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Ideas from the History of Graphic Design
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 10 hours
  • Course by California Institute of the Arts
  • Offered by

About

This condensed survey course focuses on four key periods or themes from the history of design in the West. Together we'll trace the emergence of design as a recognized practice, why things look the way they do, and how designers approached specific design problems in their work. Students will develop an understanding of where the wide variety of today's design practice comes from. By participating in this survey of the works of innovative groups and individuals, we outline the process by which graphic design moved from a purely instrumental practice, to becoming a demanding creative and hybridized field. Each week, a short quiz will test your knowledge of concepts, and a short reflective assignment will give you the opportunity to analyze the questions designers ask themselves today. This is an essential course for emerging designers entering the field, or for students interested in learning more about visual culture and analysis. No previous experience is required. A note about this course: This course is taught from the perspective of contemporary design, to connect ideas that helped formulate design practice from the 1850s through the 1960s to the ways that designers think today. The relationship of words and pictures in graphic design is looked at through the ever-changing social and cultural contexts, technologies, aesthetics, and politics of their eras. The definition and practice of graphic design includes all public visual communications, which is a global practice. It was the evolution of mass production and communication in the West that specifically redefined graphic design as a professional practice and is this course's particular narrative. We hope students will consider how to connect the themes and ideas offered in this course to your own culture.

Modules

Welcome and Introduction

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Course Introduction

3 Readings

  • About This Course
  • About the Assignments
  • Academic Integrity

How Peer Review Works

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

3 Videos

  • Why Peer Review?
  • Peer Review Tips
  • How to apply feedback

1 Readings

  • What is peer review?

Course Communication Policies

    • 3 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
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1 Discussions

  • Meet and Greet

3 Readings

  • Instructor Presence and Staff Support
  • Forum Guidelines
  • Requesting Peer Reviews

The Victorian Era

    • 5 Videos
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5 Videos

  • Introduction to Early Mass Marketing
  • Form Follows Function
  • A Democratization of Choice
  • A Revival of Styles
  • Style Mash-up


Victorian Typography

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • An Exaggeration of Type

1 Readings

  • The Designer's Toolbox: Wood Type

The Age of Advertising

    • 4 Videos
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4 Videos

  • Branding
  • A Household Name
  • Text and Image
  • "Words doing the work"

Week 1 Review

    • 1 PeerReview
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Week 1 Quiz

1 Peer Review

  • Connecting the Past to the Present

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Introduction to The Bauhaus

1 Readings

  • Week 2 Resources

The Bauhaus 1919-33

    • 3 Videos
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3 Videos

  • Founding the Bauhaus
  • The Foundation Year
  • The Bauhaus and Architecture

Key Figures

    • 3 Videos
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3 Videos

  • Klee, Schlemmer & Albers
  • László Moholy-Nagy
  • Herbert Bayer

Design Forms

    • 4 Videos
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4 Videos

  • Color & Image
  • Textiles & Ceramics
  • Typography
  • Publications

Week 2 Review

    • 1 PeerReview
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Week 2 Quiz

1 Peer Review

  • A Designer's Tools, Now and Then

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Introduction to Modernism in America

1 Readings

  • Week 3 Resources

Lester Beall

    • 4 Videos
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4 Videos

  • The Bauhaus Influence
  • A Symbolic Language
  • Case Study: Scope Magazine
  • Developing Corporate Identities

Alvin Lustig

    • 2 Videos
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2 Videos

  • A New Subjectivity
  • Case Study: Fortune Magazine

Paul Rand

    • 5 Videos
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5 Videos

  • Play and Humor
  • Case Study: The Mechanized Mule Brochure
  • Duality & Simplicity
  • Case Study: El Producto Cigars
  • Rand’s Logo Designs

William Golden

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • A Clear Identity

Week 3 Review

    • 1 PeerReview
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Week 3 Quiz

1 Peer Review

  • Symbolic Forms

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Introduction to Graphic Design Radicalism

1 Readings

  • Week 4 Resources

Swiss Design

    • 6 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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6 Videos

  • The Objectivity of Swiss Design
  • Incorporating Abstraction
  • Josef Mueller-Brockmann
  • The Grid
  • Emil Ruder
  • Compositional Strategies

1 Readings

  • The Designer's Toolbox: Four-color Printing

Pushpin

    • 3 Videos
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3 Videos

  • The Subjectivity of Push Pin
  • Milton Glaser
  • “The South”

Psychedelics and the Diggers

    • 2 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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2 Videos

  • The Psychedelic Poster and Looking to the Past
  • The Diggers

2 Readings

  • The Designer's Toolbox: "Psychedelic" Effects
  • The Designer's Toolbox: Gestetner Machine

Sister Corita Kent

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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2 Videos

  • Sister Corita’s Aesthetics
  • Sister Corita’s Politics

1 Readings

  • The Designer's Toolbox: Screen Printing

Week 4 Review

    • 1 PeerReview
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Week 4 Quiz

1 Peer Review

  • Graphic Design Subcultures Today

Auto Summary

"**Ideas from the History of Graphic Design**" is a captivating course offered under the Arts & Humanities domain, designed for those eager to delve into the evolution of graphic design in the Western world. Taught by Coursera, this foundational course spans 600 minutes of engaging content, exploring pivotal periods and themes that have shaped contemporary design practices. Led by expert instructors, this course takes a unique approach by examining the relationship between words and images within the shifting contexts of social, cultural, technological, aesthetic, and political changes from the 1850s to the 1960s. Students will gain insights into how graphic design transitioned from a functional craft to a dynamic and innovative field, influencing today's diverse design practices. Each week, participants will reinforce their learning with short quizzes and reflective assignments, encouraging them to analyze current design questions and trends. This course is ideal for emerging designers entering the field, as well as students interested in visual culture and analysis. No prior experience in graphic design is required, making it accessible to a broad audience. Learners can choose from various subscription options, including Starter, Professional, and Paid plans, to access this rich and informative course. Whether you're looking to enhance your understanding of design history or seeking inspiration for your own creative work, this course offers a comprehensive and thought-provoking journey into the world of graphic design.

Louise Sandhaus
Instructors

Louise Sandhaus

Lorraine Wild
Instructors

Lorraine Wild