For the 22nd issue of Graphisme en France, the Centre National des Arts Plastiques (CNAP) is taking stock of research into graphic design and typography. The centre is giving various professors, lecturers and researchers in the field of graphic design the opportunity to present and explain the past and present position of graphic design research.

What is the aim of this graphic design magazine?

With the publication of this new edition, the CNAP wishes to inform expert and amateur graphic designers about current research in the field of graphic design, typography and visual identity more generally. It gives 6 researchers, historians, teachers and authors the opportunity to present their research and work on graphic design and its development over the years. Direct access, open to a wide audience, since the magazine can be accessed free of charge via the Internet. A magazine of almost 200 pages highlighted by Alice Jauneau and David Vallance, two typographers. They chose Walther for the layout. A new typeface developed by Sarah Kremer.

Speakers specialising in visual identity

The 6 contributors to this magazine are obviously specialists in the field of visual identity and graphic design research. Each contributor presents his or her own opinion and work in order to bring a plural dimension to this document.

  • Éloïse Pérez, graphic designer and typographer, takes stock of graphic design research in France. She discusses a number of books on graphic design research, as well as the various researchers and their work in the field of graphic design and typography.
  • Alice Twemlaw, author, lecturer and teacher, begins by defining the word ‘research’ and the various definitions that can be given to it. She then explains the nature of research in graphic design.
  • Catherine Guiral, graphic designer and design researcher, draws on the work of graphic designer Pierre Faucheux to explain her research into graphic design and typography.
  • Annick Lantenois and Gilles Rouffineau, teachers of the ‘graphic design’ option at the École supérieure d’art et design de Grenoble-Valence, present and explain the nature of the research they conduct at their institution.
  • Sébastien Morlighem, typography researcher and historian, presents his research into typography.
  • Catherine de Smet, lecturer and doctor in the history of typography, explains her research into the Grapus collective. She will use various images from the collective to illustrate her research.

A magazine rich in illustrations

This issue of Graphisme en France features a wealth of illustrations taken from advertisements, political tracts, manuscripts and other visual identities, highlighting the graphic and typographic dimensions of the documents. Each of the illustrations in the magazine has a caption to help readers identify the author and source. The captions also give details of the design, typeface and shorthand of each image. These captions clearly demonstrate the communicative power of advertising posters. They show the importance of typography and graphic design in creating a visual identity for a brand, a sign, a group, a film, a political party, etc.

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