National Features In Graphic Design: A Comparative Analysis Of Calligraphy Of China And Japan

The rapid development of graphic design is consistent with the fast changing of modernsocieties. As a great nation, China’s graphic design should not just learning or mocking Westernstyles, but more importantly, we should focus more on our traditional culture. Chinesecalligraphy, one of the most representative elements of Chinese traditional culture, is not only aplatform of Chinese characteristics but also a source of modern graphic design. Moreover, thefuture development of Chinese graphic design lies in designers’ capabilities to present Chinesetraditional culture. This thesis adopts a comparative method to trace a nation’s ancientcalligraphy legacy on its current graphic design. Specifically, this thesis studies Chinesecalligraphy in the Tang Dynasty and compares it with the Japanese calligraphy in the Edo period.Moreover, the study also compares different legacies of calligraphy on several differentprocesses of graphic design, such as product design and package design. This thesis finds thatmodern Japanese graphic design is more influenced by its traditional culture than modernChinese graphic design does. This paper argues that the discontinuity of Chinese traditionalculture is the main reason for the difference. To conclude, this study suggests that we shouldlearn more about Chinese traditional culture and apply traditional elements like calligraphy inour graphic design, which would make Chinese graphic design stand out from others.