The Digital Era

The digital style began in the USA and was fast to spread around the world due to the use of the Internet. This style is still happening now and will possibly be renamed by historians after the movement ends.
Digital artists in the modern day are very good with computers and therefore are successful at creating pieces that can look messy, chaotic, extreme and expressive.
During the digital era computer programs such as Photoshop became more accessible and therefore designers found it easier to create layered designs. Pieces from this era often use abstract shapes to make up backgrounds and overall can usually play on the mind, encouraging the audience to look deeper to find meaning. Designers in this age push the boundaries to portray their ideas and see just how far they can take their pieces.

Below is a list of common elements found within pieces from the digital era:
- Abstraction
- ‘Messy’ decoration (things placed randomly throughout backgrounds or designs)
- Disjointed pieces
- Personal expression and experimentation
- ‘Deconstructed typography’ (extremely morphed text)
- Random layouts challenging past eras
- Layered textures
- Illusions of depth
- Illustrative
- Curvilinear shapes This is a magazine cover designed by David Carson in 1982. Here we can see that he is really pushing the boundaries of typography and has created a collaged look by layering different aspects. The Digital era is appealing to me because I like abstracted designs and admire people that test the boundaries.

The left hand side of this image is a design by Katharine McCoy produced in 1989. She was the director of Cranbrook Academy of Arts and encouraged experimentation and personal expression. Digital elements include abstract shapes, typography that is layered and looks somewhat like a typewriter. I like this piece because it is interesting and the colours work well together. It is an effective design as it promotes individual style.
Reference: Tafe lecture video - Digital