ABSTRACT
Graphic Design is all around us; it is an inherent part of the contemporary visual landscape. We are constantly bombarded with information that demands our attention as we walk down the street encountering billboards, posters and timetables at bus shelters. Both men and women who work in the field of graphic design have played an important role in defining this visual culture, yet throughout the history of graphic design, the contributions made by women have remained essentially invisible. This chapter focuses on particular problems of writing the history of graphic design. It presents a case study of the Women's Design Research Unit (WD+RU). The chapter argues that graphic design has the greatest potential to effect change. It talks about Linda Nochlins whose influences are an evident in design history, most notably in the work of Cheryl Buckley and Judy Attfield. While Attfield proposes that feminism is a political position which seeks changes in the interest of women.
