I think it was an interesting introduction to the history of graphic design where manuscripts and carvings were the beginning of design as we know today. Something that I learnt during Christian Art in Art History last year was also mentioned in the first lecture whereby the Book of Kells were produced to disseminate information to illiterate followers through illustrations, ornamentations and other decorations.
The idea that design assists people in comprehending texts and ideas is really interesting as after thousands of years, as designers, our job is still designing graphics to relay a message and making people understanding what the concept or text is about. Although the Book of Kells has rather abstract designs, it still pretty much proves that graphics or in this case intricate illustrations are used to disseminate information clearer to those who are illiterate.
In addition, the idea of using graphics to better visualize a text or idea reminds me of rebus which is something that I have always had fun in deciphering. Although it is used firstly during the Ancient Egyptian times, it is still widely used in the modern words especially in ads to give it a comical twist or to simply make the ad more interesting in which making the audience stop and think to decipher what the text actually means.