Introduction
The graphic design industry has been revolutionised by computers and technology and all walks of life have been affected. Computers have allowed for growth in the industry and have provided a platform for graphic work to be exposed to more people around the world. Computers have changed the way graphic designers operate and the quality of work that graphic designers can produce. This essay will explore the history of graphic design and will show the dramatic change in the industry from the launch of computers and technology.
History
Before one can start to understand how the graphic design has been revolutionised by computers and technology, one must understand the early history of graphic design and what graphic design was when it started. Graphic design can be linked back to cave drawings made by primitive humans thousands of years ago. These first markings were the start of communication through imagery. When a written language was developed typography was created. Going through eras, graphics were designed in medieval times for shields and crests. For many centuries forms graphic design was done by hand.
The first major advance in the history of graphic design was the technology of books. Books were a major factor in kick starting graphic design and were the first most significant part of print media to incorporate emphasis on typography and layout. Books were originally hand written and it was an art form, a scribe would spend months on perfectly producing a book. The next major advancement in creating books was the use of paper. Before paper was used vellum was the primary mean of creating pages. Books were expensive because of the long and costly process of producing vellum. Paper made books more affordable and more available to people. II, III
Perhaps the biggest historical advancement in graphic design was the Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in 1440. The invention of the printing press allowed for multiple copies of a book to be produced. Instead of a scribe having to spend months on writing a single book, multiple books could be produced in a much shorter time. This was the start of books being available to more people and was the start of print media. This invention was revolutionary and it kick started graphic design in the print medium. I
As centuries went on the more graphic design grew; from the development of newspapers, to posters to magazines and so on. Nothing was digitally produced to very recently in terms of the history of graphic design. Graphic design was prepared largely manually and without the aid of advanced technology.
Graphic Design progression
Graphic design has progressed so far and design is progressing every day. Graphic design is around everyone, everyday and everywhere in this day and age. There are many factors in this progression in recent times. Graphic design is being developed for more mediums then ever before and new ideas and new design trends make for an ever-changing industry. Computer and new technology have revolutionised graphic design and the way that graphics are produced and published.
Computers and technology have made it easier to produce high quality graphics and have created new mediums in which graphic design can be applied. It has changed how graphic designers operate compared to times without computers. The graphic design industry now has more focus, one might even argue to much focus on producing graphics digitally rather then with hand drawn work.
Advertising and the way advertising is done in this day and age has completely changed graphic design. Computers have revolutionised the way that adverting is delivered to the public. Back less then half a century ago advertising was primarily prints in a newspaper, posters and flyers but now there are countless mediums of advertising in which graphics are needed. Technology these days is so around us that it makes sense that companies target this new market with advertising. Computers and new technology have made it possible to advertise almost everywhere and in devises that we use everyday.
Advertising has grown vastly in recent years and is a multi billion-dollar industry. Most advertisements needs graphic work prepared with an advert whatever it might be. There is no doubt that advertising has been revolutionised by computers and new technology and has a dramatic impact on people of all walks of life. The way that products are marketed and in which what medium they have marketed is very different to even a decade ago. This has a follow on affect for the graphic design industry because graphic designer must keep up to date on new ways that graphic work can be applied in an ever-changing advertising industry.
One of the reasons for this progression in adverting were individuals thinking ahead, not what do at the present time to satisfy design and advertising trends, but to think of new ways that advertising could be used in the future. As technology developed and grew into society so did adverting.
The World Wide Web was developed in the early nineties and was the start of a revolution of online advertising. In the last decade the number of web users has increased astronomically. Between 2005 and 2010 the number of web users doubled and surpassed two billion. This was because of constant improvements in computer technology and access. The World Wide Web is a massive market for advertising and completely revolutionised the way that advertising was done. Online advertising is now bigger then ever and continues to grow everyday. IV
Internet advertising has allowed for new ways to create graphics also. This technology allows for interactive advertisements to the potential consumer. Through the use of games, competitions and lots of other ways graphic designers have a massive new way of communicating information.
The World Wide Web created a whole new industry in graphic design, being web design. Web design is a colossal industry and with over one billion websites on the net with thousands being created every day one can start understand the growth of this new industry. Computers have revolutionised the industry because it has opened a whole new window of job opportunities and change the way that marketing is done across the world.
Social media is also a huge development in the World Wide Web in recent times. Hundreds of millions of people use social media on the Internet, creating yet another marketing opportunity. Sights such as Facebook and twitter are some of the largest social media websites in the world. These websites are worth billions because of the user base they possess and the potential to advertise to. For example there are over 800 million Facebook users and over 50% of these users log in everyday, so therefore there is huge potential to spread a message. V, VI, VII
The technology of social media creates viral information, which is the most perfect platform for advertising and spreading a brand. The technology of social media has also made it easier to target specific demographics, which also has revolutionised the industry. Social media has revolutionised the way the world communicates and has created a whole new way to advertise and create graphic work accordingly. There is no doubt that this form of technology has revolutionised graphic design and does affect everyone that uses social media because they are subjected to far more advertising.
