Always curious about how color reflects culture, Pantone’s Color of the Year 2025 is PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, which offers plenty to unpack. A rich, earthy brown, it’s positioned as a color that balances sophistication and comfort. But does it capture the mood of the moment?

This year, much of the design world has been focused on themes of sustainability, simplicity, and connection. Mocha Mousse seeks to tap into those ideas, evoking warmth and stability. It’s a grounded shade that nods to nature and the pleasures of everyday life—a safe choice, perhaps, but also a versatile one.

Pantone’s reveal, featuring a light show on the London Eye, certainly adds some drama to the announcement. The collaborations, too, are impressive: Motorola’s vegan leather phones and Joybird’s plush fabrics demonstrate how Mocha Mousse can be used across industries. Other product collaborations include Pura’s smart fragrance diffuser with custom scents, Wix Studio’s web design assets, Libratone’s UP headphones, Spoonflower’s print-on-demand home décor, IPSY’s limited-edition beauty products, Society6’s artist-driven designs, Ultrafabrics’ premium interior textiles, and Post-it® Brand’s special collection celebrating expressive color.

Still, the color feels understated, even subdued, compared to the bold selections of previous years. Perhaps this choice reflects a response to the chaotic and unpredictable events of 2024, offering a sense of calm and grounding in a time of upheaval. “The everlasting search for harmony filters through into every aspect of our lives, including our relationships, the work we do, our social connections, and the natural environment that surrounds us,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of Pantone Color Institute. “Harmony brings feelings of contentment, inspiring a positive state of inner peace, calm, and balance as well as being tuned in with the world around us. Harmony embraces a culture of connection and unity as well as the synthesis of our mental, spiritual and physical well-being.”

…for Pantone Color of the Year 2025, we look to a color that reaches into our desire for comfort and wellness, and the indulgence of simple pleasures that we can gift and share with others.

Laurie Pressman, VP Pantone Color Institute

For designers, Mocha Mousse has potential. It’s a great neutral for grounding palettes, and its tactile qualities make it appealing in interior design and packaging. But it’s not the kind of shade that demands attention or inspires an immediate wow factor. Instead, it’s a quiet presence — more about being a harmonious complement than a leading show-stopper.

As we move into 2025, it will be interesting to see how this color plays out in real-world applications. Will it resonate with audiences craving simplicity and comfort, or will it fade into the background? Time will tell. For now, Mocha Mousse offers designers a tool for creating warmth and subtle elegance, even if it doesn’t quite steal the spotlight.

Imagery courtesy of The Pantone Color Institute.

The post Pantone 2025 Color of the Year is an Understated and Harmonious Hue appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

We’re at this great nexus of being able to return focus to the book as an object, as a form of expression, and figuring out ways to do that so that it’s relevant to a contemporary audience.

Arion Press has been manually printing books on centuries-old equipment in San Francisco for 50 years, yet they are currently embarking upon a new beginning. The last vertically integrated bookmaker in the country, Arion Press was established in 1974 and has most recently been housed in San Francisco’s Presidio neighborhood. They officially opened their new doors in the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture in October—after moving over 49 tons of antique equipment—and will soon be releasing their second title of the year, Fables of Aesop.

Arion Press is composed of a production team of six people, split between three departments: the foundry, the press room, and the book bindery. They also work with local bookbinder John Demerritt, and have an additional seven employees on the administrative side of things who spearhead development and programming. Arion Press’s lead printer and creative director, Blake Riley, was hired back in 2001 originally as one of the imprint’s first apprentices. I recently spoke with Riley on the occasion of all of this excitement, to learn more about the history of Arion Press, Fables of Aesop, and keeping the art of bookmaking alive.

(Lightly edited for clarity and length.)

Take me back to the origin of Arion Press. How did it all begin? 

We trace our lineage back in San Francisco to the late teens when Edwin and Robert Grabhorn came out from Indiana. Curiously, Edwin had been primarily a printer of music scores, which is a very niche, phenomenal process that has fallen entirely by the wayside at this point. They set up shop in San Francisco in the late teens and established the Grabhorn Press, which became one of the premier American fine press operations for decades, through the 60s. After Edwin passed away, the younger brother, Robert, ultimately went into partnership with Andrew Hoyem. When Robert died, Andrew founded Arion as an imprint in 1974, which is why we’re claiming this year as our 50th anniversary celebration. 

I know you started out at Arion Press as an apprentice. Can you tell me a bit more about the apprenticeship program? 

With maybe only one exception, everyone who works in production here has come up through this apprenticeship program. It’s ongoing and is considered a fundamental part of the activity that happens here. 

This is one of those professions or trades that is especially unique because it relies very heavily on this oral transmission of skills. There is a certain amount of book learning you can do around this; you can learn technique by reading repair manuals and that kind of thing. But to really have a sense for the sounds of the presses and to be able to see how hands work in relation to bring it all together, there’s no way to simulate that experience. So the apprenticeships became really instrumental in that.

By now, we’ve easily had over three dozen apprentices. Obviously, not all of them have stayed, some of them have gone on to work in other areas of the book arts or for other book arts organizations, or to teach, some of them have moved on altogether, but it actually has proven to be a very successful, robust lifeline for the press and for letterpress printing as a whole. 

I think a lot of other old trades and handcrafts are similar. I’m a sign painter, and I took a two-year sign painting course at LA Trade Tech College that’s not an apprenticeship per se, but it does replicate certain aspects of what an apprenticeship would offer. I learned from two sign painters who’ve been doing it for decades and who took the course themselves. The knowledge that they have is invaluable, and so much of it is just in their heads, so you really have to be in the room with them for two years in order to even scrape the surface of understanding sign painting.

A lot of it, too, is that the people who have that knowledge aren’t natural-born teachers, so there’s a lot that they don’t have words for. Or until a certain problem arises, it wouldn’t occur to them to explain the fix, or how you go about creating a fix for a problem that’s never arisen, that kind of thing. There’s a lot of that kind of knowledge that gets transferred by osmosis. 

What’s your favorite aspect of what you and your team do at Arion Press? 

Writ large, what’s most exciting about the work is that it’s such a dynamic moment to be involved with the book because it’s going through these radical changes. There’s this interesting division that’s occurred between knowledge and information. When people say, the web is going to be the death knell of the book! it’s really the opposite. What the web has done quite brilliantly is wrangle information and remove all of that encyclopedic burden from the book, which frees it up to do all of these other things. Meanwhile, the technologies for construction and manufacturing are changing so quickly that they are offering these wild new opportunities for ways in which books can actually physically be constructed. So we’re at this great nexus of being able to return focus to the book as an object, as a form of expression, and figuring out ways to do that so that it’s relevant to a contemporary audience.

What the web has done, quite brilliantly, is wrangle information and remove all of that encyclopedic burden from the book, which frees it up to do all of these other things.

Part of that is incorporating new technologies, and figuring out how the book can embrace those. That’s the most exciting thing for us: this project of invention and discovery. What that means in the day-to-day that is especially motivating is that it requires this incredible collaboration between all of the creative people who are involved in a project. That’s the artists within the publishing program, then working with the book binders and the guys in the foundry, and being able to coordinate everyone’s expertise to bring them into alignment with the concept for the project, and hopefully ending up with something that surprises everybody. It’s almost always the case that we never know where we’re going to end up, because the process is so organic.

I’m mesmerized by the ancient printing equipment and techniques you all have preserved and use to create your books. What’s it like working with such special and historic machinery day in and day out? 

A significant portion of the type collection here, which is the largest standing collection of metal type outside of the Smithsonian Institution, goes back to San Francisco printers at the end of the 19th century. Plus, ours is still employed; it’s still making books and printing words; it’s not just a research collection. The collection began to be compiled by the Grabhorns, who were great collectors. All of that adds up to what has been described as this irreplaceable cultural treasure designation that we were bestowed.

When working with the historic type collection, we may have a certain design in mind or a certain look for the typography, but when we go to the case it may turn out that we only have a partial alphabet of that particular typeface. So there are instances like that that arise daily where we have to pivot and devise a new solution based on all of the physical realities and constraints of working with 100-year-old equipment. That really leads to this ongoing, continuous conversation and evolution of every project where one thing leads to the next so that by the time we end up with the book finished and bound, it’s something that no one really could have anticipated. There’s a real excitement, joy, and delight associated with that. 

What’s it like keeping an old press and these antique technologies thriving within the context of San Francisco, a place dominated by big tech and digital innovation? 

The most facile metaphor for it is the interplay and relationship between radio and television, and the ways in which television actually ended up leading to the renaissance of radio that we’ve seen in the last couple of decades. We are by no means tech-averse. The monotype casters, for example, which were invented at the tail end of the Industrial Revolution in the 1890s, were the first word processors; they were cutting-edge technology for their day. So when the foundry was set up here in the Bay Area in 1915, it was cutting-edge technology. 

We are by no means tech-averse.

Originally, the monotypes were a two-part system where there was a paper tape that was punched on a hydraulic keyboard, and then that tape was fed onto the typecaster. But then the paper tape became complicated for various reasons, and about 15 years ago this beautiful digital interface was engineered that replaced that whole process. So now what we have is this 21st-century digital interface connected to the 19th-century caster that allows us to download a text from anything that’s in the public domain, format it, and convert it to be cast. It was this beautiful way, much like television and radio, that the new technology has moved in and helped buoy the old one. 

Another example that came up recently was when we worked on the Edgar Allen Poe collection. In the process of building that project, we stumbled upon this pile of bricks that had been rescued when NYU demolished Poe’s house in lower Manhattan. Unbeknownst to anyone, they moved in and raised the house, but it seems as if perhaps a mea culpa, they preserved the bricks. So all of a sudden we had these bricks, and there was this question of how we could incorporate them somehow into the book and enliven the experience that much more. What we ended up doing with them was working with a colleague of ours here in the Bay, John Sullivan, who had gotten into paper making and 3D printing. He created 3D molds into which we could grind the bricks down like a mortar and pestle and use the brick dust as a pigmentation in the pulp paper, and then we packed the molds. We ended up creating these three-dimensional cameos of Poe’s visage, and those were then embedded in the covers of the books. The paper-making is relatively ancient, but being able to create these cameos was made possible by technology only available within the last ten years. 

We’re really invested in that exploring, in breaking down the barrier between those two things and helping ensure that it’s a two-way communication from the digital to the analog, and from the analog back to the digital. They all happily coexist. 

Can you tell me more about Arion Press’s 50th anniversary celebration this year, and the Fables of Aesop collection you’re releasing as part of the milestone? 

We wanted to create something that would appropriately commemorate the press at this inflection point, while also accommodating the move. A year and a half ago, we didn’t exactly know what the move would entail other than it would happen within a six-month period and be completely disruptive and unpredictable. So we had to design a project that could somehow be modular and flexible enough to absorb this unexpected future. 

Those two things came together in Aesop. It seemed appropriate not only for its longstanding role in the history of printing— I came across one comment that said, second to the Bible, Aesop’s fables is the most printed work in the Western world. This makes a lot of sense because, for various historical and technical reasons, the fables lent themselves to the capacities and technologies of the day once moveable type was created. This is in part because of their brevity, but especially because of how visual they’ve always been. That allowed for this incredibly rich body of work to be created around them, and constantly reinvented. 

