Graphic Design Essay

The sole purpose of graphic design is the communication of a message and idea through art and graphics. Its beginnings can be traced back from the first cave paintings in Lascaux, France, to the hieroglyphs of the Egyptian culture, and eventually to the introduction of print and digital mediums. For an ancient practice that has turned into a massive industry, it is troubling to see that according to a poll question that was conducted in 2012, about 93% of graphic designers agreed to the statement that the graphic design industry is in bad shape and do not know where the discipline is headed (Tortorella). They believe that it is heading for its inevitable failure and fear for its sustainability for the coming years. However, from its first inception

Recession is a period of temporary economic decline, and the United States have suffered through recessions numerous times in the past and it is bound to occur again. But “graphic design could be recession proof because good graphic design can be seen as a necessity or an “inelastic good” in economist terms” (Jackness). In the 1970’s the graphic design industry had a major technological shift, which stimulated investments in printing presses as the relative cost of process color and pre-press dropped considerably, defying the inflation, the high interest rates and high unemployment rates at that time. During the last recession, 1990-1991, graphic design employment, wages, and the establishment grew tremendously that it exceeded normal industry growth. Even after a couple years later, the number of establishments expanded even though full-time employment shrunk. This was because of one reason, the same reason that contributed to the success of the industry in the 70’s, technology (Romano). Programs like the Creative Suite, which includes Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and other programs, were created in the late 80’s and early 90’s. The development and accessibility of the program meant that even though graphic designers were out of design firms or corporate jobs, they can still inexpensively set up a home office and become freelancers. The development of technology eventually led to the development of the internet, which became an abundant work source for the graphic design industry and its designers. If a recession were to occur, web-based projects would provide job security for graphic designers. In addition, there is a positive job outlook for the graphic design industry in the web medium today. “Employment of graphic designers in newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers is projected to decline 16 percent from 2012 to 2022. However, employment of graphic