'Do You Design or Do You Work? New Visual Communication. 1980-2003' Exhibition

This event has already taken place.

9 June 2018 · 10:00

Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, el Parc i la Llacuna del Poblenou, Sant Martí

The 1980s and 1990s were a golden period for graphic design. After Franco's death, with full integration into Europe and the establishment of democracy, designers had the opportunity to take part in creating and transforming the image of public institutions, private organisations and companies. It was a period of extraordinary vitality, euphoria and celebration, described as “the design boom”. Fuelled largely by institutional support and the media, this boom gave us a phrase that became famous and reflected its popularity: “Do you design or do you work?”. Yet graphic designers, far from indulging in frivolity, were designing and working intensely, as can be seen when analysing the period, when design began to gain greater social presence. With the arrival of the Macintosh computer and the new millennium, new perspectives and specialisms emerged. Our graphic designers consolidated their position and gained international recognition while beginning to face new challenges such as sustainability, information overload and the growing multiculturalism of our societies.

Source: Ajuntament de Barcelona · checked on 8 September 2026

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