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By Silvio Lorusso -
July 7th,2017 published on Medium

What Design Can’t Do


Graphic Design between Automation, Relativism, Élite and Cognitariats

Chapter 7: Shifting Tides in Graphic Design

The realm of graphic design is undergoing a seismic transformation, characterized by the ascendance of the gig economy and the growing influence of online platforms such as Fiverr and TaskRabbit. This chapter embarks on a journey to unravel the profound challenges and transformations that are reshaping the traditional landscape of graphic design, prompting a reassessment of the roles and expectations placed upon graphic designers in the contemporary creative industries.

Automation and Template Culture

The advent of automation, coupled with the prevalence of template culture, has introduced a paradigm shift in graphic design. The digital realm is now teeming with generators employing neural networks capable of producing a myriad of logos, questioning the very core of the creative process. This section delves into the implications of automation, pondering whether the proliferation of predefined choices and templates undermines the intrinsic creativity that graphic design once championed.

Appropriation, Vernacular, and Visual Relativism

Traversing the historical trajectory of graphic design reveals a distinct trend marked by the embrace of appropriation and a profound fascination with