Chapter 76 Graphic Design for Textile

Sassanian Textile from 6-8th c. CE

 

Chapter 76

Graphic Design for Textile

"In his Natural History, Pliny states that printing on textiles  was particularly utilized in Egypt. Printed material is only represented by fabrics of the fourth century at the earliest and continues until the Arab period. In those days, there were great textile centers such as Alexandria  Panopolis, Oxyrhynchus, Tinnis and Damietta, but regrettably we know this only from texts, because any trace of weaving shops and their fragile wooden looms has vanished. However, by studying the fabrics themselves, scholars are often able to derive their origins.

Chapter 75 / A History of Jewelry Design

The double-winged farohar motif surrounded by six Amesha Spentas (archangels). Achaemenid era Persian earring. Gold with cloisonné style inlays of turquoise, carnelian, and lapis lazuli. Diameter: 5.1 cm . Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Chapter 75

A History of Jewelry Design

Jewelry has been a form of visual communication from the start of human history, and from the beginning it has always assumed a form of personal adornment while  it projected a type of status symbol up to the position of kings and emperors. It is likely that from an early date Jewelry was also worn as a protection from the dangers of life, and as a conduit for dealing with mystical aspects of culture. Jewelry made from shells, stone and bones has survived from prehistoric times. In the ancient world the discovery of how to work metals was an important stage in the development of the art of jewelry. Over time, metalworking techniques became more sophisticated and decoration more intricate. In many cultures, as we shall see, jewelry was frequently included in burials and at times was offered to various temples by believers. The contextual information uncovered through excavations provides important clues about beliefs, customs, cultures, relationships, and the use of jewelry as talismans. Of course, one has to be extremely careful in these types of analysis, as Megan Cifarelli(2009) has argued at times various exhibitions provide misleading information. For example, in the absence of detailed contextual information for the following Mesopotamian necklace an exhibition text was focusing on"the use of materials such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, shell, and agate" Cifarelli argues:

Chapter 77 / The designer as 'author’

Chapter 77

The designer as 'author’

Rose petals let us scatter
And fill the cup with red wine
The firmaments let us shatter
And come with a new design

Hafez of Shiraz (1326–1390)

But now that the Socratic culture can only hold the scepter of its infallibility with trembling hands; now that it has been shaken from two directions—once by the fear of its own consequences which it at length begins to surmise, and again because it no longer has its former naïve confidence in the eternal validity of its foundation—it is a sad spectacle to see how the dance of its thought rushes longingly toward ever-new forms, to embrace them, and then, shuddering, lets them go suddenly as Mephistopheles does the seductive Lamiae.

Chapter 79 / A History of Color, Color Wheel, and Psychological Impact of Color

 

Chapter 79

A History of Color, Color Wheel, and Psychological Impact of Color

One of the most important communication tools easily picked out by the human eye is color. The Optical Society of America classifies a range of between 7.5 and 10 million hues, which the normal human eye can theoretically distinguish (Eco, 1985). At the same time, the Dictionary of Color (Maerz & Paul, 1953) lists just over 3000 English color names. Gage (1995) suggested that as a result of our inability to call so many colors by name, the modern color systems have resorted to numbers in order to distinguish perceptible differences of hues and values. For many color is a way to express feelings, for others it affects how they feel, and yet for some others the notion of color is so intertwined with culture and religion that color itself takes on profound meaning.  According to Nassau (1998):

Chapter 78 / Navajo Indians sand painting

 

Chapter 78

Navajo Indians sand painting

"See, I fill this sacred pipe with the bark of the red willow; but before we smoke it, you must see how it is made and what it means. These four ribbons hanging here on the stem are the four quarters of the universe. The black one is for the west where the thunder beings live to send us rain; the white one for the north, whence comes the great white cleansing wind; the red one for the east, whence springs the light and where the morning star lives to give men wisdom; the yellow for the south, whence come the summer and the power to grow. But these four spirits are only one Spirit after all, and this eagle feather here is for that One, which is like a father, and also it is for the thoughts of men that should rise high as eagles do." 

