History of American Graphic Design

Until the early decades of the twentieth century, graphic design (or specifically, advertising) was not viewed as a respectable profession. This is because most advertising was used to sell quack remedies and other types of "snake oil." However, the movement gained momentum after the turn of the century, and especially between World War I and World War II. During and after World War II, graphic design came into its own. The recent explosion of the Internet in the late twentieth century has brought a new dimension to graphic design.

At the end of the nineteenth century, advertising was seen as disreputable by social commentators and the business community, due to its association with patent medicine and other obviously fake claims. Even as late as 1926, automaker Henry Ford was so skeptical of advertising that he cut his advertising budget nearly to zero. However, the power of advertising had been demonstrated by the success of the federal government in selling war bonds during the first World War. As a result, businesses such as coffeemaker Maxwell House began to embrace the concept of advertising and graphic design. Maxwell House increased its magazine ad budget from $19,955 to $509,000 between 1921 and 1927. Publications devoted to advertising, such as "Printer's Ink," also worked to enhance the image and reputation of advertising as a respectable profession.

The modernist movement in Europe that began in 1909 proved to be just the tonic needed by American graphic designers and artists. Along with futurism, the constructivism, cubism and even impressionism movements influenced the modern graphic design scene in Europe. This fresh new look soon made its way to America, where it was first used to produce advertising for upscale products such as jewelry. Over time, American advertising and graphic design created an idealized image of the average American family. The result was "aspirational" advertising designed to inspire consumers to desire products they hoped would make themselves or their lives better, cleaner, faster or more beautiful.

During World War II, The WPA Federal Art Project hired designers who created more than 4,000 murals and 35,000 posters designed to appeal to the general public. This campaign gave marketing, advertising and graphic design a measure of legitimacy. Advertising was gradually seen as a tool that could be used for social good as well as for selling products. European ideas were imported and then modified to suit American sensibility. For instance, the concept of a dominant central subject and integrated typography were "Americanized" by the bold use of primary colors to create unforgettable images, such as Rosie the Riveter.

In the 1950s and beyond, advertising and graphic design came into its own. However, the ongoing tension between aesthetics and commercialism also continued. The aesthetics viewed graphic art as art that also sells, while the hard-line sales-oriented viewpoint saw graphic design only as a vehicle to sell product. The latter view often pushed ever-larger drawings or photographs of the product, whether the result was aesthetically appealing or not. During the latter half of the twentieth century, major advertising agencies and graphic design houses began to flourish, many of which developed worldwide reputations for their creative and memorable campaigns and images. This was also the era of the "hidden persuaders," and subliminal advertising. In recent decades, there has been extensive questioning by social commentators about the undue influence of advertising, especially in relationship to overspending by those in no financial position to do so.

In the latter decades of the twentieth century, the Internet has changed nearly every aspect of advertising and graphic design. Computers are being used to produce images that were either impossible or extremely difficult to produce before. Additionally, an Internet presence has become a necessity for nearly every commercial and governmental entity in this country as well as much of the world. Many graphic design professionals exhibit their portfolios online or use their websites as showcases for their graphic design skills. This is also true of many companies, whether they are related to the graphic design field or not.