Wellington Design Meetup and Design Assembly present Briar Levit's 'Graphic Means':

Up until just over 30 years ago, when the desktop computer debuted, the whole design production process would have been done primarily by hand, and with the aide of analog machines. The design and print industries used a variety of ways to get type and image onto film, plates, and finally to the printed page. Graphic Means is a journey through this transformative Mad Men-era of pre-digital design production to the advent of the desktop computer. It explores the methods, tools, and evolving social roles that gave rise to the graphic design industry as we know it today.

"I have amassed a vast collection of design production manuals (1960s, 70s, and 80s) from thrift shops over the years. As the stack grew, it became clear I was naturally drawn to this period of design, and the skills and processes that went along with it. This is perhaps, because I missed these production methods by about 12 years, and worked almost exclusively with a computer during my education and after. I had some vague knowledge about production before the Mac, but it was only based on brief references my teachers made, or the little-used-tools that remained in various studios I worked in. It occurred to me that if I knew so little, younger graphic designers know even less! So with this, I set out to document the tools, processes, and people, of this brief but critical and fascinating moment in the history of graphic design."
Briar Levit, Director/Producer