Graphic Design Through the Ages – Camelback Displays

The word Graphics comes from the Greek word γραφικός, (graphikos) which means “drawing, painting, writing, a type of writing, description, etc.”. At its widest definition, it therefore includes the whole history of art, although painting and other aspects of the subject are more usually treated as art history.
Early Cave Paintings
From the earliest cave paintings right through to 3-D (three-dimensional) digital design, graphics and graphic design have been around for a very long time. And as soon as humans were able to find elements to draw with, the first types of “advertising” were created. Yes, even cave drawings were a form of advertising! They clearly depicted feats of bravery or something so special, it was worthy of permanently etching such an event – for all time.
Greek border style: A Plate showing typical borders used
Roman style architecture: Building with Corinthian columns and text engraved on the apex facet
Greco-Roman Era
Ancient Greek art stands out among that of other ancient cultures for its development of naturalistic but idealized depictions of the human body. The famous and distinctive style of Greek vase-painting with figures depicted with strong outlines, with thin lines within the outlines, reached its peak from about 600 to 350 BC. The iconic border styles used by ancient Greek designers is as ubiquitous today as it was thousands of years ago. Rome’s influence in design was substantial too. While the Romans absorbed many Greek design themes, one of the most important Roman contributions was the introduction of typography standards in architecture and sculpture.
Religious Texts and Iconography
The First Printing Press
The Industrial Revolution
Graphics as an Art Form
Graphic Design in Communication
Many medical organizations use the rod of Asclepius as their logo, since it symbolizes the healing arts. This kind of sign is called pictogram. The main advantage of a pictogram is that one does not need to be able to read or to understand a particular language in order to be able to understand the information it conveys. The traffic sign shown, is for no parking zone. The red circle with a diagonal line crossing it coveys the idea of “Not Allowed”, and is called an ideogram.
Pictogram: A pictorial symbol for a word or phrase (sometimes referred to as pictograph). Pictograms were used as the earliest known form of writing, examples having been discovered in Egypt and Mesopotamia from before 3000 BC.
Ideogram: A written character symbolizing the idea of a thing without indicating the sounds used to say it.
Computer desktop icons: One of the earliest computer graphics were “Icons” referred to sometimes as GUI – Graphic User Interface.
Bauhaus School: A German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught.
Pioneers of Graphic Design
Paul Rand, IN 1986, Steve Jobs was a guy trying to launch a start-up. Having been ousted from Apple the year before, he and a small band of employees were in the early stages of building a new computer company called Next. Jobs had invested millions in the venture, and his reputation as a visionary business leader was staked on its success. The group was still working out key details about its products. But Jobs was certain about one thing: He needed a logo from Paul Rand.
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