Gustavo Machado
Maureen Donahue Johnson
GR 5000 WA History of Graphic Design I
Miami University of Art & Design
MFA in Graphic Design

“After Architecture, Typography provided
the most characteristic picture of a period,
and the strongest testimonial of the spiritual
progress and development of a people”.
Peter Behrens
Peter Behrens (1868-1940)
German artist, architect and designer

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
OVERALL CONCEPT
I’d like to thank all my classmates
This project has the intention to not just
at Miami University for their extraordinary
reflect the History of Graphic Design
contributions through critique, discussions
from 400 A.D to 1900, but also to
and high-level debates. Without any doubt
emulate (in a small scale) the
I learned a lot from all of them after the first
predominant activity over the period:
three months of my journey.
craftsmanship.
I also like to thank our instructor,
The advent of digital age, and more
Maureen Donahue Johnson, for her
specifically Photoshop, dramatically
categorical guidance and support.
impacted designers’ activities.
Now computers allow designers
Finally, I’d like to dedicate this project
to explore creative solutions in a fraction
to my beloved wife, Marcia, who has
of time compared to traditional
been providing unconditional support
craftsman; in addition, the possibilities
over the last 16 years.
in terms of composition, typography,
Gustavo Machado
and experimentation are almost endless.
LOGO CONCEPT
The identity conveys:
- The initial power of the Church
- Evolution from serif to sans serif
- Evolution from uppercase to lowercase
- Evolution from fat to light typefaces
- Ornamentation
- Calligraphy
- Pictorial type (“graphy”)
- Mass media (advertising)

C-O-N-T-E-N-T-S
V 500 A.D.- Illuminated Manuscripts XVI Pictorial Type
1600 A.D.-
X1000 A.D.- Chinese Calligraphy/Painting 1800 A.D.- Posters
XVIII
XV A.D.- Typographic Books
1500 Ornamentation

During the middle ages, illuminated manuscripts
represented a superb example of how
communication can comprise form and function at
the same time. The Church produced handwritten
books including sacred writings and that were
embellished by decoration or illustration employing
gold leaf.
The monastic scriptorium or writing room was used
for not only text transcription, but also for
“illumination”: ornate initials, borders, frames,
intricate patterns and illustrations were shaped
in order to create mythical and spiritual overtones.
The importance of illuminated scripts is still
recognized in modern graphic design and
typography by presenting new standards and
improvements on page layout, legibility/readability,
and word spacing.

1997 - Noise 3 – ATTIK
806 - The Book of Kells

1997 - Noise 3 – ATTIK
806 - The Book of Kells

1997 - Noise 3 – ATTIK
806 - The Book of Kells

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
ATTIK. 2006. ATTIK. 13 Jun. 2006
< http://www.attik.com >
ATTIK. Noise 3. London: Lawrence King Publishers,
1997.
Book of Kells. 6 Jun. 2006. Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia. 13 Jun. 2006 <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_kells >

The tradition of calligraphy originated and developed
from China and later was introduced in Japan,
Korea, and Vietnam. Besides its own artistic
features, calligraphy has also influenced ink painting,
which is accomplished by similar tools and
techniques. It also played an important role in the
progress of other forms of art in East Asia, including
seal carving, elaborate paperweights, and inkstones.
In contrast to the great level of realism depicted by
Egyptian hieroglyphs, Chinese calligraphy employed
strong stylization, which resulted in more abstract
designs. This fact connects it to the Modernism,
or more specifically Abstract Art, initiated during
the Twentieth century.

1988 – Design in Post-War Japan - V23
923 – Mt. K’uang lu - Ching Hao

1991 - Love, Heidi Berry - V23
1043 - 8 Princes on a Spring Excursion -Chao Yen

1991 - Black Spring, Lush - V23
1107 – On Szechuan Silk - Mi Fu

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Fong, Wen C., James C. Watt, and the National
Palace Museum. Possessing the Past: Treasures
from the National Palace Museum, Taipei. New York:
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1996.
Liu, Chao J. Painting and Calligraphy of the
Northern Sung (960-1127). 2004. National Palace
Museum, Taipei. 2 Jun. 2006 <
http://tech2.npm.gov.tw/sung >
Poynor, Rick. Vaughan Oliver: Visceral Pleasures.
London: Booth-Clibborn Ed., 2000.
Rogers, Howard, ed. China : 5,000 Years. New York:
Harry N. Abrams, 1998.
Sullivan, Michael, The Arts of China. Berkeley:
University of California Press, 2000.
Thorp, Robert, and Richard Vinograd. Chinese Art
and Culture. New York : Harry N. Abrams, 2001.

For approximately 4,000 years, manuscripts
played an important role in the development
of communications around the world.
The invention of a new substrate (papyrus)
in Egypt turned possible to manufacture the
first written documents produced by hand.
The advent of movable type introduced
by Gutenberg around 1440, typographic
or “Incunabula” (cradle) books started to rapidly
replace manuscripts. Taking only a fraction
of time to be produced and the relatively low
cost associated with them were, in particular,
responsible for turning typographic books
the forefront for social, economic and religious
changes that occurred in Europe, between
the fifteenth and the sixteenth centuries.

