The dimensions of graphic design: in theory

Graphic design is more usually discussed through the material outcomes of the process of graphic designing, rather than process itself. This is common in visual studies of material culture, from Art to Architecture. Yet outcomes of graphic design tell us little about the design process that created them, or the relationships that exist in the field. In this paper we look beyond the artefacts and consider how graphic designers have attempted to represent the subject in terms of diagrams that explain complex relationships and ambiguous terminology. Examples are featured that explore ‘intermediate dimensions’ of the subject, examining earlier work by Bruce Brown and Katherine McCoy, as well as a wider framework of design and design education, developed by Bruce Archer in the 1970s. The outcome is a theoretical construct that incorporates common concerns attempting to locate graphic design in relation to design, science and humanities.