As I began to dive into the history of Aesop’s fables primarily at the Huntington Library, one thing that rose to the surface was how these morals that we’ve all grown up with and maybe have even been used to affect our behavior one way or another, have evolved over time. Once we got a bead on that, the project became very interesting because there was an opportunity to approach this in a way that’s relevant to the 21st century; what do these morals look like now? 

Also, because the morals are each self-contained in their way structurally, that allowed us the freedom that we needed to treat them individually. We could be printing each individual folio, which is how we will be presenting them, so that if production was interrupted, we could finish that one folio, pack it aside, move the operation, and pick up with the next folio. It also separated the binding from the printing. Typically when we finish the printing of a book, we have another three months of hand book-binding before the book can be released. But issuing it in a box as a collection of individual folios gave us the elbow room we needed. 

So we had this splashy box and these morals, and both of those things were the anchors for the project. That’s what led us to invite Kiki Smith as the primary visual artist to create a sculptural multiple to define the experience of the box, and to invite Daniel Handler (whom you might know as Lemony Snicket) to reinterpret the morals. We then began to invite other artists that we had worked with in the past to each choose one fable to interpret and create one print that we would print here in the shop by traditional letterpress relief printing techniques. We ended up with 15 artists with Kiki being the 16th, and 41 fables. 

The project allowed us to celebrate our community, it gave us a way to make a statement relevant to a contemporary audience, it gave us the flexibility to dance around the move, and it promised to be a lot of fun in the process.

Featured image above: Nick Bruno/Courtesy of Arion Press

The post Arion Press Keeps the Art of Bookmaking Alive While Looking to the Future appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“Many of us didn’t fully know what that impact and influence looked like back then, and how it still carries forward,” Sykes told me. “But as we turned more pages and did more research and had more pre-interviews with experts, with curators, with museum owners, with founders of different types of companies, and with artists themselves, we learned more and more and more.” 

It’s through this extensive research process that Sykes and her team honed in on the creation of a two-part zine series entitled, “Legacy: A Modern Renaissance,” designed to shed light on diverse communities through the lens of Black excellence and achievement. These stories highlight the ways that passing wealth to the next generation is fueling community while celebrating the innovative period of Black art, music, poetry, and literature that launched in Harlem, New York, in the 1920s and ’30s. In partnership with U.S. Bank, the campaign is the first of its kind for The New York Times, paying homage to the lasting impact of the Harlem Renaissance and its 100th anniversary through the power of print.

T Brand Studio has commissioned work from Black writers, storytellers, artists, and designers for the two 12-page zines, highlighting the immense contributions of Black creatives to the arts and wider society. The zines feature work from typographer Tré Seals, poet Mahogany L. Browne, cultural critic and writer Michaela Angela Davis, collage artist Magdaline Davis, and photographer Ivan McClellan. The first zine, “Legacy: The Wealth Issue,” was released as a printed insert in The New York Times Sunday issue on August 18, with the second zine, “Legacy: The Culture Issue” set to be distributed with the December 29 print issue. Both zines are now available to view digitally through an innovative online hub unveiled by T Brand Studio last week. The online hub continues the theme and tradition of accessibility that the zine form is already emblematic of. 

To highlight this thoughtful and poignant campaign and continue to honor the lasting legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, I spoke in-depth with Sykes about the Legacy project, from development to distribution. Our conversation is below, lightly edited for clarity and length.  

Let’s rewind to the genesis of “Legacy: A Modern Renaissance” zine series. How did the idea first develop?

This time a year ago, U.S. Bank, who’s our partner for this program, came to us and said, “Hey, can you create a coffee table book?” They understood that The New York Times would be doing an editorial alignment with the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance. We said, “We could, but as a custom content studio, our lane really evolves around creating storytelling opportunities.” That’s when we started talking about maybe not a coffee table book, but what could be more realistic is a series of zines.

We wanted to bring the story forward. What does this idea of a Modern Renaissance look like? That’s when we came up with a “Legacy Fulfilled.” We wanted to spark this idea of a national dialog to really show and demonstrate that the Harlem Renaissance was this cultural phenomenon that continues today.

This is a first-of-its-kind program for T Brand Studio and U.S. Bank, where every single contributor on our platform and on this content is Black.

What was your T Brand Studio team hoping to accomplish with this project? 

This is a first-of-its-kind program for T Brand Studio and U.S. Bank, where every single contributor on our platform and on this content is Black. We wanted to remove barriers for Black creatives by not only giving them a platform to share new and untold stories but also to say to us, “These are the stories that I want to tell.” It’s a really huge deal.

The series leverages the talents of Black award-winning writers, poets, journalists, photographers, illustrators, and even a typographer, to specifically do a few things: We wanted to build awareness around the impact and influence of the Harlem Renaissance and grant access and opportunity to a new generation of Black cultural thinkers, which we’re really doing in our culture zine. We also wanted to shine a light on Black affluence because that was a specific, targeted area that U.S. Bank wanted us to speak to, and show people that wealth shows up in a myriad of ways. People are building wealth differently today. It’s not just the financial wealth, but it’s also the intellectual capital, and the historical value that brings to bear when we’re talking about inheritance.

We wanted to ask, across poetry and music and art and fashion and culture, What does the Black diaspora look like today, and how is the impact continuing globally? That’s where the zines come into play. 

People are building wealth differently today. It’s not just the financial wealth, but it’s also the intellectual capital, and the historical value that brings to bear when we’re talking about inheritance. 

Why did you decide on the zine form for this project?

The reason we chose zines is that during the Harlem Renaissance, zines were really designed (around 1918 through the 30s) to allow people without a voice to express themselves, to really communicate with others in the community, and lean into their artistry at the same time in a way that they hadn’t been allowed to do. So we said let’s use this idea of the zines as information for what we do today. 

The zines pay homage to the powerful underground press that existed during the Renaissance that became known for delivering prolific poetry and prose, delivering local news, and giving people cultural information. We wanted to create today’s zines to run as an insert inside The New York Times. It runs in a Sunday newspaper for all of our 600,000 home delivery subscribers. Each zine specifically amplifies how the Harlem Renaissance continues to inspire some of our most powerful cultural moments in America. 

Also with these zines, so much of it has been about giving access to people, but it’s also giving space and making space for new voices, for poetry, for prose, for local news, for cultural information. They’re inspired by that tradition that gave birth to this idea of old voices and new voices. So that’s what these zines do; they not only give access and opportunity, but they give space to people whose voices hadn’t been heard and were traditionally not heard in a mainstream environment.

What are some of the stories told within the pages of these zines? 

One is about a Black family of ranchers, The Bradfords— a fourth-generation family of Black ranchers in Oklahoma. I got to go out there and see them, and talk about what it means to really grow the foundation from the roots. What does that mean for family? What does it mean for legacy? What does it mean for the future? In my mind, that was a really important story to tell, and I knew we could do it through Black farmers, who represent less than 1% of all farmers in America today. 

We also spoke with Julian James, who shared a story about inheritance and the idea that money can mean a myriad of things. He had a Movado watch that was passed down to him by his stepfather. He was a man who thought about not the clothes making the man, but the man making the clothes, and how important it was for you to carry yourself as you went out the door. So that was something that Julian took from him, and now he says that every time he wears this watch, he thinks of his stepfather and his legacy. 

We had Mahogany L. Brown, the current poet-in-residence for the Lincoln Center, write a custom poem for the wealth zine, and she said that everything about this project just felt like home to her. Her marching orders were simple: I said, “If Langston Hughes talked about this idea of a “dream deferred,” how do we bring it forward and speak to what a dream fulfilled looks like?” So she took us to Harlem. She took us to education. She took us to inheritance. She took us to all of the places and spaces that Black folks lived in during the Harlem Renaissance and said this is where and how we’re succeeding today. I thought it was a beautiful nod to the Harlem Renaissance, and it really hit on all of the cylinders as it related to this storytelling.

Can you walk me through some of the editorial design decisions that were made when bringing these zines to life? I know you worked with typographer Tré Seals, for example, to create a custom typeface for the project.  

This is a project that is rooted in the research of the Harlem Renaissance. Many of us didn’t fully know what that impact and influence looked like back then, and how it still carries forward, but as we turned more pages and did more research and had more pre-interviews with experts, curators, museum owners, with founders of different types of companies, and artists themselves, we learned more and more and more. 

In that research process we learned that the original zines during the Harlem Renaissance were designed to allow people without a voice to express themselves, to communicate with others in the community, and lean into artistry. We did a handmade approach to texture and color, and used layered compositions as an intentional nod to those artists who had bootstrapped. 

We used custom typography called VTC Sarah, created by Tré Seals, the founder, designer, and typographer at Vocal Type. VTC Sarah was inspired by his great-grandparents. They were entrepreneurs and business owners, and their names were Sarah and Henry Johnson, and they were pillars of their community. They had provided financing and resources to their neighbors when banks wouldn’t, and that really helped facilitate hundreds of purchases and land sales to the Black community. Our art director, Bri Moran, literally held up Tré’s great grandparents’ marriage certificate at one point and said, “This is what is inspiring, the typeface throughout our zines.” So in working with Tré at every iteration, he made sure that the typeface spoke to those words and the stories that we were telling. 

With the zine’s digital hub launching last week and the physical culture zine mailing out in December, can you shed a bit more light on what’s depicted in that issue in particular? 

We’re celebrating what culture looks like through a lot of different Black creatives. It’s an homage to the arts, literature, dance, and music industries created by Black artisans during the Harlem Renaissance. 

Who are some of the creatives featured in the culture zine? 

We asked Emil Wilbekin, the former editor-in-chief of Vibe Magazine who now runs the platform Native Son, to take us back to having a parlor conversation. These were conversations that were happening in speakeasies and basements during the Harlem Renaissance, where people could really talk about the issues of the day. So we said, “What does that look like if we bring that 100 years forward?” Emil helped to not only moderate the conversation with other Black creatives from different fields, but he also was able to facilitate a Q&A at the Freehand Hotel in Manhattan. I loved this conversation. They talked about what the Harlem Renaissance means today, and the impact that the Harlem Renaissance is having on these particular creatives. 

We also talked to Naima J. Keith, an art curator and an educator at LACMA. She talked about paying tribute to the artisans that came before us, and this idea that because of those artisans in particular, now we can talk about skin tones. Now we can talk about Blackness and all of its authenticity, and how that comes to the table today in ways that it wasn’t before. 

Then there’s Shanari Freeman, who’s the executive chef of Cadence in Manhattan, and she talked about the idea of paying homage to the Harlem Renaissance through collaboration. She said that oftentimes we know what to do, but sometimes we don’t necessarily know how to do it, so let’s teach each other this idea of “each one, teach one.” 

Then we have Fredara M. Hadley, who’s an ethnomusicologist over at the Juilliard School. She talked about the idea of how dances from the Harlem Renaissance are being brought back today through troupes like THECouncil, a collective of five black women who are choreographers, producers, and directors who work with global brands and celebrities. 

