ANTI-DESIGN Masterthesis

Due to its constructive character communication media have precociously evolved into reality creating instruments. Industry in particular used the set of rules of modernism. Joined by the Dessauer Bauhaus it pursued a highly developed functionalism. Owing to the atrocities of the World War II, with the end of modernism, criticism arose. Consequently designers challenged the purpose, responsibility and ethics of design which resulted in a change of paradigm.

While conformism had run like a common thread through modernism, the post-modern era, however, established an eclectic ambivalence in means of aesthetic stimulus and produced pluralism and dissension. The only main idea in reference to lifestyle, education, creativity and rules had stopped to exist. Post-modern works opened towards any interpretation and played lucidly with irregularities and breach of taboo. A new generation of graphic artists started to experiment with expressive compositions by scrutinizing the strict boundaries of rules, grid and dogmatically used typography.

In order to to give an explanation about the conscious rulebreaking of the post-modern era the status of graphic design in the 21st century had to be investigated and put into context with the advertisement industry within the framework of this thesis. Furthermore, the relation of design and commerce in reference to current developments in addition to the change of the graphic design profession within the last century was brought up for discussion.