Back to the Beginning
As we continue our journey Off the Grid in 2026, I want to share a bit about the history of Graphic Design. Have you ever thought about it? Have you ever wondered where it came from or how it all started? It's ok. I didn't either until the Summer of 2009 when I took Graphic Design History with Mrs. C at Jacksonville State University.
Graphic Design is a profession that is ever evolving. As communication evolves, so does Graphic Design. As we've discussed before, Graphic Design is the art of visual communication - using elements of typography, imagery, color, and layout to communicate ideas, messages, or feelings, bridging creativity with strategy for both print and digital media.
To learn the origins of Graphic Design we have to go back to the invention of writing and prehistoric visual communication from 15,000 - 10,000 BCE. Bet you didn't see that coming.
From there, we go to the establishment of alphabets from the Greeks, Arameans, and Romans from 2000 BCE - 1500 CE.
And before you know it, the Chinese have invented paper (105 CE), Chinese calligraphy (250 BCE), and the first form of printing - relief printing (1000 CE).
If you are ever up for some "light reading" Meggs' History of Graphic Design by Philip B. Meggs is the go-to resource for all things history of Graphic Design.
So what does all of this have to do with the practice of Graphic Design that we know today? Well, without the creation of alphabets and pictograms Graphic Design wouldn't exist. In fact, a lot of things wouldn't exist! And taking it a step further, I would like to make the case that without the invention of the printing press and the Protestant Reformation, Graphic Design, and what it is today, wouldn't exist.
What was the Protestant Reformation?
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th century religious movement that took place in Wittenberg, Germany. The Reformation was led by a German monk named Martin Luther. During this time in history, the Roman Catholic Church was the dominant religious and political superpower in the western world, becoming more concerned with religious tradition and clergy authority, rather than teaching the actual word of God to the people.
You see, during this time the common man didn’t have access to the Bible or any other written word, like we do today. Copies of the Bible were only available to members of the clergy or the uber wealthy. Many people didn’t know how to read or write, so the people had to take the Priest at his word for spiritual instruction.
As Luther studied scripture on his own, specifically the Psalms, Paul’s letter to the Romans, and Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia (the book of Galatians), Luther began to develop a new understanding of salvation, more specifically how a sinner is forgiven and accepted by God. Today, we might say, “The Lord lifted the veil from his eyes,” referring to 2 Corinthians 3:16. Other scholars also describe this as Luther’s “evangelical awakening.”
While Luther was on this spiritual journey, he wrote about two key doctrinal statements that became the foundation of the Reformation, Sola Fide and Sola Scriptura, two of five doctrinal statements known as “The Five Solas.” Sola Fide is Latin for “faith alone,” meaning one can only be justified to Christ by faith alone, not through good works or obeying religious law. Sola Scriptura is Latin for “scripture alone,” meaning that the Bible is the inherent, infallible word of God and it is indeed the final authority. Luther continued studying God’s word and writing down his revelations.
On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed a document to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany - his Ninety-Five Theses. The document challenged the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and their teachings about salvation. The event is often described as the “hammer heard ‘round the world.” The movement quickly spread throughout 16th century Europe, leading to reform in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and England. October 31 is now known among Protestants as Reformation Day.
The Protestant Reformation not only changed how the people thought about the word of God, but it changed how the word of God was communicated, insisting that the word of God be translated into the common language of the people, altering the landscape of sharing the gospel forever!
Luther’s collective German writings are over one hundred volumes. His English writings are fifty-six volumes (abridged). Luther wrote all of this with quill, ink, and movable type that took hours to arrange.
Join me next month, as we rewind 70+ years and travel 300 miles South of Wittenberg to Mainz, Germany, where Johannes Gutenberg was busy inventing the world's first printing press. We will learn more about moveable type and how Gutenberg's invention assisted Luther in sharing the gospel with the common man.
Meggs, Philip B. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. 6th ed., Wiley, 2016.
Nichols, Stephen J. The Reformation : How a Monk and Mallet Changed the World. Crossway Books, 2009, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspxdirect=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&authtype=shib&custid=liberty&AN=1140767.
The ESV Bible. Crossway, 2001.
Wedgeworth, Steven. "What Is the Protestant Reformation? Everything You Need to Know." Logos.Com, 27 Oct. 2025, www.logos.com/grow/protestant-reformation/? utm_auth_action=signin. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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