In fall of 2009, I sat on my bed in a small apartment surfing the web with the fervor only a student soon-to-be graduate has. I wanted an internship—preferably an affordable one (a tall order in today’s arts economy, to be sure)—at a decidedly Really Cool Place. Somewhere along the way, I […]
by Danelle Cheney Shortly after World War I in April 1919, Das Staatliche Bauhaus—The State Home for Building—opened under the leadership of 31-year old Walter Gropius. The new Bauhaus was a merger of two existing schools: the Weimar Arts and Crafts School and the Weimar Art Academy. This marriage of applied arts and fine arts […]
by Danelle Cheney 1455: Mainz, Germany. Johannes Gutenberg nears completion on the first edition of the forty-two line bible with moveable type and machinery he’s spent years developing. 1969: Los Angeles, USA. Charley S. Kline sends the first message across an early version of the internet: “LO.” He was attempting to type “LOGIN,” which he […]
by Danelle Cheney Comic books firmly straddle the space between visual art and literature. They are unique in format: the visuals are just as important to understanding the story as the words (unlike a traditional book, which may be republished several times with differing sets of illustrations). There are even some which include absolutely no […]
by Danelle Cheney Graphic designers are taught to confront and reconcile the relationship between form and content. Is one more important than the other, or equally so? Does personal expression, emotion, and humanity have a place in design, or should designers focus on legibility, clarity, and unity of content? The first Bauhaus manifesto states: “Together, […]
Revolutionary Typography By Danelle Cheney Graphic Design, like any creative discipline, does not proceed neatly through time from one school of thought to the next. Art history buffs know artists and their work can be categorized differently depending on where one draws the fine line of definition. Art history students might be less frustrated if […]
The Geometric Imperfection Of Design By Danelle Cheney Typefaces, or fonts, sometimes have more complex histories than we might guess. Times Roman–or Times New Roman, depending on which OS you use–has a long and unclear history. It seems that it was created for British newspaper The Times in the 1930s and 40s, but that story […]
Graphic Design Is A Nebulous Thing by Danelle Cheney In 1930, Beatrice Warde gave a speech entitled Printing Should Be Invisible. Later printed under the name The Crystal Goblet, she explores concepts that graphic designers will invariably encounter at some point during their careers. Warde begins by asking whether you would rather be […]
