The Affect of Computers in Graphic Design: Positive or Negative? Lillian Myers, McNair Scholar
Mentors: Lee Ann Garrison, Director of Visual Arts Foundations Dr. Jack Johnson, Professor of Communication
Introduction
“Connected throughout history to writing, printing and publishing, graphic design is a creative process that uses art and technology to communicate. It begins with a message that, in the hands of an experienced graphic designer, is transformed into visual communication that transcends words. By controlling color, type, images and ideas, the graphic designer creates and manages the production of materials, which convey the message to an intended audience” (GDC, 2001).
Graphic Design plays a major role in modern life. It is a crucial element in
advertising and in conveying information quickly in a society that appears to be moving at the speed of light. Like the society around it, graphic design is changing quickly. Computers have displaced handwork and speeded up the processes of design and rendering. Computers have had an enormous impact in the field in a relatively short time – they have only been widely used since the 1970s. This research will investigate how the computer has positively and negatively changed the appearance of graphic design and the thought process of graphic designers.
Literature Review
In seeking how the computer has affected the look of graphic design and the thinking of graphic designers, I researched the three following areas: the history of computers and the relationship to graphic design, the evolution of graphic design, and the reviews of professional graphic designers on computer-aided graphic design. History of Computers
First I considered the work of original invention of the high-speed digital computers, whereas I found two respected students, John Mauchley and J. Persper Eckert, at the Moore School of Engineering in Philadelphia (U-Penn). They successfully built the ENIAC, the first high-speed digital computer (Freiberger, 2000). History was able to take its course after that by new innovations from that room-sized computer to today’s palm pilot computers, which can be held in the palm of a human hand (Krane, 2001).
In addition, computer software was created, causing numerous effects on the graphic design field. Two of the main companies that have contributed to the graphic design world are Adobe Systems (founded in 1982) and Quark Company (founded in 1981). To add, PC World magazine staff reviewed the invention of the World Wide Web in 1989, which opened up a major door to graphic design. Now, graphic design firms could create advertisement that could be seen instantly around the world. Let alone, a
new graphic design business was created: Web Design. First having to be done in text format, there now exists software that can guide a designer through creating web pages.
Evolution of Graphic Design
The second consideration was the evolution of graphic design. As a form of communication, graphic design has become more simple and efficient in its use. Today, local individuals and small businesses can purchase graphic design software and create their own designs. This could not be done without the assistance of advanced computer technology (Thornton, 1996). The most known graphic design software that assists small businesses, individuals and graphic designers is Adobe Illustrator, Adobe
Photoshop, and QuarkXPress. New possibilities formed in the world of graphic design. For example, with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, a graphic designer can scan
photographs onto the computer, manipulate them, and incorporate the photo into an exclusive graphic design template. These design templates are stored onto computers, allowing for future amendments.
In the early 1900’s, graphic design was created completely by hand. Steven Heller and Seymour Chwast created a collection of these designs in their book Graphic Style: From Victorian to Digital (2000). Studies by Richard Thornton show that before the computer was used in graphic design there existed a limit in production quality (Thornton, 1996). It was not until the 1970’s did the computer enter into the graphic design businesses. Heller and Chwast pointed out in their research that the Apple Macintosh became the right-hand assistant to many graphic design firms. The Émigré Magazine kept record of what computer assistance many graphic design businesses used to enhance their work (Chwast, 2000). Jeff Bellantoni and Matt Woolman’s study of innovation in digital graphics illustrates how far graphic design has come with the assistance of computers.
Graphic Designers’ Responses
Finally I considered the reviews of professional graphic designers. This consideration is based on how a number of randomly selected graphic designers thought about computer-aided graphic design. Milton Glaser of New York had two viewpoints about computer-aided graphic design. He believes that the computer definitely speeds up the graphic design process, while on the other hand it took away from the time spent on design creativity. Sean McKay and Jon Isom of the American Institute of Graphic Arts in Minnesota also believe this to be a downfall. Jon Isom of the AIGA in Minnesota believes that the computer has created the opportunity for designers to do more experiments, for example, photo manipulation. Sean McKay looks at the computer more as a positive in his field whereas his graphic design work is created completely with the use of the computer. As a media graphic designer, Sean McKay portrays his works through video, film, for example. Katherine McCoy, a graphic designer and Illinois Institute of Technology Senior Lecturer, states that the computer has assisted in the cutback of design costs. For example, she stated that typography photo type ‘repros’ could cost $35 per page, of a job containing numerous amounts of pages. Without the computer, these pages had to be shipped by mail, which left no
room for last minute corrections. Now designs can be sent by electronic mail, saving thousands of dollars. On a negative note, Jon Isom believes the computer to be the main cause of clientele impatience; the computer has almost put graphic design in the category of fast food—customers want completed service their way right away.
