Graphic design explained to children

This ironic "history of graphic design" — from the Manchester of the Industrial Revolution to that of Peter Saville — is a review and introduction for designers, students and the merely curious.

Studio 3, A History of Graphic Design for Rainy Days, 1776-1994 Gestalten, 224 pages, price 19,90 euro

Will we really study the history of graphic design on a rainy day? Maybe. There's something for everyone to learn in these pages, and at least the weather forces us to stay inside and read.

The narrative flows. The scanning of names, events and trends is rigorous and the space dedicated to each of these aspects finds the right balance, avoiding markedly extravagant choices but also the excess of predictability. And the mix of the basics and the pleasurable gathering of some extra information works; not much more than Wikipedia — which the authors acknowledge openly, being honest even before they are ironic —, but easily accessible in a single volume.

Attention to different disciplines is also well-balanced, albeit with an eye too keen on posters and type design, and a less vibrant interest in areas such as editorial design.
Another merit of this particular history of graphic design is that history is seen in a technical key. Every stylistic and linguistic evolution bears a close relationship with the technological knowledge of the time With its insistence on the steam engine, daguerreotypes and bitmaps, A History of Graphic Design for Rainy Days helps us remember.

Studio 3, <em>A History of Graphic Design for Rainy Days, 1776-1994</em>, Gestalten, Berlin, 2011 — Studio 3, *A History of Graphic Design for Rainy Days, 1776-1994*, Gestalten, Berlin, 2011

With that said, the problems begin. The book's narrative key seeks to distinguish it from many similar works but it fails to be enthralling. Somewhere between a game and a serious book, this volume is part of what has now become that robust trend of "comic user guides." However, the visual narrative never gets off the ground.

The two main characters, a boy with a lazy curiosity and his aged designer grandfather, embark on a journey through time: from the birth of industrial capitalism to Art Nouveau, from Johannes Itten's color theory, to psychedelia, postmodernism and the present day.

There is a great deal of irony, with the same affected ingenuity that hipsters cultivate as a supreme value. There's a bit of real fun thanks to some good wisecracks. But the "rainy day activities" approach is quickly tiring — although how quickly will depend on the subjective perception of each reader.

The idea is that historical periods and designers are associated with puzzles: "find the [typographical] mistake", solve a basic crossword puzzle, complete sketchy pictographs. Where a classic handbook would provide information, we sometimes find a quiz; the answer cannot be found in the book's pages but on the associated website.

If it is an exercise in style, it is only partly successful. But this is not a grave sin. The book will surely make a good gift, and those who receive it will read it with pleasure

The game works well when the problems posed are highly graphic and practical; more often they border on the Trivial Pursuit type. This probably does not disturb the authors, because the goal is an aesthetic game rather than a real incentive to "play with graphics."

The final pages reinforce the message; they are made of shapes to cut out, reassemble and paste. But how many people will approach this ever-so-charming book with scissors in hand?

The choice of using a proper typeface in the cartoon bubbles — rather than the standard comic lettering — has philological meaning in a text that is largely about typography, but it might make it difficult for some people to read.

A History of Graphic Design for Rainy Days was written and designed by Studio 3, a creative agency from Oslo, formed by students from the Westerdals School of Communication. In 2010, they had already published the distinctly educational Hyperactivitypography from A to Z, aimed more clearly at a younger audience.

Their newest title does not have such a well-defined readership. It is not completely a handbook of graphics history, but it is not only a divertissement. If it is an exercise in style, it is only partly successful. But this is not a grave sin. The book will surely make a good gift, and those who receive it will read it with pleasure. It will not be a study tool, but a review or an introduction for designers not well-versed in theory, students and the merely curious. The trip from the Manchester of the Industrial Revolution to that of Peter Saville is a long one, and comics might be a lighthearted way to make it.

Graphic design explained to children

This ironic "history of graphic design" — from the Manchester of the Industrial Revolution to that of Peter Saville — is a review and introduction for designers, students and the merely curious.

Latest News

Latest on Domus