Customer Reviews

Graphic Design:: History:: A Critical Guide

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a splendid addition to the field of Graphic Design History. Until recently the study of graphic design lacked the sort of critical analysis that art historians have routinely lavished on painting or sculpture. Drucker and McVarish do a great job of engaging the reader in their thought processes. Some of the best pages are mash-ups of colorful and diverse graphics with interjected commentary and questions. For example, the two-page spread presenting Chinese oracle scripts, Sumerian cuneiform, and a Mayan codex is bisected by a horizontal red ribbon of text asking: What is the written equivalent of an ironic inflection? What is the spoken equivalent of a sans serif face?
I had the opportunity to see this text of this book before it was published. The book design is splendid. One might quibble with certain inclusions or ommisions, but overall this volume is extraordinary. The writers left me thinking anew about the impact and importance of graphic design. I teach a graphic design history class, and I found it thought provoking.

This is a really great book. It's informative, it's thorough and if you enjoy history, or even if you don't, it's interesting to read. It's especially good for class.

Excellent. Very well written and engaging - great ideas for class discussions. Have recommended the book to friends and colleagues.

Don't particularly care for the book--its a lot of pictures with other peoples' point of view. Doesn't come across as factual or informational. It's more pictorial.

this book provides an excellent history of visual culture and graphic design and i would recommend it to anyone starting out to get a grip on how things have evolved to the current situation in design. My only criticism is that the book seems much more aimed at academic purposes with its labored chapters on the beginning of graphic design. I would have liked had the book focused much more on the contemporary scene but again, it is nearly essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the history of visual culture.