What was the process like for developing the digital adaptation of the zine? What considerations went into that?

In addition to the print version of the culture issue, people across the globe will have access to a digital, flippable booklet of both zines, and those are going to be housed online, within a New York Times URL that encourages people to learn more about the resources and opportunities offered by U.S. Bank.

We had a long conversation early on about this idea of a digital hub, and I would always say, “Well, what would be the point of us creating something else if we already have our print zines?” And my team explained to me that it’s because not everybody has the same level of access, which is very important here. The one thing that we wanted to do with both of these zines is to give people opportunity and access, not only to the information but to the history. So that’s exactly what the hub is set out to do; now everyone—subscribers and non-subscribers of the New York Times—will be able to have access to it. 

It’s a great opportunity for us as a custom content studio to be able to take these zines and this content in its physical form and then allow it to live on digitally while also giving people this access. That was the lesson learned for us in our wealth zine— people were like, “This is amazing. How do we get it? How do I share it? How do I link to it?” But as opposed to thinking of it as a problem, we saw it as an opportunity in order for the zines to continue to live and give access to everyone.

The post T Brand Studio Celebrates the Centennial of the Harlem Renaissance with Zine Series & Digital Hub appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

While it is vital to acknowledge and celebrate Indigenous cultures no matter the time of year, heading into this beloved yet problematic holiday with a challenge to broaden our awareness is fundamental.

What does this have to do with typography?

I ran across an incredible design and research program from the Netherlands-based foundry Typotheque, helping Indigenous communities reclaim and digitally preserve their language scripts. I spoke with Typotheque collaborator Kevin King. The Canadian designer, calligrapher, and educator is focused on support and research for minority languages through reform to the Unicode text standard, an effort he started while designing the typeface Mazina for his master’s design thesis.

Our conversation is below (lightly edited for clarity and length).

Covering Typotheque’s Zed typeface recently, I was astounded to learn that more than half of the 7,100 (at least) known world languages are endangered. I’d imagine that many of those at risk are centuries—perhaps, millennia—old Indigenous languages. Why is it important to preserve them, particularly in digital contexts such as Unicode?

Yes, indeed, Indigenous languages across the world – not only in North America – are at-risk of being lost within our lifetime, and the importance of Unicode towards the larger narrative of Indigenous language reclamation and revitalization is that without a stable basis for reliable text encoding on all computer devices and software platforms, it is not possible to ensure that remaining fluent speakers, and perhaps more importantly, young language learners, can have a consistent level of access to their language that leads to more engagement and ensures the success of learners to acquire the language and use it ubiquitously in daily life. 

Unicode itself is not enough by itself; the Unicode Standard provides the standardized repertoire of characters that are available for encoding and character data to instruct the behaviour and relationships of the characters, but language tools and our software must implement the Unicode Standard correctly and comprehensively in order to make language access a true reality. This means that major operating systems and applications must also take care to support new character additions to the Unicode Standard and the character data. Keyboards must be available to input those Unicode characters, and fonts must be available that shape how the Unicode “text” should be represented typographically. This is in many cases trivial for “majority” languages across the world; however, for Indigenous languages, it is an all-to-common reality that there may be missing characters from the Unicode Standard, or, that software and language tools (keyboards and fonts) do not accurately support the way text must appear and behave in these languages.

How do you work with Indigenous groups; what does the collaboration look like?

The most essential component of working with Indigenous language communities is building a relationship together that is based on mutual respect and collaboration. We do this by first creating a protocol agreement that outlines our shared goals, values, and desired outcomes for the work, and the key that underpins all of the work is the collaborative nature of everything we do. When working together on a particular initiative, our role is to first listen to the needs of the community about the barriers they may face and to provide our technical knowledge in the form of possible actions to solve the problem. Then, only with permission, can we move ahead to execute a solution that the community has determined is acceptable for them.

Tell us more about your project with the Cherokee and Osage in Oklahoma. 

Our projects with the Cherokee and Osage scripts are slightly different than our work directly with language communities such as the Haíɫzaqv community or the Nattilik community. In these projects, we are working with talented local type designers in each Nation to work together on developing new fonts for each script. Our Cherokee project is led by Chris Skillern, a skilled type designer from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a member of the Cherokee Nation, who is designing new Cherokee fonts for Typotheque and also conducting research towards typographic preferences for Cherokee syllabary forms. Similarly, our Osage project is led by the talented typographer and designer Dr. Jessica Harjo of the Osage Nation. In this project, Jessica and I work together as a team to develop the Osage typefaces, and our goal is to understand ideal typographic lettershapes for Osage that allow for the best graphic representation of the script for reading.

What makes Indigenous scripts so unique, and what are the challenges in designing digital fonts for them? For example, many (though not all) Indigenous scripts are syllabic.

In the North American context, there are, of course, the wonderful and unique scripts that were developed specifically for Indigenous languages, first the Cherokee by Sequoyah, and then the Syllabics used by First Nations and Inuit communities in Canada, and then more recently, the Osage script. These are graphically distinct writing systems, and for many other Indigenous language communities, variations of the Latin script, with many integrated characters from the Greek script or phonetic notation systems, may be based on that script of European origin; however, they are inherently unique from European language orthographies using the same script.

Specimens from the November (top) and Lava (bottom) typeface Syllabaries

Indeed, these scripts and writing systems all come with their unique design challenges. One major challenge for all is the lack of support for any of these scripts in common font development software. This means that – unlike designing type for other well-supported scripts – it is not possible to open a font editor, populate a character set, and then start drawing glyphs. The designer has to first define a character set and possibly even resolve Unicode-level issues before beginning the design process.

Once one has a character set defined and has worked out the encoding side aspects, there is then also a knowledge issue, or perhaps better put, the lack of knowledge for how to design accurate typefaces that work as users expect and require their typography appear, and generally for how their orthography must work. For example, within the context of the Syllabics, a type designer needs to be aware of inherent orthographic and typographic conventions that are particular to this writing system that affect the logic of how a typeface in this script must work. 

A case in this script is how much wider the word space character needs to be than the Latin script for the legible reading of Syllabics. However, both scripts use the same Unicode character for the word space (U+0020 SPACE) but have conflicting demands. Upon learning this, the type designer may recognize the problem and has several options for how to implement support for this, but they would be missing a key ingredient still in their knowledge of the situation: what practices do language users have when keying in that word space that would affect the design implementation? For example, to avoid a conflict between word space widths, we could create contextual substitutions via OpenType Layout features, which switches the desired glyph between both scripts. However, through our work speaking with many different Syllabics users across many different communities, we know that most users have developed a practice of entering a double spacebar when typing in Syllabics which solves the problem, and we do not have to allocate the time and energy to devise a solution for this but to be aware of the fact that Syllabics require this wider space.

We have tried to contribute to this knowledge by creating this GitHub repository, and we are currently working on a research project (Typotheque Indigenous North American Type) in partnership with First Nations communities that seeks to help build similar knowledge for many other languages and their orthographies that can then allow other type foundries to access this information and implement accurate support for these languages.

Left: A proof showing a comparison of the Lava Syllabics upright and cursive forms, in the Heavy master; Top right: An early sketch made by the author during the initial research phase of the project, exploring potential modulation structures that could be applied to the Lava Syllabics design; Bottom right: An example of the concept of rotation, which sits at the core functionality of Syllabics typography, for any language that uses the writing system.

As a foundry, Typotheque is committed to supporting digitally underresourced languages. How is this labor of love funded, and what are ways that the design industry (companies or individuals) can help and further the effort?

We are certainly passionate about this space of work, and it is an important part of what we do at Typotheque, not only for languages in North America but also for Indigenous and under-represented languages across the world.

All of the work that we do is completely funded internally by Typotheque by using revenue generated from retail font sales and custom project work for clients. In this sense, customers who purchase licenses for our fonts or hire us to do custom typeface work effectively help support this work and allow us to continue the effort. We have also created the Typotheque Club, which is a free club that features talks, rewards, and crowdfunding initiatives, and provides us with another avenue for generating funding for this space of work.

What is something surprising you’ve learned about Indigenous written languages generally (or a specific script) in this research?

Something that is perhaps surprising that I have learned is that – despite such rich orthographic and typographic diversity in the writing systems used by Indigenous languages in North America – the oral language is still always the most important aspect of the language.

I understand you’ve been interested in typeface support for Indigenous languages since your master’s studies. Where is your research taking you now; what’s a dream project you’d love to sink your teeth into?

I’m very grateful to work in this space of Indigenous language support and ultimately, language revitalization and reclamation, where the work has a direct, very tangible, and meaningful impact on people’s daily lives. It’s also part of contributing to society at large and using my design skills to positively support the important work that Indigenous language keepers and communities are undertaking. With that, the current project we are working on at Typotheque and have just begun – Typotheque Indigenous North American Type – would be something that embodies where I wish to focus my efforts, a project to work in partnership to overcome technical issues and understand typographic preferences and requirements with Indigenous communities, alongside looking towards projects designing and developing new and fresh typefaces that support Indigenous languages and their writing systems as standard and ubiquitous parts of these products.

More resources & reading:

November is a typeface designed for signage and information systems, but its orthogonal style is rhythmic in smaller contexts. Zed and award-winning Lava are two additional typefaces supporting Latin and Syllabic Indigenous scripts. Some of the process images included in our feature above are from King’s work on developing a secondary slanted style for Lava.

q̓apkiⱡ Magazine is a recently published, award-winning publication for the Ktunaza community in British Columbia, featuring both November and Lava.

King also wrote comprehensive guidelines for Syllabic typographic development.

The post Typotheque’s Kevin King on Preserving Indigenous Scripts Through Typographic Support appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Released earlier this month, the gorgeous photo book continues themes Cohen has already mined for years through Advanced Style, in regards to aging with vitality and how important love and connection are at any point in one’s life. As a lifelong animal lover, Cohen wanted to show how pets bring an added dimension of joy and beauty to his vivacious subjects’ worlds.

When I interviewed Cohen for PRINT two years ago, he mentioned Advanced Pets was in the works, and since then I’ve been eager to connect with Cohen again upon its completion. My conversation with the always generous Cohen about Advanced Pets is transcribed below.

(Lightly edited for clarity and length.)

Where did your idea for Advanced Pets originate? 

The common theme throughout my work is love and connection. Whether it’s personal expression which creates connection with other people, or, like in my last book, actual relationships between people, that kind of connection is key to growing older with vitality. I’ve been examining different ways that people stay vital throughout their lives. 

I’ve also loved animals my whole life; I’m a vegan and have had dogs since I was a little boy, so I thought it would be interesting to explore the relationships between the women that I photograph and their own animal companions. Then, because of COVID, I noticed that people got even closer to their animals, and I thought it would be a great time to really explore that. Also, as you get older, oftentimes, unfortunately, a lot of your friends aren’t around anymore, so pets and animals become your companions, company, friends, and family, especially when you’re in isolation.

Can you share more about your love of animals, the dogs you grew up with, your current dog, Vinnie, and how those connections helped fuel this book?

