Design Culture: An Anthology of Writing from the AIGA Journal of Graphic Design [Paperback]

Steven Heller (Author), Marie Finamore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1997

Presenting a significant selection of seventy-eight essays, interviews, and symposia from the pioneering AIGA Journal of Graphic Design, Design Culture examines the coming of age of graphic design as a profession and its role in shaping our culture. A diverse group of leading designers, editors, academics, and professionals both within and outside the field offer stimulating views on the impact of graphic design on everyday life. Topics range from skateboard graphics to the NASA logo to Lucky Charms cereal, and are grouped under ten intriguing chapter headings, including: Love, Money, Power; Facts and Artifacts; Modern and Other Isms; Design 101; Public Works; Understanding Media; and Future Shocks. Design Culture brings new meaning to design issues for anyone interested in contemporary culture. Essays by: Philip B. Meggs, Fath Davis Ruffins, Natalia Ilyin, Rosemary Coombs, Steven Heller, Paula Scher, Rick Poynor, Michael Bierut, Lorraine Wild, Ellen Lupton, Paul Rand, Jeffery Keedy, Peter Fraterdeus, Gunar Swanson, Roy Behrens, Veronique Vienne, Paul Saffo, Jessica Helfand, Robin Kinross, Milton Glaser, Michal Rock, Ellen Shapiro, and many more. Co-published with the American Institute of Graphic Arts.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A trio of books recently published by Allworth Press offer a compact self-study course on the practice and appreciation of graphic design. The books . . . are intended as an alternative to the diet of eye candy that sustains many graphic designers. Of the three, only Design Literacy is illustrated, and that only sparingly, with black-and-white thumbnails. The message? Look with your brain first -- Metropolis, April, 1998

Among the finest, most innovative books on the subject . . . . Sixty-two authors are represented by lively, accessible articles on a wide range of design-related topics . . . . Students will understand and enjoy nearly all the selections -- Ballast Quarterly Review, Winter 1997-98

Design's major players are all included in this compilation of essays featured in the AIGA Journal of Graphic Design during the past 15 years -- How, June, 1998

About the Author

Steven Heller is the co-chair of the MFA Designer as Author program and co-founder of the MFA in Design Criticism and MFA in Interaction Design programs at the School of Visual Arts, New York. For thirty- three years he was an art director at the New York Times, and currently writes the “Visuals” column for the New York Times Book Review. He is editor of the AIGA VOICE: Online Journal of Design and contributing editor to Print, EYE, Baseline, and ID magazines. He contributes to Design Observer and writes the DAILY HELLER blog for Print magazine. He is the author or editor of over 130 books on design and popular culture, including Design Literacy, Design Disasters, Born Modern: The Life and Design of Alvin Lustig, and Vintage Type and Graphics. He is the recipient of the 1999 AIGA Medal for Lifetime Achievement. Heller lives in New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Allworth Press (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880559714
• ISBN-13: 978-1880559710
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,516,133 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Defending A Profession Just Got Easier, September 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Design Culture: An Anthology of Writing from the AIGA Journal of Graphic Design (Paperback)

Defending graphic design as a full fledged profession just got a little easier thanks to the continuing efforts of Steven Heller. An ambitious writer whose work is having a monumental effect on the formation of graphic design into a definable profession, Heller continues in this vain as editor of a broad collection of recent articles from the AIGA Journal.

The selection of writings in Design Culture cuts a broad path , touching on corporate identity, design as culture and design education. If you are practicing graphic designer who is beginning to feel unsure about the direction your work is taking, take a break and read a few selections from this book - it will remind you of why you entered the profession in the first place. If you are an educator in the field of graphic design, Heller's compilation provides ample sources for use in spurring debate in the studio environment. And if you are a design student you must buy it! Failure to read this collection during your first year in school may permanently skew your view of the profession. Desktop publishing vs. graphic design - there is a difference and Design Culture will give you insight into what is it.