From the lessons, innovations, and movements of previous centuries, the present era of graphic design finds itself in an increasingly vibrant and ever-changing period. Beginning in the latter half of the twentieth century and continuing presently, design movements have come and gone in conversation with the modernistic styling of the last half-century, as well as the rapidly shifting power structures within the world (Meggs & Purvis, p. 439).
Starting in 1950, this new era can first be traced to a movement known as Swiss Design or the International Typographic Style (Meggs & Purvis, p. 397). Continuing the work of the Bauhaus and movements prior, the Swiss Design movement was primarily centered around reforming existing typography and layout with modernist, clean, and objective design -- prioritizing geometric layout, proportional whitespace, and harmonious construction (Meggs & Purvis, p. 398-400). It was many during this time when sans-serif fonts – which had previously been seeing increasing use in popular culture – became a mainstay of the movement, seen as a more progressive and direct form of typography for use in reports, packaging, and books (Meggs & Purvis, p. 397). New typefaces and families would also be created that still persist in large part today, such as the Univers and Helvetica typefaces which emphasized well-defined form and harmony (Meggs & Purvis, p. 400-401). In design, layout would be done on a mathematical grid, with ample whitespace dictating margins and paragraph breaks, while columns of text increasingly adopted a flush-left, ragged-right approach to justification (Meggs & Purvis, p. 397). Together, these made spacing and legibility more consistent in passages of text, as well as layouts more distinct and intuitive in structure (Meggs & Purvis, p. 398). Recognizing the neat legibility and balance of the characters and graphics, the International Typographic Style found itself quickly spreading beyond just Switzerland, and true to its name, became a powerhouse in international corporations and institutions (Meggs & Purvis, p. 410).
Corporate systems, particularly after World War II, would become especially prominent in graphic design, hiring entire teams of designers to create consistent systems and aesthetics that visually unify and differentiate their products from surrounding conglomerates (Meggs & Purvis, p. 439). Perhaps first starting with the Columbia Broadcasting Station (CBS) of New York, the company would become one of the earliest powerhouses in graphic design, with rigorous standards and reputation for quality programming, design, and advertisement (Meggs & Purvis, p. 441). First trademarking themselves with the iconic pictographic eye in 1951, they emphasized the use of bold silhouette and symbolic imagery within their designs, leveraging the connotative power of their product with their identity itself (Meggs & Purvis, p. 441-442). Eventually, as the movement for corporate design started to spread across companies like Shell, Nabisco, and Exxon, it wasn’t just product and packaging that was being targeted, but entire corporate trademarks (Meggs & Purvis, p. 443). Spearheaded by designers such as Raymond Loewy and Paul Rand, striking and distinctive symbols would come synonymous with corporate entities, emphasizing its symbolism, recognition, and distinctiveness to its viewers (Meggs & Purvis, p. 443,445-447). Corporate design would eventually explode in the 1960s, when it combined with the incoming International Typographic Style to create a larger movement centered around systematic corporate identities (Meggs & Purvis, p. 451). Entire design systems and packages would be created to unite a corporation’s aesthetic and messages, with a focus on minimalism, rationality, and standardization (Meggs & Purvis, p. 451-453). Notably, this era of strong corporate branding would also inspire the standardization of many common signs and symbols seen across society today, such as the many signs related to transportation, public services, and other aspects such as where smoking is permitted (Meggs & Purvis, p. 455). Today, corporate visuals still persist as one of the dominating facets of graphic design, and have helped give many companies power and brand recognition in daily life (Meggs & Purvis, p. 463).
With the rise of the digital age beginning in the 1980s, however, graphic design increasingly finds itself in an evolving and divergent culture (Meggs & Purvis, p. 571). The rise of computer-aided graphic design applications has both displaced centuries old processes involving layout, typesetting, and photography, while enabling one person to have precise and total control over an entire graphic (Meggs & Purvis, p. 571-573). With a consumer laser printer and access to commercial design applications, one can plan, layout, and print a graphic in record time and cost (Meggs & Purvis, p. 571). As well, computers have enabled an entirely digital design movement both on the level of individual user- interfaces and the entire World Wide Web (Meggs & Purvis, p. 571). Tools as simple as mouse and windows to as application-specific as layers and grids make the user experience intuitive and accessible, embodying the beginnings of a word-less design language (Meggs & Purvis, p. 571-573). On the internet, webpages have revolutionized the flow of information, contributing to a repository of books, news sources, magazines, and completely unique formats that possibly outgrows the contributions of the printing press itself (Meggs & Purvis, p. 591-593). Built from three main systems – HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) that defines how the site is loaded, HyperText Markup language (HTML) that defines the content of site, and Universal Resource Locator (URL) that defines how the site is reached – the website is surprisingly versatile, allowing for near unlimited revision, design, and accessibility (Meggs & Purvis, p. 592-593). With the introduction of many different devices and screen dimensions, interactivity and responsiveness have become essential, redesigning the same work to look consistent across multiple formats (Meggs & Purvis, p. 596). With the increasing quantity of websites demanding our attention, many strive to individualize themselves and their aesthetics, creating a digital revolution in design, interactivity, and content.
Today, graphic design is becoming recognized as an increasingly essential element of visual communication and messaging. More graphic designers than ever have entered the workforce, bringing with them new ideas and aesthetics across digital and print formats. Design-wise, we currently live in a vague post-modern era of sorts, where heavy corporate design is being met with a greater focus on individual, activist, and globalist designs, -- often resulting in more chaotic, bombastic, and striking designs (Meggs & Purvis, p. 491). Though at-times ill-defined and ineffective at capturing all the divulging design movements, post-modernism has brought with it unconventional aesthetics and revolutionary experiments in design (Meggs & Purvis, p. 491). Ever-present in the written, printed, and electronic media throughout history, graphic design has the power to capture the hearts and minds of people around the globe, and has enabled everything from renaissance to revolution. Across formats and movements, graphic design has always been important to the delivery and content of information, and the future brings with it an invitation for experimentation and innovation.