Dogs have been hugely important in my life— animals of all kinds have been, but mostly dogs. I’ve always liked to express myself differently than other people and dress up, and I gravitated toward things that maybe other kids didn’t (antiques, old music); I just always felt a little different. I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, and I couldn’t wait to come home to the dogs in my life who were my friends, comforted me, and provided fun and joy. 

Throughout our lives, oftentimes people have difficulties connecting with other people or feeling seen or understood. In talking to the ladies and just in my own experience, my dogs have always understood and accepted me without judgment, and I think that’s a very special relationship to have, where it’s just pure love; I see that with the people I featured in this book, too. My dog, Vinnie, is my best friend, and I’ve noticed that same thing with the women that I photograph; how close these relationships are, and how they’re like our family members. They teach us so much about patience and care and provide so much at the same time. 

So much of what you’re saying resonates with me. I’m a single woman who has a lot of close friends, close relationships, and love in my life, but there’s nothing quite like the relationship I have with my cat, Joan Cusack. I’ve had her as long as I’ve lived in LA, about eight years, so she’s this embodiment of my life in LA, in a way, too. It’s hard to put into words. 

Exactly! It is hard to put into words! 

That’s why I think looking to the medium of photography, as you have, is the only way to come close to capturing that connection. 

Our pets are the closest things we have to us. These relationships are so intimate, in terms of the time we spend with them. Some of the ladies say that their pets see them in all their different stages, like as they’re trying on different outfits. Our pets see us in all these different ways that are so different from how other humans see us. 

Our pets see us in all these different ways that are so different from how other humans see us. 

Pets are (seemingly) incapable of judgment, and they see us so clearly in ways that a lot of humans can’t. I think that’s so special, especially for people like the women you’re photographing, who are so distinct and opinionated and unapologetically themselves. Animals, in particular, can accept those qualities in ways that maybe some of the greater public has a mental block about. 

The ladies are sort of outsiders, in a way, because of how they dress. Especially years ago. In their time and even now, they really were rebellious in the way that they were presenting themselves. 

On the photography side of things, how did you go about conceptualizing the photoshoots for the book? What was that process and experience like, especially working with animals as your subjects? 

My work is always a mix of street style and shoots that I do on location in people’s personal spaces or near their homes. For these photos, it was really about spending time to feel the connection between each animal and their person, and then also making space for the animal to be comfortable. 

Each one was very different. It was very similar to my process for making my last book, Advanced Love because I didn’t want to force a specific type of interaction or connection. Also, the animals obviously act differently when I’m there versus when I’m not there. It was always just about trying to capture a moment and love between a person and their pet.

When I was in Florida on a ranch with Sandra and Lucy, for example, cows don’t sit still, so it was a lot of walking around the ranch. Eventually, Lucy sat down, and then Sandra sat down next to her and she started singing to her. In that moment I was able to get my photo.

What about the fashion and styling side of things for the photoshoots? 

I told people to dress their most festive and to really celebrate advanced style. 

Your Advanced Style photos have always been so visually rich, due to the styling of these women and their energy and attitudes. Can you speak to the aesthetic power of pets, and how adding that dimension to your photos elevated them even further?  

When someone is holding their animal, all dressed up, it’s almost like they become a part of them. And through that, their pet becomes a part of what they’re trying to communicate visually. 

I’ve always loved photographs of people and their pets. I have this book called Elegance by the Seeberger brothers who were shooting socialites and rich people on the streets in the 1920s and 30s, and I loved seeing the women all dressed up in their vintage clothing with their dogs. There was this one photo of a woman dressed up in polka dots with her Dalmatian, and that was sort of an inspiration for me. 

There’s a picture of a woman named Rory and her dog Elsa in the book, and they have this connection that is a soul connection. She’s this very fashionable woman in New York and carrying her dog becomes part of the way she’s presenting herself to the world. These women are so visual, so their dogs are part of that. 

Of all of the women and their pets you photographed, is there one photo or pair that you think best encapsulates the Advanced Pets project? 

There are several, but Linda and Lil Buddy embody this project. Linda’s a very dear friend of mine who lives on an island in the northwest, and in spending time with her and Lil Buddy, I saw how their relationship is very similar to how I feel about animals.

I remember being in her garden, and she was holding Lil Buddy with the sun shining down in her arms, and she was just in complete bliss in her garden holding her baby. That was a very special moment of seeing that intimate connection, where the joy was emanating from them and I was able to capture it. That was the embodiment of the project for me. 

Usually I’m just establishing relationships with humans, but now I have all these new animal friends to be connected to.

What has been the most rewarding part of the Advanced Pet process?

It was great to not only get to know new women but also, these animals. Usually, I’m just establishing relationships with humans, but now I have all these new animal friends to be connected to.

In my last book, I was showing that you can find love at any age, and this book is also showing that. My friend Jackie in the book, is in her 70s and was never a dog person until she met Betty, who has brought so much more dimension to her life that she never even knew was possible. I think that’s also a special theme of this project: the possibility that you can have love and connection at any age. 

Header image: Valerie von Sobel

The post Ari Seth Cohen’s New Book Explores Aging with Vitality and Our Pets appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

I grew up with a New York Yankees super fan as a father, who listened to every inning of every game on a hand-held transistor radio pressed up against his ear. The soothing sound of legendary commentator Roger Sterling’s voice is central in the soundtrack of my childhood, crackling through our kitchen and living room airwaves, accompanied by my dad’s whoops and groans.

My dad normalized listening to sporting events on the radio, but I never thought much of it. Recently, however, I came upon the evocative work of the Spanish artist Cassandra Constant, who’s spent much of her art practice contemplating this very concept. In Constant’s hometown of Madrid, the sport they’re listening to on the radio isn’t baseball, but fútbol, which is a much faster-paced and frenetic sport. Constant began to consider how listeners to soccer games on the radio visualized what they were hearing, and took this questioning to her sketch pad.

Since this initial curiosity, Constant has illustrated over 250 soccer games she’s listened to in full. With just pencil and paper, she rapidly sketches the play-by-play relayed to her from the radio, creating a rich world of fútbol frenzy in her finished drawings. Enthralled by her work, I reached out to learn more about her action-packed process.

What’s your personal relationship to soccer? Have you always been a football fan? What team do you support?

I am, first and foremost, an artist who loves movement and color… and football! I was born and brought up in Spain, and here soccer is part of daily life— on the news, the teams, players, scores, watching games on television, or listening to them on the radio.

Growing up, we watched football as a family. My brother supported one team, Real Madrid CF, so of course I had to support the other main Madrid team. That was a long time ago. Following my first art show, a famous footballer (who plays on my brother’s team) bought a painting of mine through one of the chief curators of the Prado Museum. I instantly changed teams to support my new collector!

I would get into a taxi, and the driver would be listening to a match on the radio and I wondered: How does he know where the ball is? 

When and why did you first start drawing football games as you listened to them? What inspired that idea?

As an artist, you have to observe and ask questions and be curious. Often I would get into a taxi, and the driver would be listening to a match on the radio and I wondered: How does he know where the ball is? 

Many years later, I bumped into an old friend in Rio de Janeiro who was a technician for a Spanish radio station and they were covering Real Madrid CF in one of the international competitions. We talked about transmission, how the match was relayed back home, the importance of narrators and commentators, communication and imagination, and how radio illustrates the scene.

Very much an experimentalist, I started putting down some ideas to “illustrate” the radio, beginning with football matches! Drawing soccer players on large pieces of paper, trying soft-ground etching on metal plates and collages, cutting out footballers from newspapers, and also drawing straight onto smooth canvases. But the narration and commentary and the match go very fast! Each game is two 45-minute halves, and there was a lot to capture. So eventually, I settled for A3 size (approx. 11×16 inches), smooth, white paper, using all kinds of writing materials, from black ballpoint pens, Bic blue biros, and now a variety of graphite pencils. I continue to experiment!

How often do you draw games? How many have you drawn so far?

I used to only draw football matches occasionally, and closer to the final stages of competitions: national leagues, European football, and World Cups. Now I find myself drawing all sorts of matches, from those between big rival teams to lesser-known ones.

I now draw, on average, a match a week. I have drawn over 250 matches.

Can you describe your game drawing process? What’s your set-up like as you listen to them on the radio? How have you developed the visual language you use to interpret the games?

Once I know which game I want to draw, set up starts about an hour before the match begins. I usually listen to the top Spanish radio station for sports, but also Talksport and BBC5 Live. I find out who’s in the initial starting teams, and write the names on paper so I know who’s going to be running in which direction!

Then I get an A3 size paper and quickly note down the competition, stadium, teams, name of referee, roughly draw club emblems, an outline of the pitch, goalposts, and the benches. I turn the paper upside down, the match starts, and we’re off! It’s fast, there are passes from left to right, back towards the goals, long balls, players whose names I cannot grasp, the kits, and what colors the goalkeepers are wearing, and I am grateful when I hear it’s a throw-in, a corner, offside, foul, yellow card; that’s when I start getting an idea of what’s happening! 

There are goals, injuries, red cards (occasionally), players come off the pitch, and new ones come on. Depending on the radio station, this can be interspersed with advertisements, calling of winning lottery numbers, the number of people in the stadium, football gossip, transfer news, VIPS in the stands, what players have just had a baby, endless statistics, and records broken— you get the picture. I love it! There’s a rhythm and it’s all very intense!

I think playing football is really difficult! It involves so many components, organization, and strategies, from players, coaches, medical practitioners, nutritionists, PRs, designers, and more to plenty of staff to manage it all. There are many more aspects I have yet to explore!

Why have you decided to keep your interpretation of the games to just pencil and paper, only using a red marker to indicate goals? What does that sketchy style bring to the way you portray the games?

The sketchy style is the result of “illustrating” a game, which takes place in less than two hours: fast, speedy, energetic, dynamic, and intense, trying to capture as much as possible. I assure you, I end up exhausted!

I’m not sure whether I should continue to outline the goals scored in red. Maybe that’s one of those questions I can ask on social media: Better in red or not? What do you think?

I feel I am contributing something to art and to football. Sharing the experience means a lot to me.

Are you surprised by the public reception of your game sketches? How has the success of your work felt?

I’m not really sure how many people have seen my drawings. What I can tell you is that when people first see them, they seem perplexed and not too sure what they are looking at. But when they realize, or when I explain it to them, they love the concept. This makes me happy, as I feel I am contributing something to art and to football. Sharing the experience means a lot to me.

I have had many enquiries about the drawings and had conversations with fans from different clubs, which I find very enriching. I am interested in the histories and values of these clubs. 

At the moment, I am in the process of setting up a website offering a selection of matches which I hope will be ready later in November.

Header image: 2022 World Cup Final; Argentina vs. France

The post Cassandra Constant Visualizes Soccer Game Radio Broadcasts with Pencil and Paper appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

The New Look of Money

Remember when financial brands looked like, well, financial brands? They evoked trust and solemnity in shades of blue, with clean layouts and sophisticated type conveying decades (centuries-even) of dependability. Chime and Klarna are rewriting the rulebook, building sleek, mobile-first apps that feel more like social media platforms than bank branches. Chime uses inviting, saturated colors and uncluttered visuals, making money management feel intuitive and, dare I say, friendly. Klarna has also nailed the balance of simplicity and style but with a hint of playfulness. It’s as if these brands are saying, “Money doesn’t have to be a chore,” which resonates deeply with a generation empowered by quick, user-centric digital experiences.

