From Local Noticeboards to a Universal Interface. The Scientification of the Visual Agitation in the Communist Czechoslovakia
Abstract
Noticeboards were an important part of the visual agitation in the communist Czechoslovakia. They were present in offices, schools or train stations and were a focus of a great attention of both government and individuals.
The function of the "nástěnkář" - the wo/man responsible for the noticeboard - was important, since the content and the look of noticeboards were judged by committees. These noticeboards reflected both communist anniversaries and updates on the local five-year plan.
The government was providing guidelines in the form of official slogans and manuals aimed to help with the design of noticeboards. The paper focuses on the manuals authored by architect Josef Dvorský in the late 1970s and 1980s which represent an effort in the scientification of the visual agitation.
Drawing on principles from visual arts and architecture and on findings about human perception, Dvorský tried to create a scientific approach that would enable the local agitators to maximize the informativeness and the visual appeal of their noticeboards. The paper will analyse and assess Dvorský's theory of visual agitation and his effort to transform noticeboards into a universally functional interface that would inform and influence.