Methodology
This research is qualitative, consisting of collected information from journals, articles, books, the Internet, and email and phone responses from graphic designers. I selected three main factors of my research, which were the history of computers, the evolution of graphic design, and the responses of professional graphic designers upon the subject of computer-aided design. I then began collecting books, journals, articles, and graphic designers’ responses from libraries, public bookstores, the World Wide Web, by phone and electronic mail.
Books and Journals
In libraries, I found computer journals and magazine articles ranging from the 1950s to 2000. I thought it was significant to find actual pictures of the first digital computer made, that which would soon evolve into many graphic designers’ assistant, the Apple Macintosh. In addition, the libraries provided me information about the
evolution of graphic design via journals and articles written by other graphic designers. I also found recent interviews with professional graphic designers in articles held in a library database. Altogether, the libraries had special research engines that categorized numerous subjects, such as art abstracts and computers.
I analyzed the collection of data to see what information I did not have from the library search and persisted to search collected books. These books were gathered from past college courses and from public bookstores. I unearthed pictures of primal computers, early and contemporary graphic design layouts and digital graphic design to compare the state of computers and graphic design of today with those of the early and mid 1900s.
World Wide Web
I did decide to further my search on the World Wide Web, whereas I found more computer science personnel who confirmed the history of the computer and where it stands in 2001. Through InfoHQ.com, I found some of today’s fastest and slowest mobile central processing units (2001). I also discovered graphic design websites of professional designers. These design sites provided images of contemporary graphic design, all of which were computer-aided design. I found minuscule information about the evolution of graphic design on the World Wide Web. This research was found using the Yahoo and Netscape search engines. Through the Yahoo search engine, I was given a listing between 4 and 1190, each subject varying in its number listing. Personal Contact/Other
I contacted professional graphic designers by phone and by electronic mail. Some of the designers I already knew by personal contact, while others I had to input
their names into the yahoo search engine to find an email address. Once I gathered their names, phone numbers and email addresses, I posed two questions: how did or does the computer positively affect your work and others in graphic design? How did or does the computer negatively affect your work and others in graphic design? I also visited a graphic design gallery in hope of receiving graphic designers’ contact information. I did receive the information of one Master designer, but have had no fortune in contacting him via phone. I was able to retrieve some quotes he had on this particular subject.
Preliminary Findings
The results on all three topics can be conveyed. The electronic digital computer was designed during World War II, initially for military reasons. As time progressed, the computer advanced, becoming more accessible for commercial use. This was
particularly possible by its size reduction. The first high speed electronic digital computer, ENIAC, covered the entirety of a large room, consisting of loud teletype machines, humming tape drives, a great amount of electronic circuitry and many other devices that covered all of the walls. Today we can find a computer the size of a human hand, consisting of a screen and keyboard, with a large amount of capabilities beyond comparison to the ENIAC. As a matter of fact, the ENIAC could only handle 20 numbers of 10 decimal digits each at a time while an average laptop high-speed digital computer today consist of 500 to 1000 MHz.
Though it began its process as early as 1946, the electronic digital computer was not solely introduced to graphic design until the late 1970s and made a real change in the early 1980s. This was possible with the assistance of image software created particularly for graphic design and advertising purposes. Now, for example,
photographic images can be converted into digital images on the computer through these software programs. A graphic designer can now manipulate colors, content, and dimensions of their designs. They could even create their design initially on the
computer. Such image software programs as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and QuarkXPress make this possible. These graphic design programs also assist small businesses and individuals. New possibilities formed in the world of graphic design. For example, with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, a graphic designer can scan
photographs onto the computer, manipulate them, and incorporate the photo into an exclusive graphic design template. These design templates are stored onto computers, allowing for future amendments.