Chime brand refresh by jkr.

Radical Transparency

Klarna stands out here with its “Pay Later” options, which are communicated upfront and without fuss. It’s all about empowering the user with knowledge and then trusting them to make informed decisions. On the crypto side, transparency is even more crucial given the complexity and volatility of the market. The best crypto brands don’t just list risks; they break down what those risks mean in a practical way, bridging the gap between excitement and informed caution. It’s refreshing to see brands lean into candor, and young consumers are responding with trust.

Klarna brand by their in-house team.

Personalized and Empowering Tools

For many young people, managing finances still feels intimidating. Enter brands like Check My File, which offers simple, comprehensive views of credit standing across multiple agencies. The service is not just about delivering numbers; Check My File offers insights, making credit monitoring feel like a useful, even empowering habit. Personalization isn’t just about flashy algorithms; it’s about creating tools that users actually find helpful and that build loyalty in an authentic way. For younger audiences, this type of personalization makes finances feel less abstract and more like something they can control.

Check My File brand by Ragged Edge.

Creating Community and Social Connection

It’s no secret that social media plays a major role in how young people make financial decisions, and these brands are tapping into that big time. Klarna and 1inch are turning financial management into a shared experience. Klarna, for instance, collaborates with influencers and uses a social commerce approach, embedding itself into the lifestyle and aesthetic young people are drawn to. Meanwhile, 1inch builds communities for shared learning, making finance feel inclusive rather than exclusive. These new brands are not just selling services; they’re creating spaces where people feel a sense of belonging (and dare we say, fun!), even when dealing with something as traditionally daunting as personal finance.

1inch campaign by Talent in collaboration with the Bruce Lee family

These fresh brand aesthetics and marketing strategies signal that financial companies are finally catching on to what young audiences have long wanted: accessibility, straight talk, personalization, and community. By embracing the values of younger audiences, financial brands can become more like guides than institutions. And as they continue to evolve, it’ll be exciting to watch just how far this new wave of finance brands can take us.

The post From Intimidating to Empowering: Financial Brands for the Next Generation appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

The Artifacts from the Eames Collection is a series of catalogs that comprehensively documents pieces from the Eames Institute collection, making these iconic designs more widely accessible to all, thus further advancing the legacy of 20th-century designers Ray and Charles Eames.

The Eames Institute has already offered themed virtual exhibitions and is thrilled to continue its growth into the physical print medium. Forty-thousand+ objects have been lovingly collected, preserved, restored, and documented by the Eames Institute so far, with Artifacts from the Eames Collection presenting curated selections from these objects in six thematically themed catalogs: Tables, Ray’s Hand, Eames Aluminum Group, Toys & Play, Steinberg Meets the Eames, and Postcards. (The first five have already been released, with the Postcards catalog coming soon.) Many of the objects featured in these editions have never been seen before, and all have been newly photographed to highlight design details.

Each catalog includes an introductory note from Llisa Demetrios, Chief Curator of the Eames Institute and granddaughter of Ray and Charles, and an essay written by a leading design expert. The catalogs also present a variety of archival material and photography from the Eames Office, Library of Congress, and the archives of Herman Miller and Vitra.

The catalogs are softcover with a short cover wrap and a special insert and range from 122–172 pages. They are available for purchase from the Eames Institute here.

The post All the Eames That’s Fit to Print appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Be sure to subscribe to our emails to learn when and where to enter your best work this year!

Founded in 1968, Studio Museum in Harlem stands as the nexus for artists of African descent. As a studio, it funds emerging artists and offers them studio space, and as a museum, it curates a compelling collection supporting underrepresented artists. It’s a place for stirring conversations and a hub for dynamic exchanges and sharing ideas about art and society.

Preparing to move and transition to a more formal posture, the Studio Museum tapped Base Design to help them redesign the website to align with its evolving mission. Established in 1993, Base Design is an international network of creative studios that focuses on cultural impact through simple yet imaginative brand narratives. The impressive client list includes Apple, The New York Times, MoMA, Bob Dylan Center, NY Mets, JFK Terminal 4, and Union Square Hospitality Group.

Base Design’s innovative website redesign for the cultural institution earned the company first place in the PRINT Awards IX/UX Design category.

Studio Museum’s aim for the project was to achieve greater accessibility for a broader community. Inspired by Harlem’s iconic brownstone stoop, the website design transforms into a dynamic meeting place, echoing the lively streets with sounds and voices.

Embracing noise as a concept, the team digitally mirrored the museum’s living space, presenting artworks immersed in the context of neighboring creations. Shifting the focus from artworks to the artists themselves, the new website features engaging video and audio clips within the margins—peripheral “chatter” to capture the animated essence of the Studio Museum’s setting.

It’s been a century since the Harlem Renaissance, a period widely remembered as a golden age for African American art, literature, music, and performance. Though, we’d argue there’s a new renaissance afoot, one that we’ll be talking about one hundred years from now, with Studio Museum in Harlem at the center, its gleaming new building, and Base Design’s dynamic website carrying the banner.

The post A Website Renaissance for Studio Museum in Harlem by Base Design appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Since its founding in 1969, L’eggs has been a trailblazer in hosiery, famously breaking ground as the first pantyhose brand sold in grocery stores, with its unforgettable egg-shaped packaging. The brand quickly became synonymous with accessibility and everyday style, revolutionizing how women shopped for and wore hosiery. Now, with a refreshed identity, L’eggs is embracing its legacy while stepping forward to captivate a new generation.

Téllez pulled out the stops for this reimagining, bringing in design firm Family Office — started by ex-Collins designer, Diego Segura — along with Britt Cobb, formerly of Pentagram, and type designer Schwartz, the creative mind behind The Guardian, Esquire, and T Magazine. Together, the team had one goal: update L’eggs’ legendary wordmark while preserving its distinctive charm.

Britt was tasked with updating the logo without losing its original charm, inviting Schwartz to subtly redraw and refine the letterforms. Schwartz’s adjustments included fine-tuning proportions, relaxing some of the old-school rigidity, and transforming the uppercase “L” to lowercase for a more flexible and approachable look.

For L’eggs, which pioneered the hosiery market in 1969, this redesign nods to both heritage and adaptability. The updated logo keeps its retro spirit intact, while making it at home in today’s digital and physical spaces. In its quiet way, L’eggs continues to show that the best updates don’t replace the old—they just give it room to breathe.

Project Credits

Executive Creative Director: Cami Téllez, L’eggs
Brand Identity: Family Office (Collins alumni, Diego Segura and Eliz Akgün)
Wordmark: Cobbco (Pentagram alumni, Britt Cobb, Jonny Sikov, and Commercial Type’s Christian Schwartz) + Family Office.

The post L’eggs’ Iconic 70s Logo Gets a Modern Twist appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

In a snapshot of today’s AI-driven design landscape, over 10,000 designers from 135 countries shared their thoughts, and the results are clear: designers are finding that a future with AI could be, well, pretty darn exciting.

The survey reveals that over half (52%) of freelancers are now harnessing generative AI to level up their work—up from 39% last year. And they’re not just dabbling; they’re diving in with excitement. A whopping 56% say they’re thrilled about the potential of AI in their field, with most using it to brainstorm ideas, knock out copy, or take care of mundane tasks (hello, automation).

But it’s not just excitement for efficient practices in their work; it’s dollars and sense, too. For 61% of freelancers, AI has already impacted their income, up from 45% in 2023, and nearly half expect the tech to give their earnings a boost down the line. Sure, a third of responders are a bit anxious about AI’s economic effect, but optimism appears to rule the day.

“Disruption in the design industry is something we’ve all experienced first hand,” says 99designs by Vista CEO Patrick Llewellyn. “We believe in the power of human creativity, and it’s inspiring to see both the excitement and pragmatic approach to the opportunities created by this new technology. These optimistic survey results, alongside the fact that our designer community has now earned over half a billion dollars through the platform, reassure us that while the landscape is evolving, the future of design is bright.”

The combined optimism and pragmatism of designers suggests an evolution rather than a revolution. And with designers’ earnings on the platform recently surpassing a cool $500 million, the data points to a future where AI may just be the paintbrush to human innovation’s canvas.

In an industry that’s no stranger to disruption, it seems designers are welcoming AI as a collaborator, not a competitor. And with the majority looking to upskill and keep pace, they’re proving that AI might just be the muse that creativity’s been waiting for.

The post From Hesitancy to Hope: How Freelancers Are Embracing AI appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Those who were there remember that compulsive uncovering of the new. Take the genres of the time—jungle, ragga, drum n’ bass, goa trance, hard house, French house, tech step, hard step, and on and on. The distinctions don’t seem important now, but at the time this was important stuff. Once a sound was conquered, the rules and norms were drawn up, and with boundaries in place, they were abandoned for new sounds.

Amongst all that discovery, no one took sound farther afield than a group of electronic musicians in Cologne in the mid-1990s, and one designer was responsible for creating their record art. From their perch on the shelves of the new and still slim electronic music section of the record store, Frieda Luczak’s designs pulled us in and introduced us to the new and indescribable.

Her covers from that time capture what brought people to that specific type of left-field music. Not a love of technology, but a new form of beauty that only technology could allow—an alien kind of beauty.

“Frieda is a curious mind,” says Jan St. Werner of the electronic duo Mouse on Mars, “as modest and cautious as she’s into change and new ways to see and do things.” She doesn’t have much of an ego, he adds, “We surely forgot her name a few times on projects, sleeves, etc. and she had never been upset about it.” Luczak who describes herself as “much fantasy, much anxiety,” was born in an evolving rural Düsseldorf that was home to a strange mix of professional commuters and villagers. A next-door neighbor would shoot into a cherry tree to keep the birds from eating the cherries. There, she was first exposed to design through the Letraset letters her father, “an architect with talents in designing futuristic living spaces, but with two left hands,” used for his building plans.

After a rigorous design program at university, she took a break and moved to Cologne, where she would fall in with a community centered around A-Musik, an independent record store and label for experimental music. In the avant-garde, she says, “Money isn’t the key, but changing views of what beauty is.” Amongst their activities—exhibitions, publications, filmmaking, and concerts—Luczak soon found herself as their cover artist. After being introduced by another designer, Mouse on Mars instantly knew they wanted to work with her. She became the designer for Mouse on Mars, St. Werner’s solo work, his label Sonig, and other associated acts, making covers, posters, stickers, ads, and merch.

Her covers from that time capture what brought people to that specific type of left-field music. Not a love of technology, but a new form of beauty that only technology could allow—an alien kind of beauty. Inspired by the destructive punk art and home computer craft, and after what she calls, “absolutely unleashed discussions about why one detail is more inventive than another,” she designed some of the most beautiful and imaginative record covers of the ‘90s. “We wanted to have no reference to anything we had previously done,” she said. St. Werner recalls “playing her our music, telling her the ideas we had around the songs, how they had come about technically, the threads and revelations we had while recording them.” These discussions could have gone on for years and only stopped because of deadlines. 

