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PUB 480 D100: Buy the Book: A History of Publication Design (STC)

This is a special topics in-person course.

The look and feel of a publication reflect the time and space in which it was published. How have contemporary art and politics influenced publication design? Conversely, how has publication design affected social change? How have publishers strategically used design to target audiences and make meaning? 

This course develops a critical awareness of enduring tensions between commerce and creativity in the publishing industry, all the while considering broader social contexts and technological developments. It seeks to understand the roles of design(ers) in the present by studying the past. This course surveys publication design from the mid-/late-1800s to present day. It considers a variety of printed and digital publications, from the collectible to the ephemeral, that address a range of audiences, from children to adults.