WEEKLY JOURNAL 9: : November 26
Digital Design after the 1970’s
Digital technology: from punch cards and plotters to desktop computing
Media transitions: type deign and publications
Fluidity and functionality
The myth of immateriality and challenges of digital design
Growing up in the 1960’s and 1970’s, my first real, of interest graphic design were album covers. What a continuous source of delight. ‘Record’ album jackets were amazing to sort through. There were too many to count and sadly through all the progression of technology, the album cover, along with the record is long gone. Lying on my back, head phones on, I’d listen to an album from beginning to end, studying the album cover from beginning to end and back again. “The enigmatic graphics of Hipgnosis collaborators Colin Elgie and George Hardie, as well as Storm Thorgerson’s concepts and photography, were eye-openers. They helped show how graphic form and style can be used to suggest meaning rather than spelling it out, and to comment on (or add to) a product’s content rather than just selling it. In this respect, new wave designers such as Barney Bubbles, Malcolm Garrett and Vaughan Oliver, instead of breaking with the previous generation, simply did the same with different means.” [Copyright eye magazine © 2001. eyemagazine.com]
During this time graphic design changed through digital technology: from punch cards and plotters to desktop computing. Somehow I missed the punch cards, though I had a friend that worked for a company in Illinois called Eby-Brown, which was a supply company and they used this technology for running their business, so I got to see some of the ‘punch cards’ and it was explained to me, though it was never really clear how a bunch of similar punched holes in a card was worth so much value; binary code. It somehow became clear in a class called ‘Scanning’, where it was explained what was bitmap (Photoshop, pixel-based, every space on a grid on or off) and vector or postscript (scalable written in a mathematical language for more precise illustrative graphics, fonts and publishing programs) and the benefit for each, such is binary code.
I did, however, experience the media transitions in type deign and publications, with the affordable (?) Macintosh computer and the earliest versions of publishing and graphics software, as well as classes at the local community college, that was promoting a degree, whose title kept changing as well as the curriculum due to the ever changing technology, software and mediums that happened seemingly immediately, one on top of the other.
Digital Design after the 1970’s
Digital technology: from punch cards and plotters to desktop computing
Media transitions: type deign and publications
Fluidity and functionality
The myth of immateriality and challenges of digital design
In Module 10, ‘Digital Design after the 1970’s’, during
all the rebellion, eclecticisms, modern technological advances, new professions
emerging, while old ones disappear, computers to learn, multiple computer
languages becoming available, multiple medias; it feels like a climatic
crescendo. Having lived this time period, experiencing all the nuances,
learning curves, reinvention and excitement of this time I can tell you that I
absolutely will not be able to cover everything in this time, and especially the
fabulous artists. This weeks examples will be of album covers that we lost in
the process of technology. They are surely missed by those of us that had the
pleasure of them. “Bang the Party, WordPress.com, upminsterkid 2, Ratatat, The
House of Leaf and Lime *3, Progandpoo @ BlogSpot *4. If you are viewing this
document online please find the missing images through links are provided in
the bibliography.)
Digital Design after the 1970’sGrowing up in the 1960’s and 1970’s, my first real, of interest graphic design were album covers. What a continuous source of delight. ‘Record’ album jackets were amazing to sort through. There were too many to count and sadly through all the progression of technology, the album cover, along with the record is long gone. Lying on my back, head phones on, I’d listen to an album from beginning to end, studying the album cover from beginning to end and back again. “The enigmatic graphics of Hipgnosis collaborators Colin Elgie and George Hardie, as well as Storm Thorgerson’s concepts and photography, were eye-openers. They helped show how graphic form and style can be used to suggest meaning rather than spelling it out, and to comment on (or add to) a product’s content rather than just selling it. In this respect, new wave designers such as Barney Bubbles, Malcolm Garrett and Vaughan Oliver, instead of breaking with the previous generation, simply did the same with different means.” [Copyright eye magazine © 2001. eyemagazine.com]
During this time graphic design changed through digital technology: from punch cards and plotters to desktop computing. Somehow I missed the punch cards, though I had a friend that worked for a company in Illinois called Eby-Brown, which was a supply company and they used this technology for running their business, so I got to see some of the ‘punch cards’ and it was explained to me, though it was never really clear how a bunch of similar punched holes in a card was worth so much value; binary code. It somehow became clear in a class called ‘Scanning’, where it was explained what was bitmap (Photoshop, pixel-based, every space on a grid on or off) and vector or postscript (scalable written in a mathematical language for more precise illustrative graphics, fonts and publishing programs) and the benefit for each, such is binary code.
I did, however, experience the media transitions in type deign and publications, with the affordable (?) Macintosh computer and the earliest versions of publishing and graphics software, as well as classes at the local community college, that was promoting a degree, whose title kept changing as well as the curriculum due to the ever changing technology, software and mediums that happened seemingly immediately, one on top of the other.
Before binary code, the invention of typesetting with the use of a camera and ‘paste up which at the time was revolutionary, was made worlds better with the digital computer in the language binary code. Binary code is what made the digital environment fluid and functional, replacing the rigidity older technologies.
