Graphic Design History: A Critical Guide (Paperback)

by Johanna Drucker (Author), Emily McVarish (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Graphic Design History traces the social and cultural role of visual communication from prehistory to the present, connecting what designers do every day to a history of innovative graphic forms and effects.  It offers a unique and exciting set of critical lenses for thinking about the cultural purpose and historical dimensions of the graphic designer’s work, placing emphasis on the relevance of the history to the practices of designers today.  Designed by the authors, the book is beautiful, spacious, and elegant.  Clearly organized into three content-rich layers, it is informative yet lively and driven by ideas that offer ways of thinking about graphic design from a wealth of historical examples.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (February 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0132410753
• ISBN-13: 978-0132410755
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #57,635 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lively and Thoughtful Survey of the Field, March 5, 2008

By	Kevin McCloskey (Kutztown, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

3.0 out of 5 stars slow, June 6, 2009

By	Joel Rosado (DC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Graphic Design History: A Critical Guide, July 20, 2008

By	Diana (Australia) - See all my reviews

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