Reading Graphic Design in Cultural Context explains key ways of understanding and interpreting the graphic designs we see all around us, in advertising, branding, packaging and fashion. It situates these designs in their cultural and social contexts. Drawing examples from a range of design genres, leading design historians Grace Lees-Maffei and Nicolas P. Maffei explain theories of semiotics, postmodernism and globalisation, and consider issues and debates within visual communication theory such as legibility, the relationship of word and image, gender and identity, and the impact of digital forms on design. Their discussion takes in well-known brands like Alessi, Nike, Unilever and Tate, and everyday designed things including slogan t-shirts, car advertising, ebooks, corporate logos, posters and music packaging.

This compelling book takes the reader on a journey showing how each logo has come into being and the process revealing best practices for extending a logo into a complete brand identity system. Logos are becoming increasingly simple, to the point where you might wonder just how much simpler they can get. A subtle tweak to a logotype is starting to feel like too much design. The appeal of a simple logo is that it feels more honest. Using client case studies from renowned designers, this is a must-have book for any graphic designer, student or logo fanatic in a fully revised, updated edition containing interviews with graphic designers in which they share their creative processes and thoughts on how a successful logo should be developed.

The seminal artist's recent art and poster works, and his triumphant return to his street-art roots with murals, all in work never before published. Shepard Fairey rose out of the skateboarding scene, creating his Andre the Giant Has a Posse sticker campaign in the late '80s, and has since achieved a mainstream recognition that most street artists never find. Fairey's Hope poster, created during Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, is arguably the most iconic American image since Uncle Sam. Fairey has become a pop-culture icon himself, though he has remained true to his street-art roots. OBEY: Covert to Overt showcases his most recent evolution from works on paper to grander art installations, cross-cultural artworks, and music/art collaborations. The book also includes his ubiquitous streetwear and chronicles his return to public artworks. His signature blend of politics, street culture, and art makes Fairey unlike any other subculture/street artist working today. This book showcases the significant amount of art he has created the last several years: street murals, mixed-media installations, art/music events, countless silk screens, and work from his extremely successful OBEY brand.

An overview of the work of 20th-century graphic design icon Tom Eckersley – packed with hundreds of his instantly recognisable designs. From iconic posters for the Post Office and London Transport to designs for brands such as Guinness, this richly illustrated book explores the work of influential British poster artist and design teacher Tom Eckersley (1914–1997). Part of the 'outsider' generation that transformed graphic design in Britain in the mid-century era, Eckersley’s instantly recognisable posters have become true icons of 20th-century style. Here, design writer and former Eckersley archivist Paul Rennie gives a fascinating exploration of Eckersley’s life and work, from his Northern upbringing and early career, through pioneering work during the Second World War, to his central role in mid-century graphic design in the decades that followed. Over 200 designs from throughout Eckersley’s career are featured. Made in his signature style combining bold, bright colours and flat graphic shapes, there are designs for clients such as the BBC, British Rail, Keep Britain Tidy, Gillette, BP and Shell. The book also examines Eckersley’s position at the forefront of the explosion of print culture in the 20th century, how he helped to transform design education in Britain, and the lasting legacy he left behind. A celebration of a true mid-century modern master, this is the first book on Tom Eckersley of its kind and will appeal to anyone interested in graphic design and visual communication.

This is a comprehensive introduction not only to the world's most important graphic designers but also a look at various styles, movements and processes. It particularly concentrates on the ideas and contributions of 50 of the world's most influential graphic desigenrs, and at 10 of the major movements in the field and their place in history. The book includes pieces on Eric Gill, Adrian Frutiger and Alphonse Muchta and on topics such as Politics and Propaganda in poster art, Futurism, New Wave and the Digital Age. All in all, this is a compact, easily accessible, quick guide to the field of graphic design.

Colour Psychology Today reveals new colour psychology information that comes from the author's pioneering research and studies on colour. The book discloses unique knowledge on how colour psychology impacts on the business world and the individual, borne out of the author's extensive work as a colour consultant and trainer that spans more than thirty years. Colour Psychology Today is unlike any other colour psychology book available. It is a 'must have' for colour enthusiasts, branding experts, marketeers, advertising execs, graphic designers, and anyone who would like to expand and develop the application of colour in their field of work.