As the book explains “The myth of immateriality and challenges of digital design”, is as it was in the work world as a graphic design artist. As, I arrived in the field, at Ace Hardware Corporation in Oakbrook, Illinois, the art director, was looking to me, as a God, to save him with the companies internet and intranet. The first job I had to tackle was their look and feel, while battling the IT Department for every kilobit of space. Mind you, they stood their ground for a long time, only allowing 15kb maximum for any and all graphics!
As I arrived at Ace, knowing the new technologies, I was with employees that had been with the graphics and advertising departments for some 25 years, not knowing what to do or how to do it as defined by the new technologies. They were swimming from the wrong end of the pier, paddling as fast as they could. Part of my job was to train these people in the different areas, as it pertained to their former level of expertise. To continue this subject, in the four years I was at this job, as a layout artist, I watched as the advertising department become outsourced to contractors of Reuben H. Donnelly, and then two years after I left Ace, the Graphics department was also outsourced to the same company. Oh, what a wild ride that was!
One additional comment I’d like to make which I should have mentioned in last weeks journal, is in regards to the book we have been studying from, ‘Graphic Design History, A Critical Guide’, has an extensively well written 22-page glossary with very pertinent information, in regards to the history, as well as the current trends and technological breakthroughs in graphic design history.
Conclusion
‘Digital Design after the 1970’s’, during all the rebellion, eclecticism, modern technological advances, with new professions emerging, and old ones dying, trying to stay five years ahead to remain valuable in whatever new medium, or software/hardware nuances should arrive was a very exciting ride. Whoa! I couldn’t possible cover everything or even touch most of everything in this time. Wonder what’s next? Finally, this weeks examples will be of album covers that we lost in the process of technology. They are surely missed by those of us that had the pleasure of them. “Bang the Party, WordPress.com, upminsterkid 2, Ratatat, The House of Leaf and Lime *3, Progandpoo @ BlogSpot *4. If you are viewing this document online please find the missing images through links are provided in the bibliography.)
BibliographyAll information, most everything written unless marked otherwise is all credited to the authors of ‘Graphic Design History, A Critical Guide’ and Professor Kent Manske.
*2 Bang the Party, WordPress.com, upminsterkid
http://bangtheparty.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/ian-dury-the-upminster-kid/
*3 Ratatat, The House of Leaf and Lime.
As the book explains “The myth of immateriality and challenges of digital design”, is as it was in the work world as a graphic design artist. As, I arrived in the field, at Ace Hardware Corporation in Oakbrook, Illinois, the art director, was looking to me, as a God, to save him with the companies internet and intranet. The first job I had to tackle was their look and feel, while battling the IT Department for every kilobit of space. Mind you, they stood their ground for a long time, only allowing 15kb maximum for any and all graphics!
As I arrived at Ace, knowing the new technologies, I was with employees that had been with the graphics and advertising departments for some 25 years, not knowing what to do or how to do it as defined by the new technologies. They were swimming from the wrong end of the pier, paddling as fast as they could. Part of my job was to train these people in the different areas, as it pertained to their former level of expertise. To continue this subject, in the four years I was at this job, as a layout artist, I watched as the advertising department become outsourced to contractors of Reuben H. Donnelly, and then two years after I left Ace, the Graphics department was also outsourced to the same company. Oh, what a wild ride that was!
One additional comment I’d like to make which I should have mentioned in last weeks journal, is in regards to the book we have been studying from, ‘Graphic Design History, A Critical Guide’, has an extensively well written 22-page glossary with very pertinent information, in regards to the history, as well as the current trends and technological breakthroughs in graphic design history.
Conclusion
‘Digital Design after the 1970’s’, during all the rebellion, eclecticism, modern technological advances, with new professions emerging, and old ones dying, trying to stay five years ahead to remain valuable in whatever new medium, or software/hardware nuances should arrive was a very exciting ride. Whoa! I couldn’t possible cover everything or even touch most of everything in this time. Wonder what’s next? Finally, this weeks examples will be of album covers that we lost in the process of technology. They are surely missed by those of us that had the pleasure of them. “Bang the Party, WordPress.com, upminsterkid 2, Ratatat, The House of Leaf and Lime *3, Progandpoo @ BlogSpot *4. If you are viewing this document online please find the missing images through links are provided in the bibliography.)
BibliographyAll information, most everything written unless marked otherwise is all credited to the authors of ‘Graphic Design History, A Critical Guide’ and Professor Kent Manske.
*2 Bang the Party, WordPress.com, upminsterkid
http://bangtheparty.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/ian-dury-the-upminster-kid/
*3 Ratatat, The House of Leaf and Lime.
http://leafandlime.hobix.com/archives/2004/08/ratatatatat.html
http://www.audiodregs.com/wallpaper/ratatat_wallpaper01.jpg
*4 Progandpoo @ BlogSpot
http://progandpoo.blogspot.com/2006/10/genesis-selling-engalnd-by-pound.html
http://www.audiodregs.com/wallpaper/ratatat_wallpaper01.jpg
*4 Progandpoo @ BlogSpot
http://progandpoo.blogspot.com/2006/10/genesis-selling-engalnd-by-pound.html
http://www.perrific.com/cds/covers/genesis.jpg
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