Graphic Design History

by Georgette Ballance, Steven Heller

In this groundbreaking anthology, nearly 30 legendary writers explore and characterize the unique developments, notable people, and memorable events that shaped the world of graphic design. Taken in many cases from hard-to-find sources, these essays provide a unique scope and array of provocative viewpoints that are not found anywhere else. Readers will be taken on a fascinating journey through the trends that shaped the industry for the past 100-plus years, written by the people who helped define it.

Genres: Design

352 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

Reviews

[Wrenaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't rate this book above a three. It's a fine anthology - a mix of interesting and less interesting writings, as tends to be the case with anthologies, with a ton of great info about the artists - but I struggle with a GRAPHIC DESIGN history book that has essentially NO visual examples of the pieces they discuss in the book (there is one black and white image included at the beginning of each chapter made by the featured artist but which may or may not be discussed at some point within the chapter). I spent the whole time reading this book pulling up artists via Google image search on my smartphone so I'd know what the heck the author was talking about. So annoying.

What I do like about this being an anthology, is that you get some really in-depth biographical looks at the various designer's careers, sometimes from someone who knew them. So if you're a design history lover, it's a worthy addition to your bookcase.