 

Black Elk (1863-1950) Oglala Sioux holy man

Chapter 80 A / The History of Pakistani Visual Communication Design on Trucks

Chapter 80 A

The History of Pakistani Visual Communication Design on Trucks

In the realm of vernacular design, few phenomena capture the imagination quite like the kaleidoscopic world of Pakistani truck art. This distinctive form of mobile expression, which transforms utilitarian vehicles into traveling galleries, represents one of South Asia's most compelling examples of democratic art—where the mundane metamorphoses into the magnificent through an alchemical blend of folk tradition, religious devotion, and contemporary visual culture.

Chapter 80 B / State Plates Project in the US

A Chronicle of Mobile Artistry and State Plates Project in the US

State Plates Project in the US

The first license plates were issued in the German state of Baden in 1896. Although New York was the first U.S. state to require automobiles have license plates (1901), these plates were made by individual owners (with the owner's initials) rather than state-issued plates. The first state-issued license plates were issued in Massachusetts, beginning in 1903.

Chapter 81 / Living in a graphic universe: the earth houses of Gurunsi people

Chapter 81

Living in a graphic universe: the earth houses of Gurunsi people

Tiébélé the main village of the Kassena tribe situated in the southern region of Burkina Faso bordering northern Ghana is characterized by its sophisticated Gurunsi decorated architecture. The majority of the Kassena tribe and its neighboring Frafra tribe  still live in these elegantly designed homes made of mud walls, usually a mixture of clay, straw and cow dung, either round or more rectilinear in form; though modern techniques have helped in the building process, utilizing mud bricks and stone foundations. The geometric forms of the home is very significant, the square home is only for married couple and the rectangular home is for bachelors, who are too old to live with parents but not yet married.

Chapter 82 / Design and Layout of eBooks in the Smart Reading Devices of Future

Chapter 82

Graphic Design and Layout of eBooks 

in the Smart Reading Devices of Future

In the April 2013 edition of the Scientific American an article by Ferris Jabr entitled "The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens" claimed

How exactly does the technology we use to read change the way we read? How reading on screens differs from reading on paper is relevant not just to the youngest among us, but to just about everyone who reads—to anyone who routinely switches between working long hours in front of a computer at the office and leisurely reading paper magazines and books at home; to people who have embraced e-readers for their convenience and portability, but admit that for some reason they still prefer reading on paper; and to those who have already vowed to forgo tree pulp entirely. As digital texts and technologies become more prevalent, we gain new and more mobile ways of reading—but are we still reading as attentively and thoroughly? How do our brains respond differently to onscreen text than to words on paper? Should we be worried about dividing our attention between pixels and ink or is the validity of such concerns paper-thin?

Chapter 83 / History of modern package design

Chapter 83 

History of modern package design

The role of package design also known as brand packaging is of crucial importance in the marketing of a product. Packaging not only conveys information about the features of the product but also the vision of a brand.

Packaging is also used to manipulate the psychology of the buyer. All the elements of design, i.e., form, color, font, logo, and illustration are used in an increasingly competitive market to attract the attention of customers.

Chapter 84 / The San Francisco School - Psychedelic Revolution

 

Chapter 84

The San Francisco School - Psychedelic Revolution

The word “psychedelic” is a combination of the Greek words psyche and delos, and means “mind manifesting” or “soul manifesting.” Contrary to a prevalent myth about the role of mind-altering drugs in creation of this art, most revolutionary artists of this school including Wes Wilson, Victor Moscoso, Bonnie MacLean, Lee Conklin, Stanley Mouse and others had artistic talent, some formal art training and adhered to strict aesthetic discipline. Almost all the experiments that relied solely on the hallucinating impact of psychedelic drugs ended-up in total failure.

Chapter 85 / Graphic Design in the Lost Civilization of Etruscan

 

Chapter 85

Graphic Design in the Lost Civilization of Etruscan 

Due to the fact that their literature was deliberately destroyed in the first centuries A.D., the origin of Etruscans is a mystery. They arrived in the ninth century BC on the west coast of Italy that is now Tuscany. They resembled the Phoenicians, and perhaps they were sailing in small groups by sea from Asia Minor. Like Phoenicians they were traders and sailors and founded towns along the coast.They spoke a language unlike any other known European tongue, one hard to read and surviving mostly as limited tomb inscriptions. Scholars profess to have lost interest in pursuing the search for origins, perhaps because past efforts have brought nothing but confused and contradictory speculation. 

