Response

Since the invention of the Internet in 1983, the Web has spread rapidly from early adopters to the masses. The topic of the design community, which once had few hits, has been brought to everyone by the popularity of the Internet as well. However, in order to meet the feed of most of the audiences, the theme of design articles is more and more inclined to entertainment and generic, shifting and digressing from the core. Same as the design styles, the repetitive use and reuse of graphic formulas and concepts have flooded the design industry, leading a digression away from the original purpose of design —— conveying a message and articulating a thought.

Both of the readings, You’ll Never Guess the Amazing Ways Online Design Writing and Criticism Has Changed” by Chappell Ellison and THIS IS AUTO-TUNE TYPOGRAPHY by Silvia Sfligiotti, present the criticism of the current design community and design styles from authors. Both of them expressed their nostalgic feeling about design in the past when there were more personalities and arguments between artists. Despite the criticism, the third reading I chose, “Knowing Your Design History is Crucial to Aesthetic Innovation” talks about the recurring style cycle in design. The always-changing trends are a constant and unchanging topic in the design industry. Knowing history is a prerequisite to creating new original and creative designs, it acts as the source of creativity. In my opinion, the past styles and communities Ellison and Sfligiotti are reminiscing about, will be back sooner or later with a new layer of meaning and presentation.