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In this article, we will explore the intersection of advertising, commercial design, and the cultural landscape of the 80s. The 80s saw a multitude of album covers that became timeless works of art, encapsulating the spirit and sound of the era. These covers served as visual gateways to the music contained within, creating an immersive experience for listeners. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most iconic album covers of the 80s and the design elements that made them stand out. Movie posters in the 80s embraced a cinematic aesthetic that reflected the style and genre of the films they promoted. From action-packed blockbusters to romantic comedies, each movie had its own visual language.
Vibrant Color Palettes
Geometry played a prominent role in 80s graphic design, with clean lines and geometric shapes making a bold statement. From triangles and squares to circles and polygons, these shapes were often used to create structured and balanced compositions. Abstract forms also found their place in the design world, adding an element of creativity and artistic expression. The combination of geometric shapes and abstract forms resulted in visually compelling and visually arresting designs. One of the defining features of 80s graphic design was its expressive and exuberant nature.
What was the 80s design language?
During the 1980s, graffiti and street art gained substantial momentum with the Hip Hop movement in America. The subways of New York were covered in graffiti lettering proclaiming political statements. The 1024 squares each represented one pixel and were supposed to simulate the bitmap display of the early Apple interface. PostScript was a considerable risk for Adobe, and the company might not have managed to convince the market of its value if Steve Jobs of Apple Computer hadn't supported it.
Playful Patterns and Textures
From films like Real Genius to music videos by Thomas Dolby, there was a “digital look” to the visual style that emerged during this time. There was a prevalence of grids, sci-fi-evoking motifs, and computer-font-based graphic text. However, things started to change in 1981 when Memphis Group brought refreshing design trends in the market. The group was itself named after Bob Dylan’s song which was quite popular at that time.
Helen is also curating and presenting a week-long film season at the Barbican in November 2008. The magazine market being what it is on both sides of the pond, I'm not too surprised that Anime UK only lasted a little while. Whether you’re looking at a famous 70s rock album or a Coca-Cola ad, you’ll find a lot of persona or character-driven graphics mixed with funky-fresh typefaces throughout the designs of the 70s. These include the Zoot Suit Riots, the Japanese Internment during World War II, and the founders of Los Angeles, who were primarily Black and Indigenous.
Brutally honest: brutalist graphic design history and trends
The 80s witnessed a surge in the popularity of arcade games and the rapid advancement of technology. Many 80s fonts drew inspiration from the pixelated letterforms found in arcade game graphics. The blocky, grid-like structure of these fonts not only reflected the influence of technology but also created a sense of nostalgia for the digital age.
Film and Television Graphics
Nature is completely deleted from the picture, while overcrowded cities are filled with criminals and futuristic vehicles like supercars and spaceships. In Tron, the good feelings are countered by fear towards the power of computers and technology, which are embodied by MCP, the Master Computer Program. Pioneering 3D graphics, the film develops in a computer-generated dimension, a world constructed on the iconic 80s retro futurist grid. A central vanishing point, dark background, a grid of thin lines in primary colours; optionally, the sun setting behind mountains.
Some references of this design style can be found in the movie ‘Real Genius’ and music videos by Thomas Dolby. The world of visual design was overwhelmed by grids, science-fiction motives, and computer-based graphic fonts. Below we’ve shown the cover art for the Tron soundtrack, screenshots from the opening credits of The Terminator, and the trailer for the film ‘D.A.R.Y.L.’. With these examples, we are sure you will be able to name many more films that have adopted the infamous 80s digital style easily.
Neon Sign Photoshop Effect for 80s Designs (PSD)
The incomplete output of the ImageWriter, while outstanding for the time, could never compete with professional typesetting. The MDA option could display high-res monochrome text, and the card included a printer port. The CGA version could display low to medium res color graphics and text.
Let the 80s Roll: In the Design World, Octogenarians Rule - The Atlantic
Let the 80s Roll: In the Design World, Octogenarians Rule.
Posted: Thu, 01 Sep 2011 07:00:00 GMT [source]
It was an evolution of the old black and white film noir style with the addition of bold neon colors and futuristic elements. The term “retro” refers to design styles, fashion, or trends that are inspired by past eras. In this sense, the 1980s can be considered retro, as contemporary designs often draw inspiration from the bold and vibrant aesthetics of the era.
Electric blues, neon pinks, vibrant oranges, and bold yellows dominated the graphic design landscape. These vibrant color palettes evoked a sense of energy and excitement, reflecting the exuberance of the era. Designers used color to create visual impact and evoke emotions, infusing their work with a sense of dynamism and playfulness. In fact, applying the 1980s aesthetic today can result in the creation of incredibly appealing works of art with no special craft needed. After all, they are all somehow interwoven – from sunsets and palm trees linked to neon noir, to the way geometry accompanied its patterns in Memphis-Milano.
The vector-based approach of Illustrator made the designs created with it infinitely scalable, contrary to the raster-based software programs. The focus of the 80s was on flashy, eye-catching colors that drew attention. In 1985, Microsoft introduced Windows, which meant people no longer had to learn MS-DOS to operate a computer. In 1981, musician Todd Rundgren developed the first color graphics tablet software for the personal computer, which was licensed to Apple under Utopia Graphic Tablet System. Today, few can remember the impact of this heavy printing machine from Apple on the way the world uses computers, much like the Macintosh itself.
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