Towards the end of the 19th century, cultural and technological advances stimulated a revolution in publishing comparable to the introduction of mobile fonts. What was known until then as commercial art became graphic design and a new industry was born that merged technical skill and artistic vision, craftsmanship and creativity. Graphic styles emerged at a surprising pace as the figure of the designer discovered new uses and outlets for his work, establishing himself and exploding during the course of the 20th century.
This course aims to tell the story of this evolution, examining the roots of the main graphic trends and exploring how generations of designers have influenced the culture and publishing of their time. After a wide introduction on the main movements and protagonists, the course will focus on the figure, the works and the creative method of Chip Kidd, today considered the most influential book cover designer in the world.
- Evolution of products and publishing processes from 19th century to today;
- Analysis of the main graphic and typographic styles of the contemporary age;
- Analysis of the main works of the period: book covers, posters, magazines, record albums.
| Author | Title | Publisher | Year | ISBN | Note |
| Tony Seddon | 20th Century Design: A Decade-by-Decade Exploration of Graphic Style | Quid Publishing | 2014 | ||
| Chip Kidd | Book One: Work: 1986-2006 | Rizzoli New York | 2005 | Solo le pagine riportate nella dispensa | |
| Gary Hustwit | Helvetica (documentario) | 2007 | |||
| Bigardi Alessandro | Innovating through Design. The work of the US cover designer Chip Kidd | Logos | 2019 |
The examination will take place orally.
