brand new form of visual art, it becomes obvious
when studying the history of other art forms that it has been an important form of art since
prehistoric times. The need for mass communication through easily comprehensible pictures,
symbols, and typography has always existed and will continue to grow as the world develops.

7. Maxwell 7
Works Cited
“The Alphabet.”The History of Visual Communication.N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2011.
<http://citrinitas.com/history_of_viscom/alphabet.html>.
“Andy Warhol Biography.”Andy Warhol Biography.The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual
Arts, 2011.Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://www.warholfoundation.org/legacy/
biography.html>.
“The Bauhaus.”Design Help Center.N.p., 2006. Web. 12 Nov. 2011.
<http://www.designhelpcenter.com/the-bauhaus.aspx>.
“A Brief History of Graphic Design.”Design Help Center.N.p., 2006. Web. 12 Nov. 2011.
<http://www.designhelpcenter.com/history-of-graphic-design.aspx>.
“History of Graphic Design.”An Introduction to the History of Graphic Design.N.p., 2011. Web.
12 Nov. 2011. <http://www.designhistory.org/>.
“The Modernists.”The History of Visual Communication.N.p., 2006. Web. 12 Nov. 2011.
<http://citrinitas.com/history_of_viscom/modernists.html>.
“The Printing Press.”The History of Visual Communication.N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2011.
<http://citrinitas.com/history_of_viscom/press.html>.
“Rocks and Caves.”The History of Visual Communication.N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2011.
<http://citrinitas.com/history_of_viscom/rockandcaves.html>.
“Russian Graphic Art and the Revolution oF 1905.”Bienecke Rare Book & Manuscript
Library.Yale University, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2011.
Scott, Brian. “The History and Beginning of Graphic Design.”11eb. CyberChimps, 8 Apr. 2011.
Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://www.11eb.com/html/58.html>.