10 interesting facts from the history of graphic design
We’ve taken 10 of the most interesting facts from this history of graphic design!
Graphic Design is all around us! From our morning papers, to the websites we browse each day, to billboards on the street, design is one of the biggest influencers out there. Let’s take a look at graphic design and some of its most notable moments in history.
1) Egyptians are often cited as the first logo designers.
In the 13th century they used to brand domestic animals with hieroglyphs to mark ownership of their animals.
(Wikipedia, 13th Century BC Hieroglyphics)
2) In 1971, the iconic Nike logo was designed by a student named Carolyn Davidson for just $35!!
However, Carolyn’s contribution to Nike did not go unrecognised. Three years after Nike went public (1983), the executives surprised her with a party, where she was given an undisclosed amount of shares of Nike stock. Reports suggest they are worth close to $1 Million.
(Womenyoushouldknow.net, 2016)
3) Helvetica was first introduced in the 20th Century and soon became one of the most popular fonts in the world…
The font was created in the 1950s by Max Miedinger, and is named after the Latin name for Switzerland. It’s popular among designers for its clean, bold and modern look.
4) …While according to numerous graphic designers around the world, the most hated font is Comic Sans, closely followed by Papyrus.
So hated in fact, that designer Ben Harmen decided to combine the two to make super-font; Comic Papyrus! Some may argue this is a historical event in the graphic design world!
(Creativemarket.com, 2016)
5) The first edition of Photoshop (Photoshop 1.0) was released in February 1990.
It was created in 1988 by American brothers Thomas and John Knoll.
(Webdesignerdepot.com, 2010)
6) You’ve heard the term ‘graphic design’ countless times before, but do you know where it comes from? Book designer William Addison Dwiggins coined the term in 1922.
The term was used to cover his entire design process.
(Indexgrafik.com)
7) The first ever Watermark can be dated back to 1282.
They were designed to identify and protect work, and prevent counterfeiting. Exactly like the Watermarks we see today!
(Thenoneist.com)
8) The first ever website launched in 1991; 25 years ago!
It was created by 60-year-old British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee.
9) The first copies of the U.S Declaration of Independence were printed used the font Calson.
This font was designed by British typographer William Calson.
(Source: Pinterest.com)
10) In 1932, The Museum of Modern Art established the world’s first curatorial department devoted to architecture and design.
(Archdaily.com, 2013)
Graphic design is a key element when it comes to both your personal life and work life. Every product you’ve ever bought needed someone to produce the visual content involved at some point. Our aim with this blog post was to show you the history of graphic design and how it evolved throughout the years into a thriving industry!
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