Armstrong, Helen. Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field, Princeton Architectural Press, 2009. Pages 9-12

According to the reading “Graphic Design Theory: Reading from the field” by Helen Armstrong, society and designers can influence each other. The reason is society could affect the theme, the topic, and the mode of concept expression of the design. Design plays many roles in society, and that can impact the point of view of the community and society, which is the social responsibility of designers. In my opinion, Gender equality, sexual orientation equality, Racial Injustice, and fertility and marriage rates continued to decline those social concerns will drive the Avant-Grade of the near future. It seems that they are topics that we usually talk about, but we should also admit that these problems have always existed in our society even after a long period. Words and speeches are very powerful, but when words and vision act at the same time, they can bring more excitement to people. Therefore, during the reform, there are always many posters and propaganda that affect the masses. It can be said that artists are least afraid of the existence of public opinion and controversy.

However, let’s go back to the development history of graphic design. We can see it looks like an infinity symbol –lazy eight– because even in different periods or eras, the most essential things that the design styles or designers always pursue are: objectivity, subjectivity, rationality, and personal emotion. Authorship is actually a more subjective ideal because it is a work made by artists themselves, with their own names signed to indicate their original creation identity. Their artwork can represent their own thought, language, and positions, which is, they should be famous as much as possible and their identity should be transparent. Universality is a unique unity, not a single expression of Utopia, but a unity of the same thing expressed in different ways by combining the artist’s own country, culture, and experience. Look at the similarities but observe carefully and you will find a commonness in different places.

For example, At the beginning of the 20th century, artists like El Lissitzky, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Herbert Bayer, and László Moholy Nagy thought that after graphic design gradually formed a profession, the objective ideal replaced the subjective ideal. In 1919, under the influence of constructivism, Futurism, and de Steele, this conflicted with the subjective tendency of expressionism, which caused Moholy Nagy and other artists to adopt a more rational approach. But in the late 1960s, the trend began to reverse. Katherine McCoy emphasized the diversity of emotion, self-expression, and meaning, which is a more subjective expression.

 It seems like a circular closed loop, and avant-garde often was opposite to the main popular in the previous period. 

, in Manovich’s words, “hybridity” and “remixability” unlike anything that has come before.

Graphic Design Theory: Reading from the field

In my opinion, “hybridity” and “remixability” unlike anything that has come before is because every designer and their work includes creative freedom and creativity. They can summarize the previous theory or style, refine it and add the designer’s pursuit and the characteristics of that period(popular, policy, social event, etc). Maybe that is why Helen Armstrong would write this in her book.

“Delving into theoretical discussions that engage both our past and our present is a good start.”

Graphic Design Theory: Reading from the field

Today is a network era, and there is a lack of privacy, which means authorship is clean and transparent. But it is also easy to be anonymous when the person doesn’t post things on the network. Once you publish anything or work on the network, even if you delete the post later, you still leave traces on the network. In my point of view, netizens may not have memories, but the Internet has memories. As long as you leave traces, you will be found one day. By the way, designers can post their work on social media but that means all the people who see the work can comment and criticize it. However, that may be a chance to explore, debate, and create a new style or graphic design theory ideal.

Just as designers in the early twentieth century rose to the challenges of their societies, so can we take on the complexities of the rising millennium.

Graphic Design Theory: Reading from the field