Many things have changed over the past few decades. Landlines used to be a center of communication, now many people don’t even have one in their house as cell phones have become so integrated into everyone’s lives. And you may remember the days of keeping all your lists on paper, now everyone can easily keep any number of lists on their phone, computer or iPad, the choices are endless. How graphic design is created has also changed in many ways over the decades.
Flipping through a Good Housekeeping issue from 1934, our SJC graphic designer Tony Barmann was impressed by the amount of skill and time required to produce a full magazine. In the current “hurry-up-and-get-it-done” culture, it seems like some of the complexity of the craft and the nuance of a graphic artist’s skillset can get lost.
Undoubtedly, artists felt rushed in the 1930s as well. From the typesetting and hand-lettering, to illustration work and even the wait to develop film, everything took extensive time, as well as specialized skills. Today, no matter what you are trying to accomplish, there’s an app for that.
“I’m not necessarily saying that time spent as a whole on these tools and industries was greater back then. It takes developers and designers thousands of hours and a lot of expense to develop the software I use for design,” Tony said. “But there’s something tactile and fulfilling about slowing down, taking the time to go through the process and skill of creative thinking.”
It’s quite a contrast to think about picking up a pencil and paper to sketch ideas and thoughts, versus simply heading straight to Canva to access a template that thousands of other people have used.
When you open up a 200-page relic like the September 1934 issue of Good Housekeeping, you get a sense of authenticity. And maybe even a labor of love.
What you sense from Tony’s work is that even modern graphic design can be just as authentic, because the talent and skill are still there in what he creates. The technology has advanced, but you can still distinguish a true artist and designer from a guy with an app.
Want to see what our graphic design team can do for your business? Contact us at SJC Marketing to see what a labor of love can do for your visual content.