Graphic Design between Creativity and Science

The world of graphic design, its cages and grids, the themes of creativity and science, accompanied by more than 2,000 images and projects by the author. Michele Spera, a recognised master of graphic design, reveals the secrets and codes of one of today’s leading professions. With a preface by Domenico De Masi.

Michele Spera studied architecture in Rome with Del Debbio, Perugini and Fasolo. In 1962 he began working with the Italian Republican Party, when Ugo La Malfa asked him to invent an image for this emerging political party and infuse political communication with new meaning. In parallel, he designed for the world of industry creating images for a range of important clients: RAI, Innocenti, Maserati, Treccani, L’Espresso, Unioncamere, Confindustria, Telecom, S3 Studium, etc. He is the author of numerous books, including L’immagine del verde, with an essay by Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti, Artivisive 1984; Una politica, un’immagine, with an essay by Giulio Carlo Argan, Edizioni La Ragione, 1987; 194 storie di un segno, with an essay by Domenico De Masi, Edizioni Socrates 1996; La progettazione grafica tra creatività e scienza, with an essay by Tonino Paris, Gangemi Editore 2001; La vita è segno, with an essay by Cesare de Seta, Electa Napoli 2004; Abecedario del grafico, with an essay by Tonino Paris, Gangemi Editore, 2005; L’immagine del Partito Repubblicano, with an essay by Francesco Nucara, Gangemi Editore, 2008; I luoghi del perduto, with an essay by Alessandro Cecchi Paone, Edizioni Cisl Fnp, 2012; Emigranti di poppa, emigranti di prua, with an essay by Domenico De Masi, Gangemi Editore, 2016. He taught Graphic Design as part of the Graduate Course in Visual Communication in Rome (1969/72), at the ISIA in Urbino (1976/78), the Region of Basilicata/EC (1996/97), the Centrostudi comunicazione Enrico Cogno & associati (1996/97). From 1997 he was professor of Industrial Design for Visual Communications at the First Faculty of Architecture, “La Sapienza” University of Rome.