Art

From paint brushes to portraits, we love art.

Upgrade to Britannica Online

Take a tour, New improved britannica online

Imagine Britannica's 32-volume encyclopedia online right there for you, plus full access to articles. Amazing content, written by world experts, that you can cite for projects and assignments.

Click here for Britannica shop

graphic design

The art and profession of selecting and arranging visual elements—such as typography, images, symbols, and colours—to convey a message to an audience. Sometimes graphic design is called “visual communications.” It is a collaborative discipline: writers produce words and photographers and illustrators create images that the designer incorporates into a complete visual message. Although graphic design has been practiced in various forms throughout history, it emerged as a specific profession during the job-specialization process that occurred in the late 19th century. Its evolution has been closely bound to developments in image making, typography, and reproduction processes. Prominent graphic designers include Jules Chéret, Piet Zwart, Paul Rand, Alexey Brodovitch, Milton Glaser, and David Carson.

Find more information on graphic design. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on graphic design.

  • Get more
  • M?ss?ng more?

    Subscribers see 10 times more content. Just US $69.95 per year

  • Britannica, just as colourful as Hong Kong
  • Times may change, but insightful knowledge is still in demand. That's why Britannica brings a world of knowledge online, to Hong Kong. Have a look for yourself.