Anita Kern

Born in Vienna in 1964. Mag. art., Dr. phil., graphic designer and cultural studies scholar. Studied graphic design under Kurt Schwarz and Tino Erben and advertising under Walter Lürzer. Pursued doctoral studies in cultural and intellectual history under Manfred Wagner, all at the University of Angewandte Arts Vienna. Has been working as a freelance graphic designer since 1994. Author of, among other works, the cultural studies monograph “Austrian Graphic Design in the 20th Century” (2008), “Graphic Design from Viennese Modernism to the Present: From Kolo Moser to Stefan Sagmeister” (2009), and “Icons and Flash-in-the-Pans: Arthur Zelger and Graphic Design in Tyrol” (2014). Active in research and teaching at universities and for institutions, currently at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and Danube University Krems. Writes and speaks on the history of (graphic) design, designs books, and curates exhibitions.

The course “History and Theory of Graphic Design” examines the aesthetic phenomena in 20th-century graphic design against the backdrop of history and the history of design. In doing so, the social foundations of the major design movements and their interconnections become apparent—the dictum “Design is a worldview” is validated. A profound understanding of our roots enables our continued development as designers.