Graphic Design Histories

Undergraduate

This three-part course examines the role of alternative and underground media in the formation of social movements in the United States from the mid- to late 20th century, specifically focusing on graphic design. Our animating question throughout the term is: “can graphic design be understood as a form of activism or protest?” Looking to histories of graphic innovation linked to diverse social interests (among them, Black power, women’s liberation, queer activism, environmentalism, the antiwar movement, independence movements, etc.), we will study the ways in which collective practices fashion the image of a culture in times of pronounced political change: as a vehement challenge to the dominance of official media and a critical form of self-representation. One goal is to consider the implications of such work in the present, a moment in which corporate media, misinformation campaigns, and algorithmic capitalism has exerted decisive control over public discourse. HU M 1:30pm-3:25pm