Graphic design is an art that is not given enough credit in modern life. In the 21st century, we often associate graphic design with advertisement and marketing, but this was not always the case! Since the early 20th century, graphic designers have come up with new and exciting ways to represent complex information with simple visual elements. Of course, with any form of art, you have prominent artists who drive its development. Let’s take a look at some of the most famous graphic designers from the past century, and the impact they had on the art of graphic design.
Paul Rand
Paul Rand was an incredibly prominent graphic designer who was active during WWII and the post-war period. In 1947, Rand published his book Thoughts on Design, which contained influential theories and ideologies that helped shaped the future of graphic design. One of Rand’s particular focuses was his desire to strike the balance between the visual appeal of something and its functional operation. Rand referred to this as “functional-aesthetic perfection” and stated that it should be what all graphic design aspires to be.
Ruth Ansel
Ruth Ansel is a famous graphic designer who lives in the United States. Ansel is the first woman to hold the post of art director for House and Garden, New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, and Vogue! Ruth Ansel has over four decades’ worth of experience in graphic design under her belt but unfortunately hasn’t published any detailed explanations of her theories like Rand. She did, however, break down the four rules she always adheres to when designing something during an interview with the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA): provoke, inform, entertain, and inspire.
Aries Moross
Moving onto a more recent artist, Aries Moross is an English graphic designer based in London. Recently changing their name, Moross is a non-binary artist who uses neutral pronouns. They also ran with the Olympic Torch for a section of Lewisham for the London Olympics Opening Ceremony! Moross is more than just a graphic designer, though, they are an illustrator, art director, and music director, who owns their own music studio. In 2008 Moross was ranked 18th in the NME’s Future 50 Innovators Driving Music Forward.
David Carson
David Carson is an American graphic designer and design director.
Carson came to graphic design relatively late in life. He was a competitive surfer and a California high-school teacher when, at age 26, he enrolled in a two-week commercial design class. Considered to be a legend within the world of graphic design, I would say few possess an immediately recognizable trademark style but one of those is David Carson. The rough, DIY quality of his work is exactly what makes it so attractive.
Neville Brody
Neville Brody is perhaps the best-known graphic designer of his generation. He studied graphic design at the London College of Printing and first made his way into the public eye through his record cover designs and his involvement in the British independent music scene in the early 1980s. He is known for his work in The Face magazine, Arena magazine, and for designing record covers for artists such as Clock DVA, Cabaret Voltaire, The Bongos, 23 Skidoo, and Depeche Mode.
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