Visual communication in its broadest definition has a long and varied history. During the development of the profession, many changes have taken place; whether it be the actual role of the designer or the actual nomenclature used within the industry itself. Two of the key terms that have been applied to certain mediums of visual communication are "commercial art" and "graphic design". Commercial art was widely considered graphic art created specifically for commercial use, by an individual, while graphic design is now a recognized profession of visual communication that combines images, words and ideas to convey information to a public, for a specific effect. For many, commercial art may now be considered an obsolete term due to the fact that although commercial artists were selected because of their mastery of their chosen craft, they used little personal independence coupled with a questionable lack of symbolism, presenting their work as merely superficial. depictions created solely with “commercial” rather than “art” in mind. The term has now given way to the concept of "graphic design", a change which was arguably necessary and which represents a far more relevant and even respectful term when applied to modern industry; encompassing a singularly autonomous design process that employs traditional skills with a more thematic approach alongside new technologies so that an artist can consciously and deliberately apply their own ideas and knowledge to appeal to an ever-changing cultural landscape, such as this essay will discuss it in detail. the term graphic design itself did not exist as a profession before the mid-20th century, nor, arguably, did the need to employ ...... from middle of paper ...... riginality and autonomy, but that was not the case. This is not yet possible or celebrated within the industry. Most famous for coining the term in 1922 was WA Dwiggins. This was coined in reference to his own work, which encompassed book design, lettering, typography and calligraphy. The first use of the term "graphic designer" dates back to a short article in the 1922 edition of the Boston Globe written by WA Dwiggns. , who used this new currency to distinguish himself from other practitioners of graphic arts, printing, advertising and typography. The invention of this term marks a turning point in the annals of visual communication because, unbeknownst to Dwiggins at the time, the term "graphic designer" marked a shift from specialist to generalist under an inclusive rubric. More importantly, it suggests a higher calling than the now outmoded term commercial artist..