Unit 1 3/4 1/27/10

Key Points:

Victorian had no design philosophy

trains sparked a new design phase

forms driven by commerce and a commodity culture

Chromoslithography starts mass communication

Louis Prang is a genius

industrial revolution had radically altered printing
built with metal parts
powered by steam
increased efficiency with plates and cylinders
increased size of impressions
photo mechanical processes
color lithography
machine based typesetting

Thomas Mass popularized political figures

Art and Craft movement

Kelmscott Press

Art Nouveau

Cheret and Grasset made transition

Modern Art Poster

Functionalism


I have always been interested in the Victorian design. Before this class I never really knew there was so much more behind it. It was the start of a new type of design. Victorian design has no philosophy which is rather interesting after learning all about grid system and keeping it clean. Another interesting part of of Victorian design is that trains sparked a new design phase with them delivering products package design was born and forms driven by commerce and a commodity culture.

I agree that Louis Prang is a genius in his own form. Taking the figure santa clause and making him into a famous figure that repeats itself yearly.

Another brilliant man is Thomas Mass. Popularizing political figures such as the donkey and elephant. I find that to really interesting to see how detail drawn out it was and now to see it in a very simple way as an icon.

In end the last thing that struck me as something I would like to learn more about is Peter Behrens. Him being the one to really set the standard for graphic design logos with his Standardization.

Unit 1 1/2 - 1/20/2010

Key Points:

• Codex
  
• Movable type
  
• Paleolithic
  
• Block Books
• Textura
• The Göttingen Gutenberg Bible
• Hand painted woodblocks
• Claude Garamond
• Grids
• Monster type

As I found the the early 1400 A.D. type not all interesting (historically) I appreciate the fact why it was developed. Creating a simple yet complex stroke gave the viewer the ability to read that information in a very fast way compared to trying to read or decipher the hieroglyphics, especially to someone who may not be similar with those symbols. With the later development of the movable type lead to great inventions such as the printing press. With both new inventions this spread humanist ideas and also increased the literacy rate.