Mixing Messages: Graphic Design in Contemporary Culture

by Ellen Lupton

Graphic Design shapes the meaning and impact of all we see and read. Mixing Messages traces how both the aesthetic value and overall pervasiveness of graphic design have changed over the past fifteen years. In this period, technological innovation and, especially, the rise of the personal computer have drastically altered graphic design practice, triggering explosions of creativity in all forms of visual communication. From the independent producer operating out of the home to the publishing conglomerate, a more diverse design community is creating the images that affect us every day. From the printed page to the Internet, typefaces, colors, logos, and images transmit information and ideas, generating a literacy of the eye that affects us every day. In this important new book, a critical text accompanied by over 300 color illustrations explores the aesthetic, cultural, and technological issues that are shaping the future of graphic design. Featured is work by numerous designers, including Charles S. Anderson, Fabien Baron, Art Chantry, Stephen Doyle, Edward Fella, Tobias Frere-Jones, Dan Friedman, April Greiman, Jonathan Hoefler, Tibor Kalman, Zuzana Licko, Katherine McCoy, Paula Scher, and such global design offices as Landor Associates, Lippincott & Margulies, and Siegel & Gale. From this diverse array of practices, Mixing Messages constructs a rich picture of graphic design today.

Genres: Design, Art

175 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1996

Reviews

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting history lesson

[Brian Kovesci · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some books don’t age well. This graphic design book published 26 years ago has lost most of its relevance.