Graphesis

The pages of Graphesis teem with color reproductions of 5,000 years’ worth of various modes of visually rendered knowledge—showing how they have emerged and developed over time, growing familiar but also defining or reinforcing ways to apprehend information… I suspect Graphesis may prove to be an important book. – Scott McLemee * Inside Higher Ed *Graphesis is a significant contribution to the field, every bit as important as Drucker’s The Visible Word. Indeed, the world has changed, and information design has shifted significantly with it. In this text, Drucker should be applauded for taking a broad view of her subject, tackling little-studied imagery as well as visual systems of thinking. – Elizabeth Guffey, Professor of Art and Design History, Purchase College, State University of New YorkGraphesis is a sophisticated critique of some of the foundational assumptions of HCI (human–computer interaction), interaction design, and information visualization. Drucker makes a compelling case for the value of humanistic inquiry into subjects that have traditionally belonged solely to computer experts and social scientists. – Maria Engberg, Assistant Professor of Media Technology, Malmö University, and Jay David Bolter, Professor of Digital Media, Georgia Institute of Technology

Johanna Drucker is Breslauer Professor of Bibliographical Studies at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.