REWRITING THE CANON: A LITERATURE REVIEW OF GRAPHIC DESIGN HISTORY BOOKS TO PROMOTE A GENDER-BALANCED EDUCATION

Teaching the history of a discipline is a way of gradually introducing students to a phylogenetic path that presents its foundations, relationships and implications from its origins to the present day. In the context of the history of more practice-oriented disciplines and design in particular, editorial production is scarce. Considering the sub-sectors of graphic design and digital communication, they represent a niche compared to publications in the field. However, they serve as a critical observation tool for identifying specific patterns, such as the lack of gender balance and inclusion in the educational environment. History provides insight into the evolution of a knowledge field, showcasing its milestones, paradigm shifts, new ideas, discoveries, and perspectives. Additionally, it shows the contributions of prominent figures, often portrayed as heroes and stars, i.e. the canon. However, this individualistic narrative can overshadow or erase the nuances of pioneering minority phenomena and antecedents, limiting historical understanding. In particular, there is an evident imbalance between the presence of female students (over 60% of the entire student population) who enrol, graduate, and then work in the field of design disciplines and the female personalities mentioned in books and manuals. Furthermore, there is a notable discrepancy in the gender gap of professors across different generations, which in turn influences the culture and context of teaching. The research here presented and discussed forms part of a broader investigation into the historicisation of graphic and digital design in the Italian scenario, with particular reference to historical and professional developments. The research maps the design history textbooks, focusing on the field of graphic design and visual communication, adopted in the history classes of the Bachelor and Master degree courses in Design. It analyses them according to two main parameters: the presence of female protagonists to assess the frequency (1) and the number of times the same woman is mentioned in several books (2), namely the recurrence. The results are discussed in order to highlight the limitations and contradictions of an educational system that, on the one hand, remains profoundly exclusionary. On the other hand, it draws attention to critical aspects of historiographic construction and the traditional canon.