So when I was asked to write an article on the 10 most influential graphic designers of the past 100 years, I felt like the whole endeavor was a bit ridiculous. I mean, influence is so hard to measure, and many designers have had some influence on me, and I often find myself unknowingly influenced by trends that happened long before I was born. Then there’s the issue of being influenced by someone who isn’t a graphic designer. And then there’s the fact that design has always been such an influential part of our culture that it would be pretty tough to make any kind of list or listicle that inspires outrage or disagreement. Oh well, let’s just do this.
This list is in no particular order. People will disagree with it anyway. Most of these designers are still alive and kicking ass, so if you want to see their work in person, please check out the MOMA’s website for more info about each designer. (I recommend going to MOMA anyway.)
Created in 1991, the blog Design Observer has become a go-to source for design news, insight and analysis. The site features posts on everything from new museum exhibits and books to essays on broader design themes.
The site is the brainchild of two graphic designers, Paula Scher and Rick Poynor. Scher, who is a partner at Pentagram, took her first stab at creating a graphic design blog back in 1998 but quickly realized that the medium had yet to find its voice.
“It was such a new thing,” Scher tells us. “There were no standards for how to use it.”
Scher’s previous experience as co-editor of Print magazine certainly prepared her for this challenge. (Her first post on Design Observer was about the magazine’s redesign.) She also credits her background in art as influencing her approach to graphic design. “I try to put everything into context,” she says.
Design Observer attracts a wide range of readers, from practicing professionals to students and casual fans interested in learning more about the field. The site averages around 1 million page views per month, but Scher is quick to point out that this number doesn’t necessarily reflect actual readership. “A lot of people have broken their cookies,” she says of repeat visitors — which may
Before you get started, you should know that there is a lot of competition out there. But if you do your homework and give it your all, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to succeed as a professional graphic designer.
What Do Graphic Designers Do?
Graphic designers create logos, advertisements and other designs for their clients. They also produce layouts for newspapers, magazines and websites. They often work on projects with other designers and art directors.
Education: Graphic designers need a bachelor’s degree or sometimes an associate’s degree in order to practice their trade. A degree in communication design or visual communications will give you a good foundation for your future career.
Designing for Print: If you want to design for print, you will usually start out by creating ads or brochures for local businesses like restaurants or retail stores. You will then move up to bigger firms before specializing in a particular area of graphic design such as logo design.
Designing for the Web: If you plan to design primarily for the web, it may be more important to build up your portfolio slowly because there will be more competition online than there is offline. Also make sure that your sites are well organized, simple and easy to navigate. This will give you an advantage over other
We’ve done a lot of work for you here, and we hope you enjoy it. We’ve also tried to put together a list of as many graphic designers as we could find, so that you can keep checking back here for new information every time you need it.
If you’d like to know more about graphic design, check out some of the other articles in our blog. The first one is about designing an identity for your business. You might also like how to develop an effective logo design. Another post is about the different types of graphic design jobs that are available to you, and how to decide which type will be right for you. And finally, there’s a guide on how to create a professional portfolio, which we hope will help make your path towards being a professional designer easier and more successful.
Art is a visual representation of the artist’s ideas and feelings. Artists use many different styles and techniques to create their art, which is why it can be so difficult to create a piece that not only represents you as an artist, but also reflects your personality.
A lot of companies out there claim to be able to help you with this. They will tell you how they can make you look like the best graphic designer in town, but they’re all just salesmen looking to make a quick buck off of you. And so, I thought I would share some information with you about how I go about creating my own art, so that you can see what I can do for yourself.
If you want the best results possible when working on your own art, then here are the steps that I go through:
At first glance, the art of Pablo Picasso seems like a chaotic jumble of shapes, colors, and lines. A deeper look reveals a variety of techniques and themes that Picasso is experimenting with. In this article, we’ll examine several pieces by Picasso to analyze the many elements that contribute to his unique style.
Picasso’s early years were spent in Spain and Paris. He was born in Spain but moved to Paris at age 15. In Paris he studied art seriously and began his career in 1900 when he met other young artists who were interested in creating new art styles. A year later, he was exhibiting at the Salon des Independants in Paris; by 1905 he was a famous artist and had earned enough money to move to a house near the Bois de Boulogne with his lover Fernande Olivier.
This list is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to provide a starting point for researchers interested in further study.
Note: Inclusion on this list does not imply endorsement by the National Gallery of Art or the Smithsonian Institution of other sites not managed by those organizations.
