Styles Come Round and Round AgainFind the Evidence

Heres your assignment to connect what youve learned so far about graphic design history with graphic design
artifacts of today. As you know from Lorraine Wilds Cycle of Style, styles arise, exist, and then decline, only to
come back again in time. In fact, within the postmodern era, the cycle may even be speeding uptheres no lack of
retro styles available to be seen out there.

Lorraine Wild, The Great Wheel of Style also known as the Life Cycle or Tao of style. Reproduced from Eye Magazine #36, summer 2000

Step 1:

Here is a list of graphic design historical periods youve studied so far in class, with a specific
artifact or group of artifacts made by a single designer.
Choose three design parameters:
Trajans Column: Roman Period
The Book of Kells, illuminated manuscript:
Medieval Period
Nuremberg Chronicle, German illustrated
Book: Renaissance

Jules Cherets lithographic posters: Art

Nouveau period
Alexander Rodchenkos posters:
Constructivism
WW Trademark: Wiener Werksttte

Geoffroy Torys engraved capital letters:

Renaissance

Lucien Bernards advertising posters:

Plakastil

Caslon Typeface: Baroque Period

A.M Cassandres travel posters: Art Deco

Broadside posters: The Industrial Revolution

Josef Mller-Brockmanns posters: The

International Typographic Style

Childrens books: Victorian Period

The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, William
Morris: Arts and Crafts Movement

Saul Bass movie posters: The New York

School
The VW Lemon advertisement:
Conceptual Advertising

Styles Come Round and Round AgainFind the Evidence

Jill Ballard

Step 2:

After youve chosen three design parameters, review the historical period and given
artifact(s), and take notice of the associated style characteristics.
Make a list of these characteristicsthese will create your outline of the design style.

Step 3:

Step 4:

Choose one image for each of your three design parameters that display these style elements
clearly.

Find a modern day graphic design artifact that uses the same style elements, in colors, styles,
composition, design themes, image choices and/or underlying concept. You should find a
piece with as much similarity as you can find. You can find current examples in both the real
worldbillboards, print ads, packaging, etc., and in the virtual worldwebsite designs,
banner ads, etc. Regardless of where you find your artifacts, be sure that they are true
graphic design artifacts, words and images combined to convey a message, and are
professional work, not student work.
Document your newly found artifacts, noting their purpose, artifact form, year, designer if
possible and intended location (whether an ad in a magazine, poster on a billboard, etc.).

For each of the three sets, present your pair of examples on a single page, including the
images from the chosen historical period and your current graphic design artifact.
Arrange each pair on a letter-size page.

Step 5:

Title the page with your chosen design parameter.

Label each with title, designer, date, purpose, intended location, etc.
Write a one paragraph description of your pair of artifacts, and compare the style similarities.
Be sure to include what surprised you!

Heres an example of an artifact paring for Alexander Rodchenkos posters: Constructivism

Alexander Rodchenko: BooksThe Advertisement
Poster for the Lengiz Publishing House) 1924

Styles Come Round and Round AgainFind the Evidence

Rick Costey and Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand

Album cover, 2004

Jill Ballard