<----- Peer Reviews -done in class
Rough Draft :
Graphic design Careers
Annotated Bibliography
Bonsiepe, Gui. "A Step Toward the Reinvention of Graphic Design." Design Issues 10.1 (1994): 47-52. Print.
In this article, Gui Bonsiepe explains his belief on what graphic design should evolve into. Graphic design was primarily about print medium, but as computerization started to take more of a role on graphic design Bonsiepe felt it time to reinvent the term “graphic designer.” He says that graphic design should be more about information management, rather than about marketing and advertising. New mediums should be incorporated, such as multimedia, audi, and visual. Therefore a shift needs to occur in the role of the graphic designer. His term for this new idea of graphic designers is “info-designer.” These designers would deal more with rhetoric, psychology, environment, and so on, rather than strictly artistic design of products, logos, and advertising.
Bonsiepe’s new idea of the role of graphic designers as “info-designers” is an important development in the design field. This article was first written in 1993. Since then the area of graphic design has formed in some areas to resemble his idea. Now in some sectors of graphic design the focus is more on the concept, psychology or rhetoric of the project than on the commercial use. Also, Bonsiepe emphasized the need to make better use out of computerized methods, which has in fact evolved quite a lot in the field. These ideas of Bonsiepe’s are important in the field of graphic design as they are concepts that have been and continue to shape the realm of graphic design; influencing the ideas and actions of everyone in the field.
Annotated Bibliography Writing Process
Heller, Steven. “What Do We Call Ourselves Now?.” Eye (Croydon, England) 16.63 (2007): 77. OmniFile Full Text Mege (H.W. Wilson). Web. 1 Oct. 2012.
In his article, Steven Heller addresses the identity crisis faced by graphic designers today. Because graphic design is not a licensed field, they can call themselves whatever they want, and anyone can call themselves a graphic designer. There is much confusion within the field about who actually is considered a graphic designer, and what to call everyone else who thinks they are graphic designers. Part of the problem is the range of professions being called graphic design, from illustrating, to branding, to advertising. Also, innovations in technology have led to less “graphics” in “graphic design.”
In the area currently known as graphic design, it seems clear that there need to be clearer terms applied within the different specialties. But since no such titles have been clearly assigned, the term graphic design is still applied to all of them. For anyone going into the field or currently in it this is very important as obviously, there is a huge difference between a graphic designer who illustrates book covers, one that does typography, and one that edits photography in Photoshop. Technically they are all graphic designers, but it would be helpful to identify more specifically in order to better communicate with those in the field as well as clients and students.
Poynor, Rick. "A Report From The Place Formerly Known As Graphic Design." Print Magazine (New York, N.Y.) 65.5 (2011): 30-32. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 30 Sept. 2012.
According to designer Rick Poynor, the field of graphic design no longer holds the same image and definition that it used to. It has evolved from its original classification into something much broader and harder to define. He witnessed some people involved in this new idea of graphic design at a graduation show for future designers. Among these “graphic designers” Poynor realized that their designs seemed to no longer incorporate the “graphic” aspect of the track. They were more theatrical and lacked physical medium, which concepts and writing being at the forefront. Poynor has come to find that design does not go hand in hand with art anymore in the graphic design field, and the people going into the field are no longer the kinds of people you would expect to see going into “packaging or branding.” It seems that Poynor is calling for graphic designers to return to the way they used to be; designing products and logos for commercial use.
The changing ideas in the field of graphic design greatly impact those going into the field as well as those who are veterans in graphic design. The definition of graphic design is changing and so are the people coming into it. Graphic design is no longer solely about marketing, product design, or advertising. It is no much broader and herder to define. No longer are the motives purely commercial but they now blend into the conceptual and message geared realm. It is important to be aware of these things whether a member in the original idea of the field or the emerging idea. If you call yourself a graphic designer and want to go into the field, it is important to know what other conceptions are out there in order for you to make the greatest impact in your field.
The topic of my bibliography is going to focus on the field of graphic design and the aspects of graphic design as a career. It will probably cover useful knowledge within the field, how the field is changing and emerging, the impact of this era of technology on the graphic design field, and the study of graphic design in education for those teaching and going into the field. There will also be included sources from or about major people in the graphic design field and their influence on the field as a whole for future and current designers.