North Dakota: 125 Years of Graphic Design

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MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, CENTER OF EVERYWHERE

125 Years of Graphic Design in North Dakota

This timeline project for my History of Graphic Design course specified creating a poster of at least six connected letter-sized sections, but I opted to include more detailed information and produced a bound, color-coordinated, thirteen page accordion-fold book. An earthy color scheme, handwritten typography, and implied texture convey a grungy, scrapbook-like appearance. This approach references what is meaningful to your average North Dakotan: small town life, agriculture, transportation, and the military.

The book begins with a two page abridged timeline which covers important world events and trends in art history. Each following page of the extended timeline reflects an 18-year period of the North Dakota's history and discusses the art styles which affected graphic design trends in the state.

The design samples I collected for the project were ideally created by graphic designers from North Dakota, though that particular parameter proved difficult to achieve. As a result, the book contains a combination of pieces which are unique to North Dakota as well as pieces from external ad agencies. These extraneous media packages were disseminated throughout the state and represented big name corporations or special
interest groups.