Thesis

Is the history of how design came to be what it is now because of the invention of computers? Or a reflection of Society? Milton Glaser once said, "Computers are to design as microwaves are to cooking." The invention of computers have certainly changed everything about the way we design. But because of this, a lot of bad design can be easily created by anyone who knows how to work a computer. I want to explore and research design before computers existed and how much has changed when computers came into existence. 

Inspiration

Computers were a revolutionary invention that have changed this world and how we lived in the past two decades. Before computers ever existed, designers had to manually cut out and put together design layouts themselves. This meant that they had to spend more time in preparing and putting thoughts together before actually starting the design because if the designer made a mistake in the process, they would have to start all over again. However now, if a designer chooses to use a different typeface, or use a different photograph it takes mere seconds to do so. This proves that the thought process had to have been final when actually starting to produce the work. Whereas now, designers could basically start on a project with just a small notion of how they want their designs to look. That is why there is so much bad design that looks so unfinished that is out there in the professional world. I will do much research on the aesthetics of design before and after the computer generation. I will look into the history of different movements in design and different societies of design, such as the Bauhaus movement, Russian constructivism, Pushpin studios, minimalism, and such and how the design now is so much more open ended and random, and there doesn't seem to be one popular movement with design nowadays. I started becoming interested in this topic because of how my father has transitioned from one to another. He is a professional working designer who has been in the business for over 30 years and has gone from the transition of all handmade design to computerized design. I think that this topic can relate to all designers, both young and old.