Graphic Design: Fine Art or Thesis

At this level, focus should be on meeting the needs of the graphic design industry. It is at the graduate level where intense discussion of theory should be developed. I agree with Frascara on this point. In most disciplines, such discussion is typically conducted at the graduate level. The average graphic design student can benefit from this work where applicable, especially if Frascara's proposed reference centers are created.

One of the main reasons Frascara wants to shift the emphasis of undergraduate education to meeting the needs of the industry is because he feels that the communication aspect of graphic art is understated in the current educational system. Greater specialized would allow for more in-depth training, allowing students more focus on this part of the discipline. I agree with his view that this aspect should be emphasized more. It will provide designers with a greater toolkit for the working world, but will also give them a stronger foundation for further, independent, exploration of communication concepts.While I agree that graphic design is a major form of communication - its influence is inescapable in our society - I do not agree that graphic design has any social responsibility. If at its essence design is a discipline centered on creating a message and having that message understood, then that is the primary obligation of the design. Frascara himself argues that the design's success should be measured on the basis of the audience's response. This does not imply social responsibility; it merely implies responsibility to the message. The responsibility of graphic design, in effect, is to ensure that the message is received as intended. There may be social responsibility embedded in the message itself, but the design is merely a communication tool, no matter how responsible or irresponsible the message might be.

Works Cited

Frascara, Jorge. (1988). Graphic Design: Fine Art or Social Science? Design Issues. Vol. 5, No.1 (Autumn,….....