The terms fashion design, product design and interior are widely understood and can be pictured clearly, whilst the term graphic design is still blurry. What does graphic actually mean?
The origin of the word ‘graphic’ is Greek graphikos and means writing and drawing. Could therefore then be said, that everything that is written or drawn is graphic? Some people say the first graphics known, are the cave paintings at Lascaux, which are paintings of animals. If we proceed on the assumption that people wanted to communicate with these drawings, could then be stated, that everything that is written or drawn and tries to communicate something is a graphic? If we think of typography calligraphy is literally writing and drawing at the same time. And in the digital age typeface are still drawn, even if we do not use a pen and ink. What does ‘draw’ mean then? It is clearly not only images by pen on paper, because an engraving for example is considered a graphic too. But where to draw the line? Can an oil painting be a graphic? Do artist not also often want to communicate something with their work? Is a photograph a graphic? Interesting enough that the word photograph contains graph. The word picturesque comes from the Greeks as well and means: drawing with light, which brings it back to drawing.
In 1869 there was a popular newspaper called The Graphic, which was an illustrated weekly publication, containing large scale engravings to communicate the news. They defined graphic as: *"graphic means having the power to evoke a strikingly lifelike representation, whether it is in pictures or in words."Compared to art, it is therefore not only about communication, but also about getting the message through really clear. Which art does often not intent in the first place. Graphic design therefore means not only communicating through wirting and drawing, but doing it with the intention to get a message through. Which seems to stand in the way of the idea of communicating by ambiguity. But isn't ambigious graphic design not often very artsy?
But not everything written or drawn that tries to communicate something is considered graphic design. A shopping list for example fulfills all the criteria and could be claimed a graphic but it would not be considered graphic design. It becomes design the moment someone intentionally shapes the graphic in order to get the message through in the most attractive way.
© Anna Craemer