“We never thought of sleeve art as something that would sell the music,” St. Werner says, “but rather [it would] tell its own story in dialogue with the music.” Tom Steinle, who hired her to do covers for several Tomlab records for artists like The Books, also says Luczak’s work was “a second artistic layer,” but adds that she “had a talent for developing a brand for the musician.” 

I first encountered Luczak’s work in a small record store in a small Vermont town. It called to me plain and simple, probably because it looked absolutely nothing like trees. Life in Vermont, and all printed matter associated with it, looks like trees. Logcabin.ttf, I’m looking at you. Luczak’s work was pure alien. How did this weird music and art make it from Cologne to New England? Like all great artistic revolutions this period had a lot to do with the supply chain. Specifically, CDs, those beautiful iridescent disks where music was data. The profit margins were much greater, and CDs could be produced much quicker, so the major labels installed CDs as the ruling format of the era. With the addition of new digital recording and mastering technologies, suddenly the overhead for an independent record label became much lower. If you had a unique vision, you could have one tool. Maybe more than punk, this was independence. CDs, that’s how new ideas were distributed and conversations could play out between restless artists across the world.

Luczak created the packaging for influential albums by Markus Popp, recording under the moniker Oval, whose early records were constructed out of sounds from scratched CDs. Popp would talk about “music as software” and “file management.” That sounds pointy-headed, but the records are carefully composed, abstractly beautiful, and quite listenable despite coming with a hefty thesis. But that listenability was obvious from Luczak’s album art. Using a copy of Cinema4D, which she didn’t quite know how to use (and which looked very different than today’s C4D), she built lush, organic landscapes out of pixelated 3D forms and somehow seemed to reference both Cy Twombly and Microsoft Excel graphs. The writer Mark Richardson, who wrote a feature on Oval’s second album for Pitchfork 20 years after its release, describes it as, “the tension between digital precision and the uncertainty of nature… Luczak’s imagery captured this dichotomy beautifully.”

Tim Saputo, a designer and former Art Director of electronic music magazine XLR8R, says that her records, “tap into an impossible beauty, objects and color bloom and blur. They suggest a freeze frame of some kind of dance, there is so much movement and beauty, and I think it lends those Oval records a certain softness and expansiveness that I don’t know if it would be present if it wasn’t presented with such grace.” 

There seems to be so much depth to these covers because they were mere snapshots of an expansive world developed through a years-long collaboration between Luczak and Oval. Popp explains that he would imagine a scene—a virtual location—and then Luczak would attempt to realize it. They would explore and document this environment by capturing stills using the software’s virtual camera. “We developed these fantastical 3D worlds, following the logic of an imaginary… game engine.” He points out that this was “decades before 3D game engines like Unity were on the horizon” and adds that he doubts Luczak has ever played a modern immersive video game.

Her designs and design language would also extend to the user interface of Oval’s Ovalprocess software, an interactive musical tool that allowed users to create their own version of Oval’s music. This software was made available in several art installations that featured a large sculptural kiosk—a small part of the world they built made tangible through 3D printing.

Left: Ovalprocess software’s user interface, 2002; Right: The Ovalprocess software’s help screen, 2002

Her work for Mouse on Mars is some of her most noteworthy. Like the band itself (which can go from a sound that I can only describe as a “tiny squish” to a full marching band in a matter of seconds), her work dips in and out of abstraction and joyful associations. Her cover for the US release of Niun Niggung features a crude, amoeba-like 3D hairbrush combing what is presumably hair. As a bonus, the liner notes were a fold-out poster of the hairbrush in an oddly intimate position with another hairbrush. St. Werner suspects but does not know for sure, that the cover features an image of Gerhard Schröder, the German chancellor at the time. Unlike the maximalism of this 3D work, her designs on their Idiology and Agit Itter It It albums were flat black-and-white dadaism via MacPaint and seemed to predict the anti-design of studios like Hort.

Left: Cover of Niun Niggung (1999) by Mouse On Mars, released by Thrill Jockey in the USA; Right: Poster insert of Niun Niggung (1999) by Mouse On Mars, released by Thrill Jockey in the USA.

Left: Cover of Agit Itter It It (2001) by Mouse On Mars, released by Thrill Jockey in the USA; Top right: Cover of Diskdusk (1999) by Mouse On Mars, released by Sonig in Europe; Bottom right: Record label of Diskdusk (1999) by Mouse On Mars, released by Sonig in Europe.

Today, Luczak has no social media (“too shy,” she says) and primarily focuses on corporate design work. One of her most important clients is a funeral home. She tells me, “The key is empathy and modernity,” when working with a funeral home. While the music industry has changed, and there’s less design floating in its orbit, she’s still designing records. The back cover of  Kid Millions and Jan St. Werner’s Imperium Droop is a pattern that is hard to place. It could be Mesoamerican-inspired? Or maybe thermal imaging of a refrigerator evaporator coil? From this pattern, two glyphs are placed on the front cover, perplexing, totemic, and mischievous as ever.

Left: Front cover of Imperium Droop (2021) by Kid Millions & Jan St. Werner, released by Thrill Jockey; Right: Back cover of Imperium Droop (2021) by Kid Millions & Jan St. Werner, released by Thrill Jockey.

I no longer have a CD collection, but I do have one CD, Oval’s Szenariodisk—a digipak, made of print cardboard that, unlike a plastic jewel case with a locking mechanism, swings open naturally like a book. For this article, I had to rebuild this design from Luczak’s ancient QuarkXpress file and discovered a beautiful hidden forest. Not a metaphorical forest of meaning, but an actual photo of a forest hidden in the design, mapped onto 3D cubes. Twenty-five years later, I fell in love all over again. 

Left: Record label of Szenario Europa (1999) by Oval, released by Form & Function in Europe; Right: Record label of Szenario USA (1999) by Oval, released by Thrill Jockey in the USA. Note the subtle type changes.

Why is this work so interesting all these years later? Tom Steinle explains it like this (although many others I spoke to said the same thing): Luczak always focused on the content of the object she was designing, not what was happening around her aesthetically at the time. What was happening around her at the time? Mostly the cool, ironic corporatism best embodied by studios like The Design Republic. TDR loved to revel in the transactional nature of the whole thing, but, to be fair, that was another thing CDs are known for. Luczak’s work isn’t couched in irony—she seems unable to approach anything with irony. Her work is earnest and big-hearted. And so this is a story of genre. You can borrow some of the genre’s energy, some of its buzzy interest, and put it right into your own work free of charge. But that energy is on loan and you must give it back. One day, sooner than you think, it will look tired. This is what the economic philosopher Thorstein Veblen describes as “the process of developing an aesthetic nausea.” And it is doubly true if you borrow from a genre in revival. Luczak never touched that genre stuff; she was too curious for that, and it helped that the musicians she worked with were too. This is the real work of creativity: to make the unknown so beautiful and intriguing that we are lured farther and farther into the new.

Phillip Nessen is a Brooklyn-based designer, strategist, and educator. He is the founder of Nessen Company, a studio with a focus on building distinctive, performant brands and consumer packaged goods.

Header image: Promotional poster for Ovalcommers (2001) by Oval, released by Form & Function in Europe.

The post Beautiful Unknown: The Y2K Album Cover Art of Frieda Luczak appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Trend forecasting season is upon us, and with it, we get a glimpse of what will be big in the next year or so. Whether it’s emerging styles, innovative new materials, or broader industry shifts, trend reports are a useful starting point for us creatives – particularly at the beginning of new projects. It’s how we look for new streams of innovation, where we go for visual inspiration, and preempt what’s going to resonate with the audiences we’re trying to win over.

But they can be flawed, too. Everyone uses them – which can lead to homogeneity – and they often look backward. How many times have we heard that ‘co-creation’ and ‘slow living’ are going to be big? To what extent can we actually feed these themes into a brand’s creative process to create something fresh and unique?

At the core of everything we do is truly understanding our audiences. We need to know who they are, what they’re into, what they want. We need to be so attuned with the zeitgeist that we know what they need before perhaps even they do. Looking at trend reports can be helpful indicators, as is the industry’s go-to consumer analysis and competitor research. But beyond that, we need to be looking at culture – at the smaller pockets of activity that are driving larger cultural shifts and turning these insights into creative opportunities that cut through.

Reading the Zeitgeist

A good (and often overlooked) place to start is digging into online communities and forum threads like Reddit and Tattle to gather authentic, real-time insights into consumers’ pain points, desires, and expectations. By looking for recurring themes in discussions and paying attention to what products, features, or topics generate the most buzz, brands can anticipate what will resonate most with their audience.

It’s something that Lucky Charms did well. After spotting how deep rooted the cereal’s ‘marbits’ (marshmallow pieces) appreciation was among fans, LOVE worked with Lucky Charms to create limited-edition marbit-only packs. The response to these was wild – revealing the kind of hype usually reserved for fashion and streetwear drops. The Instagram post announcing the launch became the brand’s most-liked post ever (with no spend attached) and was reposted by many fans, including celebrities like Cardi B.

My point is you need to go where the people are. If you want to appeal to the Chinese consumer, read a trend report that gives you an overview of the most current themes. However, to be more successful, you must embed yourself in these communities, using popular platforms like Weibo and WeChat to get a richer understanding of the culture. What music are they listening to? What TV do they watch? What’s their sense of humor like? Which subcultures are emerging?

Some brands are going one step further, even building these online communities themselves. Take LEGO, which has created a crowdsourcing platform called ‘LEGO Ideas,’ allowing anyone to submit potential ideas for new sets. If an idea receives over 10,000 votes, the LEGO board reviews it; if the idea is accepted, the creator receives 1% of the product’s revenue and a credit in the instructions. This direct engagement with its audience means that LEGO always knows what it wants and can make sure to deliver it.

Creating New Aesthetics from Deeper Insights

These types of insights can also act as signposts for new visual directions. Vacation sunscreen is a great example of this. Noticing a growing wave of nostalgia for simpler times and a romanticizing of the past amidst the turbulence of the last few years, Vacation set out to make sunscreen fun again. The entire brand looks like a time capsule from 80s Miami, tapping into the kitsch of retro ads like those for Club Med, tied together with over-the-top ridiculousness that brings humor back to the category. It sticks because there’s a wider awareness there – the brand recognizes its role in the world and, therefore, isn’t selling itself as ‘truly life-changing’ or ‘an absolute must-have.’ Instead, the brand is saying that we know people are in need of some fun, and we’re here to bring that.

This summer, Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ brought a similar cultural awareness. The brat aesthetic didn’t just fall out of the coconut tree. It plays into the desire for messiness, chaos, and non-conformity that’s taking over various corners of the internet. It’s a response to the millennial minimalism and perfectly curated online personas that dominated the 2010s, which many have grown tired of – especially as AI now poses the biggest threat to authenticity. Brat’s identity — its acid green and blurry typeface, mixed with its noughties excess and rave culture — took off because it was in tune with the current mood. This was only amplified when Charli started posting various memes and dances that turned brat into a viral phenomenon. She knows her fans, and she knows what they want. How? Because she spends time with them where they are.

