Graphic Design: History in the Writing (1983–2011) is the first anthology to bring together the most influential English-language texts on graphic design history, tracing how a discipline came to understand and argue about itself over nearly three decades.
About This Book
Edited by graphic design theorist Catherine de Smet and practicing graphic designer Sara De Bondt, this collection maps the contested terrain of graphic design history as a field still defining its own terms. From 1983 to 2011, the discipline produced writing charged with aesthetic, theoretical, political, and social tensions — and this anthology captures that charged atmosphere in full. Drawing on contributions from some of the most significant voices in design criticism and historiography, the book functions as both a sourcebook and a critical genealogy. For students, educators, curators, and practitioners who want to understand how graphic design history has been constructed — and where it might go — this is essential reading.
Key Features
- 304 pages of primary critical and historical texts spanning nearly three decades of graphic design historiography
- Edited by Catherine de Smet and Sara De Bondt
- Texts by Jeremy Aynsley, Steve Baker, Andrew Blauvelt, Piers Carey, François Chastanet, Wen Huei Chou, Denise Gonzales Crisp, Brian Donnelly, Johanna Drucker, Steven Heller, Richard Hollis, Robin Kinross, Ellen Lupton, Victor Margolin, Ellen Mazur Thomson, Philip B. Meggs, Gérard Mermoz, Abbott Miller, Rick Poynor, Martha Scotford, Catherine de Smet, Teal Triggs, Massimo Vignelli, and Bridget Wilkins
- Published by Occasional Papers, 2011
What You'll Discover
- How the field of graphic design history emerged and institutionalised itself from 1983 onwards, through the very texts that shaped it
- The aesthetic, theoretical, political, and social fault lines that have structured debates within graphic design criticism since the 1980s
- Divergent methodological approaches to writing design history, represented across contributions from practitioners, theorists, and academics alike
- A critical framework for situating contemporary graphic design discourse within its longer historiographical inheritance
About the Author
Catherine de Smet is a graphic design theorist whose editorial work engages the intersection of design practice and historical scholarship. Sara De Bondt is a practicing graphic designer who brings a studio perspective to questions of design history and criticism. Together, they bring a rare dual vantage point to the curation of this anthology.
Specifications
- Format: Softcover
- Pages: 304
- Dimensions: 210 × 300 mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9780956962300
- Publisher: Occasional Papers
- Publication Date: 2011
Perfect For: Graphic design students and educators, design historians, curators building design collections, and practitioners seeking critical grounding in the field's intellectual history.