Disciplines of Craft and Textile Production in specific carry a long tradition and vernacular culture with them, while graphic design has not been recognized as a discipline as long, when comparing the two. In some of the most influential works on the history of graphic design, e.g. Phillip Megs Works, the relationship between Design and Art has been honored, and mentioned as influential to Design on multiple historical occasions, while the relation between Craft and Design has not been mentioned in a significant way. Hyun Kim proposes in his research paper “The Significance of Constructing the Social Model of Craft in Graphic Design History Narrative” that this recent recognition of the field is to blame for a lacking narrative in graphic design history. He speaks on his worry for the future of graphic design, a future that is building up on roots that have yet to solidify. He worries about the narrative that has been created, and its benefits for future design and designers, as he feels like there has been a lot of emphasis on the looks of works, but not on their social implications. “The new technological changes suggest the need for alternative narratives to foster social visions that create meaningful values, which would be commonly shared in a community”. (Hyun Kim, p. 99) The graphic design narrative is, according to Hyun Kim, not only lacking in meaningful narrative, but also significantly lacking in community and social interactions. These social interactions and communal values are in contrast to design, inherently a part of craft. Since crafts originated from a social interaction at first, and more recently after the industrial revolution as a social movement, craft as a discipline automatically evolved into a democratic and political activity.
Hyun Kim proposes that graphic design history, as well as future, would benefit from a closer relationship with crafts, to create a more socially conscious, politically and democratically active, and in general more social and interactive discipline.
(Hyun Kim, Jung: The Significance of Constructing the Social Model of Craft in Graphic Design History Narrative. The Second Asian Conference of Design History an Theory – Design Education beyond Boundaries – ACDHT 2017 Tokyo 1-2 September 2017 Tsuda University)