What is the point of graphic design? Is it advertising or is it art? What purpose does it serve in our society and culture? Malcolm Barnard explores how meaning and identity are at the core of every graphic design project and argues that the role and function of graphic design is, and always has been, communication.
Drawing on a range of theoretical approaches including those of Derrida, Saussure, Foucault, and Barthes, and taking examples from advertising, magazines, illustration, website design, comics, greetings cards and packaging, "Graphic Design as Communication" looks at how graphic design contributes to the formation of social and cultural identities. Malcolm Barnard discusses the ways in which racial/ethnic groups, age-groups and gender groups are represented in graphic design, as well as how images and texts communicate with different cultural groups. He also explores how graphic design relates to both European and American modernism, and its relevance to postmodernism and globalization in the twenty-first century and asks why, when graphic design is such an integral part of our society and culture, it is not acknowledged and understood in the same way that art is.

After decades of using software as their exclusive work tool, graphic designers today are rediscovering the creative and expressive power of handmade characters: lettering has distinctive visual impact and provides endless possibilities for the expression of ideas through a more artful use of type, texture and volume. This results in personal, timeless 'works of art' and a richer aesthetic experience. This publication, now in paperback, brings together a wide range of custom lettering projects produced by graphic designers and typographers from around the world. It focuses on the design and creation processes and on the application of lettering projects on different supports, such as billboards, public walls, invitations, and menus, serving as decoration or as part of a branding system. Discover this versatile art form with this unique book.

Combining short biographies with striking and usable stencil images of 30 female activists, anarchists, feminists, freedom-fighters and visionaries, this is a genre-crossing resource guaranteed to educate and inspire.

Laurence was born in London and became a very successful commercial artist, producing many famous railway posters. Pick Up a Pencil covers his whole painting life, from the early drawings of detailed explosives for MI5 (they were used to help the army to disarm the bombs), through to his own fine art paintings. Jean's book is also full of stories including one where he took one of the bomb devices home to draw it, kept it under his bed, then found it was live

The industry bible for communication design and illustration professionals, with updated information, listings, and pricing guidelines. Graphic Artists Guild Handbook is the industry bible for communication design and illustration professionals. A comprehensive reference guide, the Handbook helps graphic artists navigate the world of pricing, collecting payment, and protecting their creative work, with essential advice for growing a freelance business to create a sustainable and rewarding livelihood. This sixteenth edition provides excellent, up-to-date guidance, incorporating new information, listings, and pricing guidelines. It offers graphic artists practical tips on how to negotiate the best deals, price their services accurately, and create contracts that protect their rights. Sample contracts and other documents are included.

An original account of the life and work of legendary designer Jan Tschichold and his role in the movement in Weimar Germany to create modern graphic design Richly illustrated with images from Jan Tschichold's little-known private collection of design ephemera, this important book explores a legendary figure in the history of modern graphic design through the artists, ideas, and texts from the Bauhaus that most influenced him. Tschichold (1902-1974), a prolific designer, writer, and theorist, stood at the forefront of a revolution in visual culture that made printed material more elemental and dynamic. His designs were applied to everyday graphics, from billboard advertisements and business cards to book jackets and invoices. This handsome volume offers a new understanding of Tschichold's work, and of the underlying theories of the artistic movement he helped to form, by analyzing his collections: illustrations, advertisements, magazines, and books by well-known figures, such as Kurt Schwitters, El Lissitzky, Aleksandr Rodchenko, and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, and lesser-known artist-designers, including Willi Baumeister, Max Burchartz, Walter Dexel, and Piet Zwart. This book also charts the development of the New Typography, a broad-based movement across Central Europe that included "The Ring," a group formed by Schwitters in 1927. Tschichold played a crucial role in defining this movement, documenting the theory and practice in his most influential book, The New Typography (1928), still regarded as a seminal text of graphic design.

