In 1963, the first exhibition of graphic design took place at the Royal College of Art featuring the work of current and former students. ‘GraphicsRCA: Fifteen Year’s Work of the School of Graphic Design’ looked back to the founding of the School in 1948, and at the same time, attempted to capture the new direction of the profession as it had emerged post-war. ‘GraphicsRCA: Fifty Years Beyond’ tells the story from the point where the 1963 exhibition left off by tracing the history of the impact students and tutors at the RCA have had on design and the visual landscape internationally (up to 2014). Co-curated and with original research undertaken by Teal Triggs, Adrian Shaughnessy, Jeff Willis and Richard Doust, the exhibition drew from the RCA’s extensive historical collection of student and staff work (e.g. books, films, posters, graphic ephemera). The exhibition featured over 90 works as well as a commissioned live ‘digital archive’ projection (Kyuha Shim, RCA PhD candidate); film and television moving image work; and, a complete register of names and dates students were enrolled and staff taught, in the programme’s fifty year history. The exhibition was divided into themes including: letterpress, College and external clients, RCA Film Society posters, and included a timeline which contextualized the College's significant position in the history of British graphic design.

The exhibition opened at the RCA, London (5 November-22 December 201) before travelling to Brasilia, Brazil (4-27 September 2015) where it opened at the Museu Nacional da Republica, Brasilia, with sponsorship from the British Embassy, Brasilia. The exhibition was accompanied by a book edited by Teal Triggs, Adrian Shaughnessy and Anna Gerber. 'Design Observer'(USA) collaborated with Shaughnessy and Triggs to publish a week-long curated series of work related to the exhibition. The co-curators also programmed a series of lectures, workshops and panel discussions in London and Brazil with RCA alumni and staff; this provided further insights into the impact on the profession of graphic design internationally.