This paper examines the breadth of knowledge required by graphic designers, drawing on scholarship by Gunnar Swanson, Jan Tschichold, and others. It investigates the argument that graphic design functions as a liberal art, touching on sociology, rhetoric, anthropology, and political science. The paper explores the current absence of a clearly defined scholarly framework for design, traces the historical evolution of visual communication symbols, and argues that history and theory must be integrated into design education. It concludes that an interdisciplinary approach — combining design practice with social sciences and liberal arts — provides the most effective foundation for graphic design study and professional practice.
The objective of this paper is to examine the knowledge needed by the graphic designer, both historically and in today's modern world. As Swanson (2010) writes in "Graphic Design Education as a Liberal Art: Design and Knowledge in the University and the 'Real World'": "Though hardly homogeneous, the vast majority of graphic design programs, whether in vocational schools, art schools, or universities, are, at least in concept, vocational training programs" (p. 3).
Swanson examines what graphic design would entail as a liberal art and argues that it would take various forms. Swanson states specifically that design should be:
"…about the relationship of form and communication. It is one of the fields where science and literature meet. It can shine a light on hidden corners of sociology and history. Design's position as conduit for and shaper of popular values can be a path between anthropology and political science. Art and education can both benefit through the perspective of a field that is about expression and the mass dissemination of information. Designers, design educators, and design students are in a more important and interesting field than we seem to recognize." (Swanson, 2010, p. 5)
According to Swanson, there is presently "no clear role for design scholarship." Traditional fields of scholarship are stated to have well-defined subject matter of their own, whereas design scholarship does not — and this makes it difficult to identify models for this approach, since design "in practice, exists primarily in response to an externally generated need or situation" (Swanson, 2010, p. 5). Richard Buchanan, chair of the Department of Design at Carnegie Mellon, is noted to have stated that "subject matter for the designer is an indeterminate problem, made only partly determinate by the interests and needs of clients, managers, and the designer" (Swanson, 2010, p. 6).
Design programs place significant emphasis on technical skills, a focus that is "hardly unique to academia." Technique will likely remain a large part of any design program, but the meaning of techniques will take on increasing importance (Swanson, 2010, p. 6). Swanson notes that Buchanan has argued that designers have, "through designed objects, directly influenced the actions of individuals and communities, changed attitudes and values, and shaped society in surprisingly fundamental ways" (Swanson, 2010, p. 7).
Jan Tschichold argues that history and theory "should be married in the classroom and honeymoon in the studio" of the graphic designer (n.d., p. 1). Tschichold elaborates on this point as follows:
"To truly understand and use a piece of theory properly, we need to know why it became worth knowing — in what conditions was it first developed and used, why was it successful, and what was its original purpose and audience? Without this knowledge, how could we use it effectively? Many of our ideas are well established — concerning the relationships between image and text, or color and balance, or texture and contrast, and countless more can all be mixed in infinite possibilities — and knowing how (and why) these ideas were developed helps us use them today. Knowing the context in which they were originally born helps us see similar contexts today that the theory can perfectly be matched to. Rather than simply borrowing style, ideas about layout can be learned and expanded upon. We can see what ideas worked and what didn't, allowing us to skip previous mistakes and forge forward, treading on new ground in familiar shoes." (Tschichold, n.d., p. 1)
While history may seem dry, in the field of graphic design one must know history in order to avoid reproducing someone else's previous work, to understand what works and what does not, and to grasp how prior works and theory can be expanded upon in the present.
Graphic design encompasses a rich tradition of visual communication symbols, including the following:
1. Pictograms — An image that represents an object, such as the Department of Transportation road signage in the United States.
2. Rebuses — A pictorial image that represents a spoken sound.
3. Phonograms — A symbol that represents a spoken sound.
4. Ideograms — A character or symbol representing a complete idea or concept.
"Taxonomy of visual symbols from pictograms to crests"
"Rhetoric and social science in design curriculum"
"Interdisciplinary approach essential for design education"
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.