So, while trend reports can offer a helpful starting point, real creative impact comes from getting closer to your audience by understanding their world and what really matters to them. Creative impact is about going beyond the predictable and tapping into the undercurrents of culture that trend reports often miss, using what you find to create experiences for people that actually connect. In doing this, we can help brands stand above the noise, create more meaningful relationships with audiences, and build lasting impressions.

Steve Pearce is the managing director at LOVE, a culture-first brand design and experience agency. A believer in big ideas, Steve champions brands brave enough to be disruptive, helping the likes of Jaguar, Land Rover, LVMH, and Nike achieve commercial success.

Header image: LOVE rediscovered Andy Warhol’s inclusive take on beauty to create a striking new concept for SK-II. All images courtesy of LOVE.

The post Your Trend Reports Aren’t Cutting It appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

For deeper insight into this evolution, I turned to some of the branding industry’s most prominent voices to explore how gender and identity are shaping political branding today. These design leaders shared their take on everything from the challenges of timing to the balance between visual consistency and policy focus to the future of branding for women in politics.

Our lineup includes Jessica Walsh, founder of the creative agency &Walsh (top left), Jolene Delisle, founder and head of brand creative at The Working Assembly (top middle), Holly Willis, founder of Magic Camp (top right), Ruth Bernstein, CEO of Yard NYC (bottom left), and Jaime Robinson, founder and CCO of JOAN (bottom right).

We asked, and, wow, they delivered! Their responses have been condensed and lightly edited for length and clarity.

How does the increasing alignment between political candidates and personal brand strategies, especially in the cases of Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris, reflect a shift in how voters perceive leadership qualities?

Jessica Walsh: The way political candidates are now using personal branding is a lot like how companies build their brands to connect with customers. Candidates like Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris are doing more than just talking about policies—they’re creating a narrative around who they are, their values, and their image to really connect with voters on a personal level. It’s similar to how brands tell a story to make you care about their product.

“Clinton’s pantsuits, for example, became a symbol of her identity, just like Harris’s story as the daughter of immigrants and her career as a prosecutor became key parts of her brand. This shift shows how candidates are using personal storytelling and visual cues, not just policy, to create trust and stand out in a crowded political field, much like a company would build loyalty with its customers.”

— Jessica Walsh

Jaime Robinson: Personal brand has always been huge for presidential candidates. Who can forget the Camelot visions of JFK and Jackie Kennedy?  The old Hollywood glamor of Ronald Reagan? Bill Clinton’s “cool guy prez” saxophone and sunglasses moment? 

What we’re seeing today that IS exceptional is that the personal brands of presidential candidates are being absorbed by their audiences as part of their OWN brands and identities….  who in turn reflect their own versions of the brand… which in turn influences the candidate’s brand, and so forth.

Donald Trump has become more blustery and right-wing as his audience paints him that way.  Kamala Harris has become more BRAT with each passing meme. And their fans – because that’s what they are, fans, not constituents  – become even more entrenched in the brand narratives that the candidates are spinning and reflecting back.

Ultimately, it’s showbiz, where Brand reigns supreme.

Jaime Robinson

Jolene Delisle: Personal branding is more important than ever, and as we see in almost every industry, it bleeds into your professional reputation as well. Especially as women, it has the power to shape the narrative, good or bad.

Holly Willis: The alignment of personal branding with political strategy speaks to a broader evolution in how voters perceive leadership. Today, candidates are expected to resonate not only through policies but also through personal narratives and cultural fluency.

One trend we’re seeing, particularly from millennials and Gen Z, is an expectation for leaders to be culturally aware and socially attuned. For many in these generations, cultural literacy in a candidate signals empathy and adaptability, qualities seen as essential in navigating today’s rapid social shifts. Harris has engaged with this expectation by leaning into modern cultural references—such as “brat summer” or her appearance on Call Her Daddy—to connect with younger audiences. On the other hand, Donald Trump’s appearances on podcasts like Theo Von’s reflect an appeal to a younger, more skeptical demographic, reinforcing his base while broadening his reach.

This approach raises an important question: if candidates are not engaged with the cultural zeitgeist, does that make them less attuned to future generations’ needs? For political leaders, balancing generational appeal is no small feat. In contrast to brands that target Gen Z for long-term loyalty, political campaigns must manage the tension between Gen Z’s social influence and the reliable voting power of older generations.

Leadership perception is increasingly shaped by empathy, cultural understanding, and relatability. As candidates integrate personal narratives within broader sociopolitical contexts, it underscores a shift toward leadership that prioritizes genuine connections with diverse communities, moving beyond policy alone.

Does focusing on personal identity as part of a candidate’s brand strengthen or dilute their political message, and how can candidates ensure their brand resonates without alienating key voter demographics?

Walsh: Yes! Focusing on personal identity as part of a candidate’s brand can strengthen their message by making them more relatable and authentic to voters. However, it can also dilute the focus on their policies if not handled carefully as they need to integrate their personal story and brand in a way that complements their political platform rather than overwhelming it.

“In today’s world, I don’t think a candidate can even be heard unless they develop a brand, and remain true to it. And while Kamala Harris might risk alienating voters when she dances or belly laughs at a joke, the WAY bigger risk is being boring. This has been true for a few decades. Who can forget snoozy John Kerry or Al Gore? (or maybe you CAN forget them, and that’s the problem?)

But I’ll even go a step further…

Today, personal brand IS the political message.” 

— Jaime Robinson

Jaime Robinson: Kamala’s converse and meme-ified social presence signals she’s for a younger, more progressive future. And Donald Trump, shutting down his town hall after four questions and then swaying awkwardly to a 1990s Andrea Bocelli ballad, says he’s content looking backwards.

Delisle: We are in unprecedented times where running for political office is like running in some ways in a popularity contest, and it has less to do with the political objectives and policy and more with how people “feel about someone.”

It’s alienating to me as a voter because these are public service jobs, and the fact that most of the commentary online and on television is about someone’s likability is really sad.

Jolene Delisle

Willis: The integration of personal identity into political branding has become a more sophisticated exercise, reflecting a shift in both strategy and voter expectations. Modern candidates face the challenge of weaving their identity into their campaigns in ways that resonate authentically, yet don’t overshadow the substance of their policies. This balancing act is increasingly crucial as younger generations, especially Gen Z and Millennials, value leaders who are socially and culturally engaged while also addressing issues with depth and relevance.

In recent years, political figures have embraced subtler forms of identity politics—where their personal stories, values, and cultural touchpoints are integrated naturally into their campaigns rather than positioned as the primary focus. This approach allows candidates to embody key aspects of their identity in ways that enhance relatability without detracting from the core message.

This evolution underscores a strategic shift: instead of directly emphasizing aspects of identity like gender or ethnicity, candidates increasingly use cultural moments and platforms to convey these elements implicitly.

Holly Willis

This approach reflects a larger trend where identity becomes a part of the fabric of a candidate’s brand without dominating it, allowing for a broader, more inclusive reach. By engaging with diverse media channels, like podcasts that resonate with distinct demographics or tapping into trending topics, candidates can address different voter needs without isolating any particular group. It is also reflective of a deeper understanding that leadership is not solely about direct representation. It’s about showing an awareness of and alignment with the broader cultural landscape.

For future candidates, the challenge will be finding ways to make personal identity resonate across various voter demographics. To achieve this, candidates can look at how consumer brands blend authenticity with relevance — using personal stories to establish a connection, but grounding that connection in the shared values of their audience.

Harris’s campaign appears to subtly embody modern feminism without directly emphasizing gender, unlike Clinton’s more explicit feminist branding. How does this reflect the changing role of identity politics in shaping brand strategy, and how might this influence the future branding of female candidates?

Walsh: Kamala Harris’s subtle embrace of modern feminism, without directly emphasizing gender, reflects a shift in how identity politics shape political branding. Unlike Hillary Clinton’s more explicit feminist messaging, Harris integrates her identity in a way that feels natural and resonates with a diverse yet increasingly scrutinizing voter base. This approach signals a new trend for female candidates, where they can highlight their identity without making it the focal point of their campaign, allowing them to appeal to a broader audience. By focusing on qualifications and policy, while still embracing their personal story, candidates can balance the celebration of diversity with the need to connect on issues that matter to a wide range of voters.

Robinson: It’s smart that Harris isn’t playing on gender, and also a sign of the times. Hillary Clinton was running during a cultural moment where gender identity and struggles were front-page headlines. They were the big news.

That moment has passed, and it would seem outdated if Kamala Harris leaned on being a woman. In fact, today, Harris has a better chance of getting elected if she doesn’t go into gender identity. She knows she needs to dial up a more relevant aspect of her personal demographics  – that she’s younger than her opponent by 20 years, with a spirit to match.  She’s leaning into the memes, the BRAT, the inside jokes. She is signaling that she’s for the future, not for the past.

When she wins, we’ll celebrate that she’s a woman. Not a second before that.

Jaime Robinson

Bernstein: Kamala running for President as a woman isn’t seen by the American public as such a big deal because Hilary already did it. Hillary comes from a different generation. Her feminism was defined by needing to play in a man’s world. She had to play by men’s rules and ‘man up.’ She broke the glass ceiling in her run for President. Her feminism was about fighting for women’s rights and the need to show a woman could do a man’s job.

Kamala comes to a Presidential race by not having to play the same game that Hillary did.  She embodies another generation – GenX vs Boomer. She understands that to win as a brand, she needs to be defined relative to her competition. Being a woman is irrelevant. Her brand is “not Trump.” And her age is more important than her gender – it’s what also separates her from Trump and Biden.

Running on one’s identity now – and in the future – is not enough. Voters today are not choosing a candidate based on gender alone.

Ruth Bernstein

This is a different race. This is a changing of a generation. These are the moments when choice can’t be defined by identity. This is a race that is bigger than that.

“It’s interesting in the summer of Brat/Demure we almost have that prime example of the shift with the two candidates. Hillary was definitely in her demure era; she was trying to play nice and stick to the typical playbook. Harris’s campaign has definitely embraced the Brat vibes and is decidedly more on the offense, and is really embracing social, memes and culture. It’s been cool to see how fast her team can create response content and immediately jump into the conversation. It’s an incredible brand strategy, and I think it will definitely influence how candidates, both male and female, activate and strategize their social in the future.“

— Jolene Delisle

Willis: Kamala Harris’s campaign underscores a shift in how gender is integrated into political branding. Where Clinton’s explicit feminist messaging highlighted her role as a groundbreaking figure for women, Harris embodies a more subdued form of feminism. She integrates her identity into her platform in a way that feels authentic and organic rather than overt. This approach allows Harris to resonate with voters who value diversity and representation without risking the perception of identity politics overwhelming her platform.

This progression mirrors the changing cultural landscape, where diversity is increasingly celebrated but must be balanced with a broader message that appeals across demographics. As diversity becomes a more central expectation, female candidates may have more freedom to weave their identity into their political brands subtly. They can express modern feminism not as a standalone brand pillar, but as one of many facets that make up a well-rounded candidate. This more nuanced approach could help future female candidates navigate an increasingly scrutinized political arena by resonating with voters who see their identities as a natural part of their brand narrative, rather than its primary focus.