Mass Media developments has dramatically changed and revolutionised graphic design. Graphic design is such a huge and varied industry now because of variation that graphic work can be applied to. Nearly everyone in the developed world exposes themselves to some form of media everyday. Because of this high exposure there is a great opportunity for graphic work to be implemented. This high demand has revolutionised and grew the industry. Mass media is developing everyday and so is the need for graphic work.VIII
Mobile technology has had huge progression in the pass decade and has created a new medium for graphic design. Smart phones have created a massive new opportunity in graphic design. Over one third of people in the developed world use smart phones and has revolutionised how people use the Internet and communicate. There are hundreds of thousands of applications in which all need graphic work applied to. Mobile technology has also paved another new way for advertising. Many applications are free to the user on the condition that advertisements are displayed to the user. Applications are now a massive market and provide another way that advertising can be exposed to an individual. IX, X
Motion graphics have become another variation of graphic design. Television, film and computers all incorporate motion graphics and as technology has developed so has the need for motion graphic design. A clear example of this is on the news; most news programs use motion graphics to display information. Motion graphics are an athletically pleasing way to communicate information. With technology advancements and computer advancements there is an ever-increasing need for motion graphics. Computers have revolutionised the way and the quality that motion graphics can be produced. These advancements in motion graphic technology have created a large industry.
Motion graphics are ideal for advertising because the illusion of motion can be exceptionally engaging for people. Many advertisements use motion graphics to communicate information because it is effective in doing so. Computers and new technology have made motions graphics more accessible because they are now able to be displayed in more mediums such as mobile phones, websites and many more. Motion graphics have dramatic impacts on people of all walks of life because of the increasing exposure one is now subjected too.
Gaming and interactive media technologies have advanced greatly in the past two decades. The gaming industry is now worth over 74 billion and is available in more mediums then ever before. Graphic design plays a great part in designing games and marketing them. Gaming graphics quality has developed vastly from just pixel boxes to high quality three-dimensional art that looks very life like. This computerised technology has created another vast medium for graphic design to apply their work to. XI
Computer programs have made a substantial change and have revolutionised graphic design industry. The adobe creative suite has made for big changes in how designers produce their work and the efficiency and quality of how they produce it. Adobe programs such as illustrator, photoshop and indesign make it possible to create high quality digital designs with precision. By digitally producing work, the work is more flexible can it is easier to apply such work to different mediums. Programs such as these have made designing very more efficient and as new updated versions of these programs are released, the more efficient design work gets. Computers have transformed the way that designers create graphic work and the quality in which work can be produced. XII
One can argue but the focus on digitally producing work is to high and creates restrictions on graphic artworks. Computers can get in the way of someone’s creative ability. If one was to express a graphic idea, pen to paper is most likely the best way for that idea to be expressed no matter how rough the sketch is. Computers can hinder this because they not only rely on someone’s creative ability to produce work but also how well one can operate the program. No matter how great the designers skills at the program is there is still a kind of barrier on getting ones thoughts on a page.
Computers have created to a new art form, being digital art. Digital art is now a widely diverse art form; there are many variations of digital art. Graphic designers develop and adopt digital art techniques to create their work. Digital art is a high regarded art form and would not exist without computer technology.
Printing technology advancements have also revolutionised the graphic design industry. New age printing provides the ability to print almost anything onto whatever material. Digital printing presses allow for graphic work to be easily produced in a hard copy form. Advancements in printing allow for high quality graphic work to be affordable and easy distribution to people.
Conclusion
The immense impact that computers and technology have had on the graphic design industry. Computers and technology have created a huge impact on people from all walks of life through graphic design. Computers have made exciting new ways to communicate with people and revolutionised how graphic designers do so and the mediums in which graphic design has displayed. One cannot deny the overwhelming impact that computers have caused to the industry and the growth computers have created. The industry has been reinvented in a sense because of the use of computers; more job titles have been created and the exciting, more efficiency has resulted and the way that design is approached has changed. Graphic design is a growing industry and keeps developing every day as new technologies emerge. These fast industry progressions now require a designer to keep up to date on what is happening in the industry and foresee new technologies and the possible impact they might have on their work. One can articulate that if current trends continue, computers and technology will continue to revolutionise graphic design and the impacts on all walks of life will be ever increasing.
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