1493 – Nuremberg Chronicle 2005 – Lush magazine – Paul Sych

1493 – Nuremberg Chronicle – Anton Koberger 2005 – Lush magazine – Paul Sych

1493 – Nuremberg Chronicle – Anton Koberger 2005 – Lush magazine – Paul Sych

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Lush magazine. Toronto: Lush Magazine inc., 2005.
Nuremberg Chronicle. 2003. Beloit College. 13 Jun.
2006 <
http://www.beloit.edu/~nurember/inside/about/index.
htm >
Sych, Paul. Faith. 2006. Paul Sych. 13 Jun. 2006
< http://www.faith.ca >

Creating type from everyday objects started
during the Middle Ages; first, letters were
designed proportional to the existing architecture
and geometry. Later, letterforms were associated
with the proportions of the human body.
Finally, fauna and flora, as well as objects provided
strong symbolism and meaning to the current
society, depending obviously on the material used.
It is also important to mention that photography
added a new dimension to pictorial type,
by maximizing its best qualities.

Geoffroy Tory Oded Ezer
Champ Fleury Biotypography
1529 2005

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Asher, Uleshka. Oded Ezer - experimental Hebrew
typography. 20 Jan. 2006. Ping magazine. 2 Jun.
2006 < http://www.pingmag.jp/2006/01/20/oded-
ezer-experimental-hebrew-typography >
Ezer, Oded. Oded Ezer Typography. 2006. Oded
Ezer. 2 Jun. 2006 < http://www.odedezer.com >
Massin, Robert. Letter and Image. New York:
Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1970.

For centuries, posters have been not just reflecting
cultural, social, political and economical events,
but also raising public awareness around relevant
themes, and consequently acting as vehicle for
social change.
By the end of 19th Century, they became popular
in Paris by a Frenchman named Jules Cheret,
considered these days the father of modern poster.
Illustrations depicting women enjoying their lives,
drinking, dancing, and smoking in public turned out
to be the dawn of women liberation.
In the 20th Century new topics took place,
including literacy, human rights, war, AIDS, racism,
and environmental issues. Usually employing
a strong concept, posters have been making use
of humor, irony or eventually shocking imagery
to convey striking messages to the audience.

1972 – Lipstick - Jose Gomez Fresquet
1890 – Jules Cheret

2005 – The Guerrilla Girls
1895 – Julius Price

1895 - Georges Meunier 2005 – The Guerrilla Girls

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Appelbaum, Stanley. The Complete Masters
of the Poster. New York: Dover Publications, 1990.
The Graphic Imperative: international posters for
peace, social justice, & the environment 1965-2005.
2006. Massachusetts College of Art, Philadelphia
University. 2 Jun. 2006
< http://www.thegraphicimperative.org >
The Guerrilla Girls: fighting discrimination with facts,
humor and fake fur. 2006. The Guerrilla Girls.
2 Jun. 2006 < http://www.guerrillagirls.com >
Wanner, Rene. Rene Wanner's Poster Page.
30 May 2006. Rene Wanner. 2 Jun. 2006
< http://www.posterpage.ch >

Since the Middle Ages, decorative arts has been
playing an important role in visual language.
Its connection with love and spirit enabled them to
take part of religious works. Medieval manuscripts,
Islamic manuscripts and German illustrated books
were remarkable examples of its power.
Sometimes decoration acted as a natural
extension of typography, including ornate Capitals,
ligatures, flourishes, and swashes; sometimes
though, it established a close relationship with
illustration. In this case, floral, geometric patterns,
mandalas, tendrils, borders, and frames were
extensively employed.
Curiously, ornamentation is now in style again.
From traditional companies to cutting edge artists,
everyone has been incorporating decoration in
different ways. Ornamentation is unquestionably
more popular than ever.

1457 – Salterio in Latino - Fust & Schoeffer 2005 – Nike Zoom Lebron III - Non-Format

2005 - Fontshop’s Font 004 magazine – Marian Bantjes
1459 - Rationale Divinorum Officiorum - Fust & Schoeffer

1789 – Songs of Innocence – William Blake 2005 – The Wire magazine - Non-Format

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Bantjes, Marian. Marian Bantjes. 2006. Marian
Bantjes. 11 Jun. 2006 < http://www.bantjes.com >
Johann Fust. 2006. My Fonts. 11 Jun. 2006
< http://www.myfonts.com/person/fust/johann >
Non-Format. 2006. Non-Format. 11 Jun. 2006
< http://www.non-format.com >
Peter Schoeffer. 2006. My Fonts. 11 Jun. 2006
< http://www.myfonts.com/person/schoeffer/peter >
William Blake. 6 Jun. 2006. Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia. 11 Jun. 2006
< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_blake >

TECHNOLOGY
ART
Sony CyberShot DSC-W17 (7.2 megapixels),
This publication was produced under the influence of:
Canon CanoScan D1230U, Dell PC with 1Gb RAM,
Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Jackson Pollock,
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Acrobat
Mark Rothko, Cy Twombly, Peter Beard, Dan Eldon,
Professional, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Power Point.
Shinro Ohtake, Tide Hellmeister, Vaughan Oliver, P. Scott
Makela, Stefan Sagmeister, Bureau Destruct, Ed Fella,
Studio Dumbar, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, El Lissitzky,
Man Ray, Cirque du Soleil, Starbucks, MTV, Misprinted
Type, Die Gestalten Verlag, Tupigrafia, and many others.