Born of the traditions of fine art and printing, graphic design is a form of visual communication that seeks to inform, identify or promote through the combination of word and image. But unlike the written word or a work of art, a graphic design operates exclusively in the context in which it will be seen, and mediates between the wishes of the client and the expectations of the public. Moreover, a graphic work is created for mass reproduction. The field of graphic design, as we know it today, has its roots in two developments: the invention of the printing press in the fifteenth century and the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, both of which contributed to the process of graphic reproduction. Today, trade, commerce, communications and culture continue to feed the need for graphic design, and technological developments - most notably the computer - are constantly broadening its possibilities. Of all the arts, graphic design comes closest to our contemporary daily life, as we interact with graphic design on an almost continuous basis. Five hundred graphic designs created since the advent of mechanical reproduction, are showcased in this archive - from the Gutenberg Bible and Nuremberg Chronicles of the fifteenth century, to the cutting edge magazines, posters and ephemera of today. It is the authoritative selection of newspapers, magazines, advertisements, typefaces, logos, corporate design, record and CD covers and moving graphics from around the world, which have created a benchmark for excellence and innovation. Compiled and researched by experts, and illustrated with up to six images per entry, including rarely seen historical and contextual material, The Phaidon Archive of Graphic Design is the ultimate reference guide for the design professional and enthusiast alike. Designed with exceptional production details and rich with information, this book also becomes an object that appeals to the creativity and imagination of the reader.
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"Though blindness is the only bulwark against constant image influx, the "Phaidon Archive", at least, allows you to see the images with brand new eyes." - "Blackbook"
"Even if you don't light up at seeing the work of Paul Rand or Andy Warhol, you'll want Phaidon's new "Archive of Graphic Design". Thumbing through the cards is like playing Trivial Pursuit. . ." - "Details"
"Leading arts publisher Phaidon has collated some of the world's most prolific examples of graphic design and put them in a handy box set of more than 500 flash cards." - "Acclaim Magazine"
." . .good graphic design can be informative, persuasive - and sometimes even moving. "The Phaidon Archive of Graphic Design". . .surveys some of the highlights over the past 600 years." - "The Wall Street Journal"
." . .an impressive, exhaustive, rigorously researched, and beautifully produced compendium of 500 seminal designs spanning newspaper, magazines, posters, advertisements. . .examined through 3000 color and 300 black and white illustrations in their proper historical and socio-cultural context." - "Brain Pickings"
"Designers, design students, and design enthusiasts everywhere. . .this is cool." - "Felt and Wire"
""The Phaidon Archive of Graphic Design" is the commercial art cannon embodied: 500 topic sheets on everything from a 700-year-old Buddhist text to the album art of Beck's "The Information." - "T: The New York Times Style Magazine"
"A radical departure from traditional bookmaking, [The Phaidon Archive of Graphic Design] pays tribute to the power of design both through its contents and, well, its design." - Steve Heller" for "The Atlantic"
"Even if you don't light up at seeing the work of Paul Rand or Andy Warhol, you'll want Phaidon's new "Archive of Graphic Design". Thumbing through the cards is like playing Trivial Pursuit. . ." - "Details"
"Leading arts publisher Phaidon has collated some of the world's most prolific examples of graphic design and put them in a handy box set of more than 500 flash cards." - "Acclaim Magazine"
." . .good graphic design can be informative, persuasive - and sometimes even moving. "The Phaidon Archive of Graphic Design". . .surveys some of the highlights over the past 600 years." - "The Wall Street Journal"
." . .an impressive, exhaustive, rigorously researched, and beautifully produced compendium of 500 seminal designs spanning newspaper, magazines, posters, advertisements. . .examined through 3000 color and 300 black and white illustrations in their proper historical and socio-cultural context." - "Brain Pickings"
"Designers, design students, and design enthusiasts everywhere. . .this is cool." - "Felt and Wire"
""The Phaidon Archive of Graphic Design" is the commercial art cannon embodied: 500 topic sheets on everything from a 700-year-old Buddhist text to the album art of Beck's "The Information." - "T: The New York Times Style Magazine"
"A radical departure from traditional bookmaking, [The Phaidon Archive of Graphic Design] pays tribute to the power of design both through its contents and, well, its design." - Steve Heller" for "The Atlantic"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
By JD
Format:Hardcover
When I first got this Archive of Graphic Design for Christmas after checking it out briefly I quickly and rather rashly came to the conclusion that because there are 500 poster cards, that the quality wouldn't be all good. How wrong was I? It is filled with extremely high quality colour pictures and concise, informative 100-200 word outlines of the history and historical relevance of the graphical designs.
A very good value and inspirational piece of kit.
BUY
A very good value and inspirational piece of kit.
BUY
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars
10 reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Expensive, But WOW
11 Oct 2012
By Ruth Ann Harnisch
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I read about this collection on Maria Popova's [...] and it seemed worth the investment.
The description didn't prepare me for the delight of opening this box of wonders.
It's parked next to my desk. I randomly select one of the loose sheets, prop it where I can see it, and am inspired.
Sometimes the page elicits a nostalgic response along with an appreciation of the graphic design being highlighted (Seventeen Magazine, Rolling Stone).
Other pages are history lessons, philosophical treatises, a skip across the ocean. Each one takes only moments to read but invites further contemplation.
It ain't cheap. It is certainly not a necessity for most people.
But if you are a junkie for graphics, it's the $#!+.
The description didn't prepare me for the delight of opening this box of wonders.
It's parked next to my desk. I randomly select one of the loose sheets, prop it where I can see it, and am inspired.
Sometimes the page elicits a nostalgic response along with an appreciation of the graphic design being highlighted (Seventeen Magazine, Rolling Stone).
Other pages are history lessons, philosophical treatises, a skip across the ocean. Each one takes only moments to read but invites further contemplation.
It ain't cheap. It is certainly not a necessity for most people.
But if you are a junkie for graphics, it's the $#!+.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Really disappointed in the quality of the materials
23 Feb 2013
By Daria Siegel Kempka
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
If the intent of the 'book-in-a-box-design' was for users to handle the cards, resort them, hang them up, and so on - then they should have been printed on durable stock that could withstand such handling.
I've already dinged the edges of some of the cards - and I've been very gentle.
I hate to give a bad review, but I agree with the other person who pointed out that for the price, it would have been nice for the cards to have been heavier or even laminated.
The information is great - but if I would have known about the flimsy cardstock, I would not have purchased this item.
The Phaidon Archive of Graphic Design
I've already dinged the edges of some of the cards - and I've been very gentle.
I hate to give a bad review, but I agree with the other person who pointed out that for the price, it would have been nice for the cards to have been heavier or even laminated.
The information is great - but if I would have known about the flimsy cardstock, I would not have purchased this item.
The Phaidon Archive of Graphic Design
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
overwhelmingly great
23 Nov 2012
By Rene De Paula Jr.
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I could hardly wait for this item to arrive, and when it finally came, it exceeded all my expectations. the box is huge, the quality is amazing and the reach and depth and richness of the content is absolutely wonderful. I highly recommend it.
›
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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