From the course: Learning Graphic Design History

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Minimalism

Minimalism

From the course: Learning Graphic Design History

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Minimalism

- As we've seen, graphic design responds to cultural, technological or aesthetic changes. By the mid-1990s, a new generation of designers looked back at the complexity of postmodernism and the Digital Revolution and turned toward a simpler approach. Rather than following the idea of high-theory deconstruction, many of these designers were interested in creating work that spoke to a wider audience. They wanted to find a way of creating meaning with fewer forms. Many designers looked to return to singular ideas and minimal layouts. Referencing the work of the New York School in the 1950s, much of this had an era of optimism. Minimal work of the mid-1990s embraced simple geometry and clear color palettes. The idea of three-dimensional complexity in typography was abandoned in favor of easy to understand symbols and images. Legibility was a priority. But the concepts of postmodernism would not allow for retreat to a purely minimal Bauhaus approach. Now every image, symbol and word was…

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