History
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Art Deco: Streamlined Glamour
Following the strict, functional rules established by the Bauhaus, the Roaring Twenties demanded a visual language that was fast, luxurious, and aerodynamic. Discover how Art Deco designers repackaged…
The Bauhaus: Forging the Rules of Modern Design
Following the chaos of World War I, Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus to rebuild society through a unified approach to art and industry. Discover how this revolutionary laboratory…
Selling the War: How Graphic Design Mobilized Nations
During the global conflicts of the 20th century, graphic design was mobilized as a powerful weapon of mass communication. Explore how rival nations used starkly different visual strategies—from…
Russian Constructivism: Weaponizing the Grid
Rejecting the elite concept of “art for art’s sake,” the Russian avant-garde transformed abstract geometry into a tool for mass communication. Discover how visionary designers like El Lissitzky…
De Stijl: The Purity of the Grid
Emerging from the psychological wreckage of World War I, the Dutch De Stijl movement sought to build a utopian society by reducing visual communication to its most pure,…
Dadaism: The Art of Chaos
Traumatized by the senseless slaughter of World War I, a rebellious group of anti-war artists completely rejected the harmonious design grids of the past. Discover how the Dadaists…
The Roots of the Grid: The Glasgow School & The Vienna Secession
By the 1890s, graphic design was lost in a tangled, organic forest of twisting vines and dense Victorian clutter. Discover how a rebellious group of Scottish students and…
The Golden Age of Typography: From Gutenberg to the Enlightenment
If you open your font menu today, you are looking at centuries of design history. Discover how the raw, heavy mechanics of Gutenberg’s printing press evolved into the…
The Impact and Legacy of Futurism in Art and Design
In the tumultuous early 20th century, marked by a whirlwind of new inventions and a shift from agrarian to urban living, radical changes unfolded across political, social, cultural,…
Plakatstil: The Dawn of Modern Graphic Art
As the twentieth century unfolded, emerging artists sought inspiration beyond the intricate designs of the Victorian era, Art Nouveau, and Arts and Crafts movements. The dawning century ushered…