[4] Chapters are arranged in chronological order, and are illustrated by visual timelines which provide cultural and historical context for seminal graphic designs.

[6] It covers historically significant design styles like Futurism and the New Typography, and includes biographies of designers such as Henry van de Velde, Karel Teige, and James Pryde and William Nicholson.

[8] The book was mostly well received by critics, and is considered an essential reading on the history of graphic design.

Katy Cowan of Creative Boom described the book as "the most comprehensive exploration of graphic design to date", praising its handling of chronology and visual layout.

[9] Megan N. Liberty of Hyperallergic praised the book for its scope, visual design, and broad historical overview.