Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A concise history of graphic design with an astute selection of contemporary work that makes great use of past inspiration.

Reinterpreting the past--the greatest form of creative flattery--never goes out of fashion. In the midst of today's technologically-driven design, there has been a return to the comfort of familiar imagery and typography, particularly from the twentieth century.

Drawing on classic examples from the history of graphic design, New Retro shows how the past can be updated to the needs of today. This solidly researched and presented work is aimed at students, for whom much of the book's content will be entirely new, and at design professionals, who are always looking for inspiration from the past.

New Retro features a portfolio of the best international designs produced in recent years, presented by application: editorial, packaging, identity, promotional, and type design. It also includes an historical survey of graphic design, with timelines of key figures and pieces.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Dermody and Breathnach, both designers and teachers of design, have created a book that approaches design history from the perspective of how the past informs the present. The introduction, a somewhat academic essay setting forth the premise of the book, offers rather obvious comments on design theory and history. Following that is a time line as conceptual framework for design history with examples of representative work from various periods and some modern designs influenced by them. Presenting a rich, profusely illustrated portfolio grouped logically into editorial, packaging, identity, and typographical and promotional design, the well-chosen examples are accompanied by short explanatory texts often incorporating the comments of the designers themselves. Verdict A fine portfolio section redeems an uninspired opening essay and a somewhat confusing time line. Students of design will be interested in the book, although the past/present theme doesn't always follow through.-Mark Woodhouse. Elmira Coll. Lib., NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

This is a much-needed book. For 25 years, graphic design has been characterized by constant mining of visual motifs from the past. Dermody (Dublin Institute of Technology) and Breathnach (independent scholar) present an amply illustrated account of the movements in the early period of graphic design that serve as lodes for the mining operations of the 21st century. One wishes the account of the earlier movements had been given more space and more illustrations, but this book does mention all the most important figures. While readers await a more critical account--from a semiotic or a cultural studies perspective, for example--this work, which covers the period from 1850 to the present, meets its objective: the portfolio of current works in the second half of the book clearly shows the influence of the works in the historical section. To handle this huge subject in any kind of representative fashion, this one-volume study really should be a series of six to eight volumes. One cannot fault the publisher and authors, however, for beginning with an "abridged" edition. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels. S. Skaggs University of Louisville

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Teresa Breathnach has taught the history of design at the Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dun Laoghaire; Ireland's National College of Art and Design; and the Dublin Institute of Technology.

Brenda Dermody is a practicing designer and a lecturer at the Dublin Institute of Technology.