Graphic Design and the Changing Nature of Communication Media: A Historical Perspective and Implications for Design Training

Abstract

The changing nature of communication media has impacted so much on the processes in graphic design. A retrospective account of the events in the realm of graphic communication indicates that it has undergone various developmental changes starting from prehistoric time through different eras of invention and art movements. The transient nature of recent technologies and media evolution have continued to democratise the ways designers produce images, consequently raising the questions of the format for the placement of technology, especially computer software, in graphic design curricula. Two methods were identified: integrated and separated methods. Integrated method is favoured, where the computer is viewed as a design tool and students taught to cope with the dynamism of technology. It is evident that new media is drawing more audience than the traditional media; however, the two will exist simultaneously with new media providing greater opportunities for designers who have conquered the challenges of technology thresholds in design.

Key words: Graphic Design, communication, media.