The article discusses the historical impact of technological disruption in graphic design, highlighting the 1984 Macintosh ad as a pivotal moment. Today, designers confront similar challenges due to AI advancements and template designs that threaten both the production and aesthetic aspects of their work. The piece emphasizes the importance of adaptation and illustrates how historical patterns can inform current circumstances within the design industry. Additionally, it touches on the hierarchy of career needs for designers, including compensation, edification, and recognition, and how misunderstandings can lead to setbacks.
In 1984, Apple Computer introduced the Macintosh with a Super Bowl commercial that changed the world for graphic designers. The ad begins with a Big Brother totalitarian speaker from George Orwell's 1984 barking commands to a subservient audience. He is interrupted by a woman swinging a mallet, smashing the image of the authoritarian speaker while the narrator promises: 1984 will not be like 1984.
First, we automate the hands. Then we automate the head. With each technological wave, what was once skilled human labor becomes infrastructure. But the more we automate, the more we notice what's missing.
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