1960s Movement

There were quite a few movements that occurred that pushed for a reform in traditional values, beliefs and attitudes during the 1960s. This was a period where there was a call and need for a new identity, a new social order. This era rejected the values that their parents held onto and created a counter culture that in which led to experimentation and rebellion. This new culture allowed for new mediums for expressions to be created and in turn impacted graphic design and reinvented visual communication.

The counterculture that developed in the United States during the 60s, was a movement in which the attitudes and ideals shifted from the social norm of accepted traditional lifestyles and beliefs. The youths of this period rejected the cultural

The experimentation of drugs formed a new popular culture. There was an over use of drugs such as LSD and marijuana in an attempt to alter their minds and reorder consciousness. This experimentation changed the look of music, advertising, and graphic design. Rock music and musicians lyrics and sounds became more “psychedelic” in which their albulm covers, lightshows, and posters for concerts reflected these psychedelic states of consciousness.. Psycedellic esthetic inspired graphics that were bold, vibrant, loud, and changed the look and feel of poster design. Graphic designers such as Wes Wilson and Victor Moscoso used bright colors to create vibrating images and typography that transformed into shapes to create a “psyche” feeling. As people experimented with drugs, it lead to exploration and experimentation of various perceptual effects. Wilsons work from this experimentation phase led him to change typography when he invented a “psychedelic” font which made the letters look like an illusion or as if they were moving. This broke the traditional form of graphic

The computer art allowed for the freedom of image manipulation and new expression of psychedelic vision. Advertisers and designers for Global leaders such as coca cola opted the style and created advertisings with the hippy look to display visually the feeling of peace, love and happiness. The 1960s saw the advent of color television, which introduced a new visual language of color (Antonio). Stage design for TV shows and commercials produced images of psychedelia. New Advertising agencies strategies emerged such, as the well know Volkswagen, “Think Small”. Media began trying to connect with the youth market and focused on the styles of the countercultural