Graphic Design's Future

I don't know if anyone can predict where graphic design is headed. The graphic design field is ever changing, and that is why it's such an adventure being a part of it. Since I began NWACC 2 years ago, all of the adobe products were so much different than they are today. In two years, CS3 came out and many things were added making the programs so much easier to use. If that much can change in two years, I can't fathom what computers and their design programs will be like in ten. Many of the trends today are like these images... 

Although many people would call these designs "trendy" and what's "current" if you look closely you can see elements of all the different art movements that we have studied over the course of the semester. Especially the circle one, it reminds me very much of the Push Pin Bob Dylan design. I think at this point, we look for inspiration from the past and even though the design is new, it reminds of us the past because that's where the inspiration came from. I don't think this is a bad thing necessarily. I would love to see a new art movement during my time but I really don't think that's going to happen. I think the future of graphic design will look to the past for design, but the technology will shock us all. I think the computer programs will keep advancing as well as the computers we use. Years ago, a wacom tablet would've blown people's minds but today it's a great tool for graphic designers to use. I am excited to see all the new tools that are developed for designers to use. I just hope that I'm still around to use them! 

I think the events that will occur in the next year will also shape the direction of graphic design. After 911, design incorporated symbols and patriotic colors. The war itself hasn't affected graphic design that greatly (in my opinion) but the war is not over. I think the events in the new few years will have a profound effect on the direction of graphic design.. hopefully a positive effect. I think it's an exciting time to be a designer, and I look forward to seeing how the graphic design field grows and changes during my lifetime.