As for the computer, the main system used by graphic designers is the Apple Macintosh. The first Apple was created in 1977. This new change in the graphic design field made it easier to present clean-cut work. It also created more jobs in the graphic design field, such as web design and media design. Though media design uses other technical devices, both of these jobs depend solely on the computer.
The computer brought upon other changes, such as computer fonts, expanding the invention of font types. Before, fonts were created by hand, etched in stone and made on individual plates (movable type). Today there are font programs that assist
typographers in creating new fonts. There are also font packages that come with personal computers, or that can be easily bought for low prices.
Graphic design costs have definitely been cut due to computer software. Instead of shipping or delivering job samples across the town, country, or the world, these same jobs can now be sent by the click of a key, that is, the key to electronic mail, instantly sending mail anywhere across the entire world if necessary. With electronic mail, all things are possible.
The above changes are considered, for the most, positive affects of the computer in graphic design. On the other hand, there have been some reported downfalls of computer-aided design. Graphic design has a lack of creativity today due to the clarity of the computer graphic design software. This clarity causes the designer to use his or her creativity less. For example, in the designer software, though there are a lot of function tools to help the designer create, there are still tools absent from these
programs. To illustrate, earlier versions of Adobe Photoshop allowed text to overlay an imported image, but could not be easily deleted as it is now in the latest version of 6.0. This possibly limited the creativity of a graphic designer on what text to incorporate in the image. Another problem the computer creates is clientele impatience. Too many times a client comes into a design firm asking for a job to be done ‘yesterday,’ which is definitely impossible. Short notices like these also cause the graphic designer to have a lack of creativity because they immediately start to focus on the impatient statements of the clients. A job that used to take six months can now be done in one month, and unfortunately, the clients know that.
Discussion
Many changes were brought about in graphic design by the computer, both positive and negative. Overall, most of these changes were found to be positive. To deny the helpful assistance of the computer and its software would be completely absurd. On the other hand, it is important to take in consideration the negative effects as well as the positive effects. These negative effects have caused many issues to arise in the graphic design world. For example, the impatient customers are increasing in number as they increase their knowledge of the computer. This seemingly small problem, along with the other negatives, can stagnate the creative growth of graphic design and reduce their title to less than thereof. I do believe in the future that graphic design will be even more dependent on computers than today. One aspect I look forward to is additional function tools being added to the graphic design software packages. I don’t mind being more dependent on the computer, as a graphic designer, just as long as I have all of the proper tools that I need. Henceforth, as the computer technology continues to advance, there will be more positives added to the list, but it is very unlikely that the negatives will cease to exist.
References
Bellantoni, Jeff and Matt Woolman. (1999). Type In Motion: Innovations in Digital Graphics. New York: Rizzoli International Publications.
Company Profile. (2001, July 17). Adobe.com.
http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/companyprofile.html
Company Profile. (2001, July 17). Quark Company. http://www.quark.com/about/profile/ Freiberger, Paul and Michael Swaine. (2000). Fire In the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer. New York: McGraw Hill.
Glaser, Milton. (2001, June 27). The Process of Making. I (Love) Design: Milton Glaser. [print]. (available from Eisner Museum, Milwaukee, WI).
Graphic Design: A Guide for Buyers. (2001, July 17). Society of Graphic Designers of Canada. http://www.gdc.net/client_services.php.
Heller, Steven and Seymour Chwast. (2000). Graphic Style: From Victorian to Digital. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Isom, Jon. (personal communication, July 17, 2001).
Krane, Jim. (2001, July 18). Handhelds Expanding Usage. Associated Press. http://www.ap.org/pages/top.html
Laptop Buying Guide. (2001, July 17). InfoHQ.com. http://www.infohq.com/Computer/mobile-cpu-speed.htm. McCoy, Katherine. (personal communication, July 17, 2001). McKay, Sean. (personal communication, July 17, 2001).
PC World Staff. (1999, December). The Digital Century: 100 of the Best, Worst, and Weirdest Events in Computing History. PC World Magazine, 133-154.