With an abundance of information on how to create motion graphics already available, Design in Motion focuses on the why of moving image and less about the how. By unpacking the reasons behind screen designer's production choices, each chapter deconstructs examples of motion graphics by drawing on case studies of both familiar examples from contemporary cinema and unseen work from postgraduate motion graphic designers. It examines the value of image, text, motion, camera and transitions, explaining in detail why some methods work, while others fail. Whether you work in info-graphics, documentary or design, this book is structured to follow the production process and, together with its multimedia companion website, will be a by-your-side companion to guide you through your next project.

What happens to design when cultures merge and traditions dissolve, when everything is "bastardized"? The authors of Bastard set out to learn the answers on a high-speed 21-day research trip to seven hot spots of globalization on three continents, including Mexico City, L.A., Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Dubai and Frankfurt. Over the course of hundreds of meetings with artists, musicians, designers and authors, they collected enough prints, books, photographs, audio interviews and notes to fill an encyclopedia. The comparatively slim Bastard, which comes in at just under 400 pages, offers a portfolio from around the world. In the course of collecting it, Christian Ernst found himself coming around to this globalization thing: "Everyone is afraid of standardization. When everyone has the same design books does that mean young designers everywhere will use the same design? No--people are individual and influenced in different ways. They're simply different, and that was definitely a relief to discover " Bastard has been designed in more than 50 unique typefaces created by typographers all over the world. A selection of those fonts, a musical sound track and 50 high-resolution images are all included on the enclosed DVD.

The modern yearning for vintage and classical design work is well-documented in Retro Graphics, an in-depth exploration of diverse applications of retro elements in modern graphic design. Masterful retro design evokes the best part of a time or era, inspiring a sense of nostalgia in viewers or consumers not for what really was, but for what ideally could have been; Retro Graphics will show both design enthusiasts and professionals exactly how this can be done.

Enhance your knowledge of motion graphic design aesthetics and history with this authoritative look at the evolution of the art form. Motion Graphic Design, Third Edition provides a historical and critical overview of how the language of traditional graphic design is combined with the dynamic visual language of cinema in film, television, and interactive media. It features works from highly acclaimed animators and motion graphics studios from across the globe. This new edition has been updated to include: Thorough analysis of motion graphics designed for websites, informational kiosks, desktop and mobile touchscreen applications, DVD menus, and games Inspiring examples of how motion graphics continue to shape our visual landscape by transforming interior and exterior spaces into more engaging, immersive environments Coverage of conventional frame-by-frame animation techniques including stop-motion, cutout, and freehand by contemporary animators and motion design studios Instruction in how to create continuity or discontinuity and maintain the interest of viewers with frame mobility and rhythmic editing Discussion of pictorial and sequential aspects of motion graphics compositions and how they are choreographed to enhance messages and enrich stories downloadable resources featuring new professional and student work from around the globe, as well as figures from the textbook This is a must-have whether you are a student who is learning the principles of motion graphics or a professional in need of inspiration and new ways to impress your clients. Anyone working in or aspiring to work in the motion media industry will benefit greatly from this valuable resource.

Fiesta: Branding and Identity of Festivals is a compilation of remarkable branding designs and campaigns for a variety of renowned festivals from around the world. The festivals examined span the worlds of music, cinema, design, gastronomy, culture, and art. These topics, and the freedom of creativity that come with them, allow to explore the limits of design, without the restraints that come with commercial projects. The identity and communication campaign strategies deployed by festivals encompass an endless array of design techniques, from graphic elements such as logos, posters, web pages, advertisements, mobile apps, tickets, and wristbands to collectible items like T- shirts, bags, and cups. This volume will inspire and serve as a useful tool for graphic designers and branding agencies that seek to handle challenging and wide-ranging festival projects with the highest degree of creativity and imagination, as well as for festival organizers and anyone interested in visual culture in general and eager to learn about new trends. The events featured show that the success of a festival has a close connection to its tailor- made branding and design and that no matter what the subject of the festival is, it is essential to have a coherent identity strategy.

