2.06. Weiterentwicklung “Graphic Design History Database (GERD) Update” 2024
The update and further development of the Graphic Design History Database (GERD) was thanks to the NFDI4C grant support of the project more successful than I imagined. Although I had already employed the assistance of single bright students in updating the database in the past, the funding enabled me to hire four students in 2024 to work on updating the database. The briefing that the students received was to look for areas or time periods that were of personal interest to them, or to find persons who were not in the classic graphic design history canon, with a special focus on women designers who have often been overlooked by the history books. Additionally, the student assistants were to critique the site itself both in terms of front end functionality, and in terms of how the database entries were made. The discoveries and suggestions were then passed on to the alumnus programmer who built the site in the first place. Furthermore, the project sparked the interest of an employee of the university’s Open Teaching Lab (OTL) who secured permission to support the project.
The fortunate development of the project serves as an example of positive social dynamics. From a single (isolated) student assistant to a small group (which spontaneously held its own meetings and exchanges) encouraged all involved to work harder and made the entire process feel less like work and more like a fun group project.
The results of the project are both quantitative and qualitative in nature. The GERD database grew significantly in 2024 from 75 entries covering designers to 128 entries; the (graphic) object entries grew from 200 to 346, and many of these encompass multiple objects in one entry. Even categories such as methods, countries and movements grew as well (although at a much slower pace). The OTL employee also added a few entries, and working in close consultation with the author, created a document for the student assistants called “How to GERD”. This user guide and the bi-weekly meetings were used to trouble-shoot the data entry process and create a road map of the best data entry process. All entries were left in draft mode and were proofread and corrected by Prof. Switzer before being made public. The internet site itself was completely updated and bugs fixed (problems with loading, problems with various entry fields, to name two of several) and new functionalities installed (entry search functions, tag suggestions from existing tags, and tag search again to name a few) and notes for future reference (a network diagram of designers organized by time and/or influence, and larger images on the timeline). The qualitative side of the project became visible in the dynamic between the student assistants (who helped each other at each meeting with strategies and suggestions) and in the jovial atmosphere of what could have been perceived as dull data-entry work. In fact at the beginning of 2025 one of the students wrote me an email not only suggesting a final feedback meeting, but the desire for the project to continue in some fashion. Additionally, students who normally focus on the visual side of design were shown the significance of working in the liberal arts area of design history, and may spark their interest in an academic career.
The author and all involved expressed a strong interest in continuing this project, and finding funding to connect the GERD database with other universities and database repositories.
We would be grateful for any and all suggestions in this regard.
Brian Switzer