Category: Research

Reflection

In the very last lecture for graphic design, we learnt how graphic design grows and changes into the ‘graphic design’ we known today. In the lesson, typography, logos, posters, books and magazines covers, etc… were introduced. I am mostly interested in the 1960s Esquire covers which catches my eyes.

The Esquire magazine & George Lois

It is an American men’s magazine founded in 1933. Its target audience is “successful men and men who want to be successful”.

George Lois as the art director of the Esquire magazine, produced iconic and remarkable covers in the 1960s, that depicts social controversy and challenges social norms in the 60s US.

Continue reading “Graphic Design So Far. Reflection [Y2: History of Design L4]”

Reflection

We learnt about quite a lot of movements and concept this week, including Bauhaus, cubism, expressionism, suprematism, etc… I am particular interested in De Stijl ! It is constructed with simple form and colours. It’s simple but powerful.

Continue reading “To Bauhaus & Beyond. Reflection [Y2: History of Design L3]”

Reflection

This week we learnt about how new fonts are created and the relationship between text and illustration to better convey a message, especially advertisement during Industrial Revolution. Among varies movements, I want to drive into the “pictures of the floating world’.

Ukiyo, the floating world, 浮世

What is the floating world (ukiyo)?  Ukiyo is a term originated from buddhism, refers to  earthly life, “the Sorrowful World” (“an endless cycle of rebirth, life, suffering, death, and rebirth from which Buddhists seek to escape”, thoughtco.com) During Tokugawa Period (1600-1868) in Japan, its meaning changed, refers to urban lifestyle of meaningless pleasure-seeking, especially  in the entertainment industry. Merchant class were benefited from the rapid economic growth. People seek pleasure from “theater and musical performances, calligraphy and painting, poetry writing and speaking competitions, tea ceremonies, and of course, sexual adventures”. Ukiyo then becomes descriptive term for pictures (artworks) that depicted people seeking pleasure in the entertainment industry.

Continue reading “Industrial Revolution & Graphic Reactions. Reflection [Y2: History of Design L2]”

Reflection

In the first lesson, we have learnt about different writing systems, styles, printing techniques and how they evolved from the earliest form to modern. Personally, I am interested in the derivation styles of fonts, including the old style, transitional and the modern style. They are gradually changing and deriving from the earlier forms.

This can be seen in the following images:

But why are there such changes…?

Continue reading “Writing To Typography. Reflection [Y2: History of Design L1]”