If you are a keen observer of the evolution of graphic design or visual communication, you will notice an interesting relationship with historical happenings elsewhere. According to Design Hill, the evolution of graphic design has long been tied to the needs for visual imagination along with social needs, communication, political events and technological innovations. For a quick recap; logo design is believed to have originated in ancient Egypt around the 13th century. The idea arose from the hieroglyphs that were used to brand domestic animals for easy identification. The Graphic design itself is believed to have begun between 2500 BC to 1400 BC as evidenced in the Sumerian Pictographs and Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Topography on its part emerged in the mid-1400’s. Creative artist, Johann Gutenberg is credited with developing the first-ever movable typefaces.

In 1530, Claude Garamond established the first set of the foundry, and later sold the fonts to printers. The widely documented Art Nouveau era emerged in the late 1800’s as a transformative international art style with repercussions in the graphic design landscape. Between 1960’s and 1970’s, Pop Art and Psychadelia emerged. With the emergence, most graphic designers working in the mid 70 take a keen interest in the use of typewriter, collage and distorting type. The 90’s era ushered in the street style design, where typefaces were increasingly marketed in a set of packages thanks to computers. This is also the age when the digital revolution began. In 1990, the first version of Adobe Photoshop was released, followed by the launching of the first website 2 years later. Adobe Photoshop went on to revolutionize the way graphic designers express themselves and operate.

Hyperallergic.com further reveals the profound relationship between graphic design and cultural changes that define human history. The historical events that have had obvious visual implications include the formation of the Disney Corporation in 1923 and the completion of New York’s Empire State Building in 1931. The other notable events with clear visual implications include the formation of the Nazi Party in 1929; the market crash of 1929 and the end of the World War II in the mid 40’s. The end of the war marked the beginning of a serious soul-searching in the West, and that led to a deep sense of patriotism among the populace. The war visuals made a huge mark on the pop culture scene. The premiere of the film Casablanca in 1942 points to this fact. The film was unveiled with a roster heavy with war propaganda written in a visual language. The emboldened captioning were made in red and yellow colors.

Buoyed by the war accomplishments, the advertising and magazine publishing industry in America and much of the West boomed and drove economic growth at the time. In the midst of the boom, Ebony lifestyle magazine that targets African Americans and French newspaper devoted to World politics, Le Monde were established between 144 and 1945. With the end of the World War II, the Cold War summered for much of the 50’s, even though some sense of optimism was clearly evident. In 1950, the US launched the first rocket into space and this was followed by the establishment of NASA in 1958. With these developments, television and broadcasting grew exponentially as everyone went on TV to catch the evolution into space travel. The advertisement world also recorded serious gains. While most people in the US media industry embraced stylized typefaces, the Swiss were quietly pioneering the sleek minimalist design of the modern age.

Mark Alvarado Creative Designs
Mark Alvarado is one in a new crop of talented entrepreneurs and graphic designers to emerge from California. The 35-year-old native of Palo Alto is a graduate of Alexander Hamilton High School and the UCLA, Los Angeles. Mark’s skills in entrepreneurship and technology played a pivotal role in landing him a consultancy job` of helping start-ups and sole proprietorships grow their revenue base. Being a graphic design professional, Mark spends a lot of time in front of the computer and out in the field working on marketing strategies and creating promotional campaigns for a vast pool of clients. Mark is also skilled in web development and online branding.

The skills have helped him assist companies to create complex marketing strategies that run on elaborate algorithms; use of automated data process to streamline multi-departmental operations and leverage on the feedback systems. Mark hopes to expand his design business to include an online consultancy service. The sustainable venture will employ a handful of employees and work aggressively to increase revenues and achieve growth targets. In terms of investment, Mark owns a vacation home in Marfa, Texas. He hopes to use the development to earn some royalty income. Mark Alvarado is also a frequent traveler and a big fan of archery.