History of graphic design

What is the origin of writing?

Writing originated to record and communicate information, with earliest systems like Sumerian cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphs appearing independently.

What are the three main types of Egyptian writing?

Hieroglyphic (decorative for monuments), Hieratic (cursive for religious texts), Demotic (simplified for everyday use).

What are the two letter types in the Latin alphabet?

Majuscule (uppercase) and Minuscule (lowercase).

What are Neolithic cave paintings?

Cave paintings depicting animals, human figures, and abstract symbols, likely for rituals or storytelling.

What characterizes Franco-Cantabrian cave art?

Naturalistic animal depictions, limited color palette (ochre and black), use of engraving, shading, and contours.

How did the first writings evolve?

Evolved from pictograms (objects) to ideograms (ideas) to phonograms (sounds).

What writing supports were used in Mesopotamia?

Clay tablets were used as durable writing supports inscribed with styluses.

What is the origin of the Greek alphabet?

Adapted from the Phoenician script around the 8th century BCE, introducing vowels.

What new features did the Latin alphabet incorporate?

Standardized letterforms, stroke width variations, and adaptability to various languages.

What is cuneiform writing?

A writing system from Mesopotamia using wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets, evolving from pictograms.

What supports were used for writing in Mesopotamia?

Clay tablets, which were durable and preserved texts for millennia.

What is Kana, Kanji, and Romaji?

Kana refers to Japanese syllabaries, Kanji to Chinese characters in Japanese, and Romaji to Romanized Japanese.

What are Bestiaries?

Medieval books with illustrated animal descriptions, both real and mythical, often conveying moral themes.

What is the difference between ideogram, pictogram, and phonogram?

Pictograms represent objects, ideograms represent ideas, phonograms represent sounds.

What is the origin of the alphabet?

Originated from the Proto-Sinaitic script around 1800 BCE, evolving through various systems.

How is papyrus made?

Made by layering strips of papyrus plant stalks, pressing them, and drying them.

Where and when was paper invented?

Invented in China in 105 CE by Cai Lun using plant fibers.

What are the Psalters?

Illustrated manuscripts containing the Book of Psalms, serving as devotional tools.