Graphic Design

Graphic design is a visual medium that combines images, words, symbols and ideas to create a design that gives a message.http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1032864/graphic-design The images can be seen in print, on the Web and even integrated into video. Graphic Design is a broad term that can include various traditional forms of visual art, such as drawing, painting and collage. In addition to traditional visual art forms, contemporary graphic design has become a highly digital medium. Professional graphic designers can use computers, software and peripheral devices made for graphic design like the Wacom graphics tablet.

Adobe Photoshop is an example of a photo editing program that is used by designers to manipulate photographs and graphics.http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/photoshop/whatisphotoshop/ Another Adobe product called InDesign gives designers the ability to layout their page designs for print, mobile devices and the Web.http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/whatisindesign/ Other desktop publishing applications are QuarkXpress, Scribus, Microsoft Publisher and PageMaker.

Professional graphic design is used in many industries like Web design and video game development. However, it is closely tied to the advertising field.http://www.designhistory.org/advertising_fall_08.html It is a part of branding and marketing for products, which makes it an element in the process of creating product awareness.http://www.designhistory.org/advertising_fall_08.html

Although the profession of graphic designer did not appear until the nineteenth century, there are some ancient books that have importance in the history of graphic design. One of these texts is the Book of Kells. It is an illuminated manuscript written by the Celtics in 800 C.E.http://www.britannica.com/facts/5/844937/Book-of-Kells-as-discussed-in-graphic-design-art The religious tome combined intricate calligraphy with images to tell a story.http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/cultural-history-of-ireland/book-of-kells.htm

However, modern day graphic design came after the invention of the printing press in 1450 by Johannes Guttenberg. http://www.historycentral.com/WH1400-1900/Tech/PrintingPress.html By the nineteenth century, the industrial revolution enabled companies to mass produce publications.http://www.designhistory.org/ArtsCrafts.html During this time, the designer William Morris re-established the connection between art and design.http://www.designhistory.org/ArtsCrafts.html He even started a style called the Arts & Crafts movement.http://www.designhistory.org/ArtsCrafts.html Another art movement associated with design is Bauhaus. This twentieth century German style emphasized technology and embraced mass production, which was the opposite belief of the Arts & Craft movement.http://www.designhistory.org/Bauhaus3.html