Defining design on Wikipedia
There are many debates around concerning the verisimilitude or otherwise of Wikipedia. Its very nature should caution against its use as a sole source of definition, particularly on subjects that have contested interpretations or definitions; historical events, for example. But a recent debate on the Design Observer blog has shown Wikipedia’s value as a focus for sprited and provoking discussions on historiography.
Rob Giampietro initially posted about Wikipedia’s entry on graphic design. His critical piece came from the perspective of a New York based design consultant. There then followed a deluge of comment that were in small part supportive, most highly critical of his post, a few simply dismissive, and others that more seriously are attempting to further a debate on how we define graphic design in the context of an encyclopedia entry. So, we can view the post and the comments that it has provoked as (i) an interesting and open discussion on how we define graphic design, and (ii) an even more interesting and provoking example on how the wiki opens up discourse around cultural definitions in ways that conventional media never could before.
Rob Giampietro took particular issue with two examples cited on the Wikipedia entry: Malcolm Garrett’s Rio album cover design and the Book of Kells. As others have commented, Garrett is one of the seminal graphic and interaction designers of his age, while the Book of Kells is an iconic cultural artefact of human civilization. Malcolm has even modestly entered the debate himself. A debate worth following. One comment makes the point that there is no Wikipedia entry for Garrett, so I’ve started work on one. I’m no graphic design historian, but I intend to do a stub that others, more knowledgeable than I, can add too. And below, to start me off, some early Malcolm Garrett:
Filed under: design, digital culture | 2 Comments
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wasn’t this sleeve designed by Linder Sterling?
No, the montage was by Linder, the layout and typography was by Malcolm Garrett (incl. the logo design).