Graphic Design in Hyper Britain: Practice, Industry and Society

The project charts developments in British graphic design, from around the Millennium to the present. Graphic design underwent great change during this period, driven by innovations in technology, societal changes and a shifting political landscape. The United Kingdom was a leading design nation during these years, acting as a hub for a dynamic design culture consisting of agencies, publishers, universities, galleries and more.

The research employs a dual focus. Firstly, it looks at how graphic design industry and professionals adapt to change, and how this is reflected in the work they do. Secondly, it looks at how this work responds to and reflects dynamics of contemporary society.

Although a great deal of literature can be found on British graphic design, the majority of sources tend to emphasize the presentation of visual examples over contextual analysis and to focus on individual designers or agencies rather than their relation to one another and the community they were a part of. By addressing this gap in the literature, and through the application of terms borrowed from contemporary critical theory like anxiety, nostalgia, pleasure, flexibility and fragmentation, the project aims to make an original contribution to graphic design history.