Arabic script remains one of the most widely employed writing systems in the world, for Arabic and non-Arabic languages alike. Focusing on naskh-the style most commonly used across the Middle East-Letters of Light traces the evolution of Arabic script from its earliest inscriptions to digital fonts, from calligraphy to print and beyond. J. R. Osborn narrates this storied past for historians of the Islamic and Arab worlds, for students of communication and technology, and for contemporary practitioners. The partnership of reed pen and paper during the tenth century inaugurated a golden age of Arabic writing. The shape and proportions of classical calligraphy known as al-khatt al-mansub were formalized, and variations emerged to suit different types of content. The rise of movable type quickly led to European experiments in printing Arabic texts. Ottoman Turkish printers, more sensitive than their European counterparts to the script's nuances, adopted movable type more cautiously. Debates about "reforming" Arabic script for print technology persisted into the twentieth century. Arabic script continues to evolve in the digital age. Programmers have adapted it to the international Unicode standard, greatly facilitating Arabic presence online and in word processing. Technology companies are investing considerable resources to facilitate support of Arabic in their products. Professional designers around the world are bringing about a renaissance in the Arabic script community as they reinterpret classical aesthetics and push new boundaries in digital form.

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." -Albert Einstein Our everyday lives are filled with a massive flow of information that we must interpret in order to understand the world we live in. Considering the complex variety of data floating around us, sometimes the best-or even only-way to communicate is visually. This unique book presents a fascinating perspective on the subject, highlighting the work of the masters of the profession, creators of breakthroughs that have changed the way we communicate. Information Graphics has been conceived and designed not just for graphics professionals, but for anyone interested in the history and practice of communicating visually. The in-depth introductory section, illustrated with over 60 images (each accompanied by an explanatory caption), features essays by Sandra Rendgen, Paolo Ciuccarelli, Richard Saul Wurman, and Simon Rogers. Looking back all the way to primitive cave paintings as a means of communication, this section gives readers an excellent overview of the subject. The second part of the book is entirely dedicated to contemporary works by today's most renowned professionals, presenting 200 graphics projects, with over 400 examples-each with a fact sheet and an explanation of methods and objectives-divided into chapters by the topics Location, Time, Category, and Hierarchy. Includes: 200 projects and over 400 examples of contemporary information graphics from all over the world-ranging from journalism to art, government, education, business and much more Four essays about the development of information graphics since its beginnings

The celebrated and much sought-after issue of the magazine idea focusing on a towering gure in Swiss graphic design is now in print again.idea is a renowned Japanese magazine on international graphic art and typography. Its 333th edition lent 226 pages to Emil Ruder, showcasing his work, in uence, and legacy in the world of typography and beyond-yielding a comprehensive survey of Ruder's accomplishments. It brings together essays, discussions, and appraisals from fellow designers, typographers, and artists.It engages with Ruder's many years of work and teaching in Basel, his thirty years as publisher of the famous Typographische Monatsblatter, as well as his posters, fonts, and philosophy.The extraordinary and comprehensive presentation of the life and works of Swiss typographic legend Emil Ruder sold out shortly after coming off the press and will now be available in a facsimile reprint.

Printing and graphic design often go hand-in-hand, and a masterful print job can transform a good design into a compelling physical asset. Deluxe offers readers a full understanding of some of the most widely-used printing techniques: foil stamping, embossing, and debossing. It accomplishes its goal with surveys of printing houses, detailed explanations of printing methods, and immersive behind the scenes glimpses at how these methods are used.

Swiss Graphic Design Histories offers an entirely new redefinition of Switzerland's graphic design landscape. Based on extensive research by scholars of design history and with a multiple and inclusive approach, it reaches beyond the usual canon and the well-know epicentres Basel and Zurich with the germanophone fathers of what has become famous as the Swiss Style in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. In three volumes it features visual artefacts and archival documents, the majority published here for the first time, alongside likewise previously unpublished conversations with designers who have forged developments of the past decades, as well as new essays discussing key terms that refer to various design practices. The complexity of the undertaking is embraced through a system of keywords, thus enabling readers to connect contents within the individual volumes. A fourth volume comprising a glossary, bibliography, and an index of the keywords rounds out this long-awaited new survey of graphic design in multi-lingual Switzerland that sheds new light on networks, practices and media largely ignored so far.