Chapter 87 / Art in Alchemy: Visual Communication of Symbols

 

Chapter 87

Art in Alchemy: Visual Communication of Symbols

Until the 1980s, alchemists were considered pseudo-scientists, and their efforts to transmute base metals into gold were described as futile. However, at the end of the 20th century, by deciphering the complicated alchemical texts, some researchers came to believe that the alchemists had in fact made a significant contribution to the development of science.

Chapter 86 / A History of German Expressionist Movie Posters and Afterward

 

Chapter 86

A History of German Expressionist Movie Posters and Afterward.

The liberal atmosphere of the Weimar republic that emerged after the horrors of the first world war gave birth to a powerful German cinema. Expressionists, defying the reality portrayed by the representational art, tried to capture the essence (Das Wesen) of the reality.They argued passionately in the avant-garde periodicals, such as Der Sturm, about the aesthetics and social mission of art in a world that they saw corrupt and shallow to the extreme.

Chapter 88 / Visual Communication in Mysterious and Majestic Bayeux Tapestry

 

Chapter 88

Visual Communication in Mysterious and Majestic Bayeux Tapestry

The mysterious and majestic Bayeux Tapestry is a  stunning piece of visual communication about a decisive battle in British history. The artists of this incredible piece of graphic design have produced a sophisticated, thought provoking, and subtle propaganda against the horrors of war and their impact on a community and its social fabric. Scores of dead bodies, with their horrifying wounds including decapitation, a burning house and various acts of atrocities constitute  a powerful manifesto against any war.

Chapter 90 / The Intertwining of History and Posters in Latvia

 

Juris Dimiters

Chapter 90

The Intertwining of History and Posters in Latvia

The Latvians are part of the ancient group of peoples known as the Balts. During the 10th and 11th centuries, Latvian lands were under pressure: both from the  Slavic east  and from the Swedes in the west. During the time of the Crusades, German Saxons  expansion reached the eastern shores of the Baltic. Because the people occupying the coast of Latvia were the Livs, the German invaders called the country Livland, a name rendered in Latin as Livonia.

Chapter 91 / Visual Communications in Branding of Airlines

 

Chapter 91: Visual Communications in Branding of Airlines

Air transport has radically evolved over the last two decades. Liberalisation and deregulation of the sector have facilitated the entry of new firms, which in turn has had a positive impact on competition and innovation. Deregulation and liberalisation also significantly altered market structure, giving rise to mergers of flag airline carriers and diverse forms of collaboration. 

Chapter 92 / A history of Paisley or Boteh Jegheh Design Boteh-Jegheh (a.k.a Paisley), is an asymmetrical geometric floral pattern that signifies royal sovereignty, and nobility. It was the focal design in the headgears of the Iranian kings since Shah Abbas the great (1642-1666) of the Safavid Empire of Iran .

 

Boteh Jegheh on the crown of Shah Abbas II of Iran  

Chapter 92 - A history of Paisley or Boteh Jegheh Design

Boteh-Jegheh  (a.k.a Paisley), is an asymmetrical geometric floral  pattern that signifies  royal sovereignty, and nobility.  It was the focal design in the headgears of the Iranian kings since Shah Abbas the great  (1642-1666) of the Safavid Empire of Iran .    

Chapter 93 / Posters commemorating 9.11

 

Chapter 93

 Posters commemorating 9.11 

Chapter 94 / A History of Judaic Art and Manuscripts

Detail of Darmstadt Haggadah, Scribe, Israel b. Meir of Heidelberg, Germany. Courtesy of Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Darmstad (Cod. or 8, fol. 37v).

Chapter 94

A History of Judaic Art and Manuscripts 

Throughout their long history Jews had always understood the importance of visual communications in preserving their cultural identity. According to 1 Kings 6:1

Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.