Graphic Design in the Twentieth Century. A Concise History

The story of graphic design is one of the most exciting and important in modern visual culture. Renowned designer and lecturer Richard Hollis’s pioneering Graphic Design: A Concise History traced the medium’s development in the twentieth century, from its roots in printing, and defined its function as visual communication: to identify, inform and promote. Here, reissued with a new title, preface and updated recommendations for further reading, this authoritative documentary history begins with the poster and goes on to chart the development of graphics in print, advertising, corporate identity and television, concluding with the impact of digital and electronic media on the forms of graphic design.

Preserving the author’s original layout, now regarded as a graphic design classic in its own right, the book features over 800 illustrations fully integrated with the text. An essential reference, this indispensable account is clear, comprehensive and compelling.

'Essential and affordable reading for students, designers and historians … considered, well-informed and imaginative', - The Eye

'The stories, briskly told, often add new insight to familiar tales', - Communication Arts