Clinton’s pantsuits became a symbol of her campaign, often diverting attention away from policy discussions, while Harris’s fashion choices seem to escape such scrutiny. How crucial is it for candidates’ brands to balance consistency in their visual identity with the need to focus on substantive policy?

Walsh: In political branding it’s all about balancing consistency in visual identity while keeping the focus on substantive policy. Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits became an iconic symbol, but that could distract from more important policy discussions. While visual branding creates a recognizable and cohesive image, there’s a risk when it becomes the story rather than supporting it. Kamala Harris, on the other hand, has managed to maintain a strong visual identity without her fashion choices becoming the center of attention, allowing her policies and leadership to take the spotlight.

Robinson: Visual identity is everything and these candidates know that. Picture Trump –  what is he wearing? Not a leather jacket or some True Religion bootcut jeans. He’ll be in a dark suit with a red tie or golf whites and a MAGA hat. Picture Kamala Harris. She’s in a blazer and skinny jeans and Converse, or she’s in a modern designer suit.

These are brand moments—sartorial choices that are picked because of the policies the candidates are endorsing, not despite them. Donald Trump is projecting the image of the rough businessman cutting taxes for the rich. Kamala Harris is the image of the cool aunt who is gonna kick someone’s ass for taking away your reproductive rights.

But the good news? These branding elements are really not the focus.

We’re not talking about the clothing choices, unlike Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits, which is a great thing. A lot has happened since 2016, and we don’t have time for that shit.

Jaime Robinson

Bernstein: For most candidates, it is important to build a visual identity that is inclusive and contrasts with that of your opponent. Obama had one of the strongest visual identities of any modern politician. It let him own the idea of ‘Hope and Progress.’ While that is not substantive policy, it provided a platform for him to put forward ideas that lived up to that visual promise such as healthcare for all.

Delisle: I think millennial voters were much more into political branding – I think in the time of Obama and his Shepard Fairey prints, it was much more about visual identity shaping the campaign. Now because things have shifted so much away from printed collateral, the visual identity piece to me seems less important in this election. Obviously, with MAGA, they had a very strong visual thread that was helpful for them in the last election and likely this one, too, but I think it’s smart that the Harris campaign isn’t putting as much significance on her logo or graphic elements and putting much more effort on social media like video and UGC.

“Misogyny in American culture has often resulted in undue focus on female candidates’ appearances, on both sides of the aisle. This was seen in Clinton’s campaign, where her pantsuits became a symbol that sometimes distracted from her policy platform. In contrast, Harris’s style choices are less scrutinized, reflecting a shift in the way voters and media perceive female candidates. However, this shift doesn’t imply that the biases have disappeared—they’ve just evolved.”

— Holly Willis

Holly Willis: A candidate’s brand is enhanced when visual identity serves as a subtle extension of their narrative, reinforcing their platform without distracting from the policies they champion. For example, a well-coordinated wardrobe choice can be strategically symbolic, drawing connections to the communities they represent without being explicitly gendered or politicized. It’s essential to maintain this balance to ensure the conversation remains focused on their vision and substance.

Can too much focus on visual elements risk diminishing a candidate’s brand? How can they avoid this?

Robinson: I think the conversation around Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits was problematic – it made her more lovable to her core demographic, who were finally seeing themselves represented and loved her boss bitch vibes.  But the sensible pumps and pantsuits served to “other” her to her detractors, who found her power dressing off-putting for the same reasons that her core loved it. 

But today, unless that visual element is a negative or unattractive thing, it’s not a problem. Even the infamous “orange” hue of Donald Trump’s skin is just as accepted and in some camps, celebrated as part of his brand.

Willis: An overemphasis on visual elements can indeed dilute a candidate’s brand, potentially reducing their persona to superficial traits and drawing focus away from their platform. Visual identity should be a strategic tool, enhancing the message and helping convey a sense of strength, consistency, respect, and relatability, but not becoming the focal point. Political figures can avoid this pitfall by aligning visual identity closely with their core values, reinforcing it as an extension of their messaging rather than an attention-grabbing element on its own.

For candidates today, the goal should be to integrate these elements as part of a comprehensive brand that resonates with voter segments. By thoughtfully choosing elements that reflect broader narratives—such as inclusivity, relatability, and authenticity — they can create a memorable visual presence that supports, rather than overshadows, their policies. This balance is especially important in a media environment that often emphasizes imagery, where strategic visual choices can enhance a candidate’s connection with voters.

Clinton faced relentless negative media coverage, while Harris appears to have avoided similar levels of personal scrutiny. How should political candidates handle the branding impact of personal attacks? What strategies from the private sector can help create resilient brands that can withstand media controversies and misinformation?

Walsh: Political candidates can handle personal attacks by focusing on consistency, transparency, and staying true to their core message—much like successful brands in the private sector. Just as companies respond to negative press by controlling the narrative, candidates should address false claims directly, clarify their stance, and reinforce their values without letting attacks overshadow their campaign. By using crisis management strategies from the business world—such as clear communication, proactive messaging, and staying authentic—candidates can build resilience and maintain focus on their leadership and policy goals, ensuring that negative media doesn’t dominate or derail their brand.

Robinson: If you’re running for president, criticism from someone (or many someones) is part of the job description. The key is, no matter the heat, to stay true to the brand. Candidates must stay authentic, and not waver just because they ruffled some feathers. They likely also strengthened some feathers, and if they change course because of the criticism, everybody will register them as fakes. 

As with marketing brands, you can’t be everything to everybody. And the most vital thing is to be “on brand” to yourself.

Willis: One key strategy is to establish a clear, positive narrative around their identity, consistently highlighting their values and achievements. This creates a “brand foundation” that can anchor public perception, making it more challenging for opponents to erode their credibility. In the face of attacks, it’s also effective to address issues head-on when appropriate, deflecting distractions but responding thoughtfully to misinformation.

Resilience also comes from transparency and trust-building. Private-sector brands often use authenticity to connect with audiences, and candidates can similarly counteract negative coverage by being candid and accessible. Misinformation is a constant threat, and successful brands emphasize fact-based storytelling, engaging directly with audiences to set the record straight and offer a counter-narrative that reinforces their values.

Directly addressing a baseless claim not only clarifies their stance but also builds credibility with voters, showing an alignment with the facts over spin.

Holly Willis

With Kamala Harris benefitting from the cultural groundwork laid by Clinton and Shirley Chisholm, how important do you believe timing is in a candidate’s branding success?

Walsh: Timing is critical in a candidate’s branding success, and Kamala Harris’s rise is a great example. She built on the groundwork laid by figures like Clinton and Shirley Chisholm, and her campaign’s timing was key. As many grew weary of Biden’s traditional leadership, Harris brought fresh energy and hope, representing diversity and progress. The joy surrounding her candidacy was not only about her qualifications but the emotional response to seeing a leader who people were excited to get behind. Harris’s timing allowed her brand to resonate at a moment when the public craved new, dynamic representation.

Robinson: Timing – for candidate brands and brand brands – is everything. Is the world ready for what your brand has to say?

“Timing is very important to a candidate’s ability to brand themselves. There are moments like the one we are in today, when it is a coming of age, or generation. It is an inflection point that speaks to a readiness to embrace something new. We saw that with Obama. And I believe we are seeing that now.”

— Ruth Bernstein

Bernstein: Kamala’s womanhood is not as important as other factors. Her age, for one, is a more important factor than her gender. With Kamala, we are seeing her flex her GenX attributes more than her femaleness. And that is relevant to the moment we are in – the age of Biden and the age of Trump and the desire for a new generation of leadership.

Willis: Timing is a critical factor. Harris, for example, is benefiting from the cultural groundwork laid by earlier trailblazers who helped shift societal perceptions of female and diverse leadership. These predecessors opened the door for a more complex, intersectional understanding of identity in politics, allowing Harris to subtly embrace her own diverse background while focusing on policy-driven messaging.

Furthermore, Me Too shifted public consciousness around gender, power, and representation, allowing the political landscape to adapt. Harris’s ability to incorporate her identity without making it a constant focal point reflects this change.

A candidate’s success depends on how aligned their brand is with the public’s evolving expectations and the cultural zeitgeist. As society increasingly values diversity and inclusion, candidates like Harris are better positioned to capitalize on this shift, embodying leadership that resonates with a multi-dimensional, multi-generational electorate. Today, aligning personal identity with policy is as important as having the right message—it’s also about delivering it at the right moment, in a way that feels timely, authentic, and relevant.

In what ways do you see candidates balancing their personal narratives with the evolving societal context during their campaigns? Take Harris’ approach to highlighting her gender, for example.

Walsh: Candidates today must align their personal stories with the shifting cultural zeitgeist, where representation and authenticity are highly valued. Kamala Harris’s nuanced approach to highlighting her gender reflects a broader trend of political figures adapting their identity strategies to align with the cultural moment. Rather than making her gender the sole focus, Harris weaves it into a larger narrative of competence, experience, and representation, allowing her to connect with diverse groups without being reduced to a singular identity.

Robinson: Harris is smart. She’s not taking the gender bait, for either the positive or the negative. Even more interestingly, nobody else really seems all that concerned with it. We’re all so entrenched in our political sides that either party could run a hippopotamus and still get votes. In fact, Moo Deng would probably crush it.

Willis: Harris’s approach illustrates a broader trend in which political figures integrate aspects of their identity into their brand strategies without necessarily making them the centerpiece. This allows candidates to connect with voters on shared values, using their identity as a touchpoint that builds relatability while focusing on policy. In today’s social climate, where identity is often deeply intertwined with political beliefs, this balanced approach enables leaders to reflect the diversity of their constituencies without alienating key voter demographics.

As societal expectations evolve, political candidates are finding ways to weave personal narratives into their campaigns subtly. They leverage cultural references, such as Harris’s allusions to trending topics like Beyoncé or Taylor Swift, to underscore their connections to various communities. This nuanced branding strategy suggests that candidates can benefit from staying attuned to cultural shifts and adopting a flexible approach that allows them to resonate across generations. At the same time, it acknowledges that while identity politics remains a powerful tool, it must be wielded thoughtfully to avoid alienating groups with different priorities.

However, aligning with cultural trends in this way carries risks. In today’s fast-paced media environment, one misstep can lead to accusations of inauthenticity or pandering, undermining the intended connection. Voters, especially younger generations, are highly attuned to authenticity and quick to call out anything that feels disingenuous. Therefore, it’s a delicate balance: candidates must lean into their personal experiences and core values to connect with cultural topics and trends genuinely, rather than opportunistically.

We are less than a week away from Election Day, Tuesday, November 5. For all of our futures, this election is critical and your voice matters. If you need any voting registration help or info finding the nearest polling booth to you, learn more here.

Campaign imagery © KamalaHarris.com and Harris campaign social feeds.

The post Five Design Leaders on the Evolution of the Female Presidential Candidate appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“When I dreamed up this idea, there was no place for Muslims of a left-leaning political ideology to engage in critical discourse about the world we live in and how we want it to look different,” she says, noting that there were indeed magazines focusing on Black Muslim identity like Sapelo Square, or gender identity, like altMuslimah—but nothing broadly focused on the left side of the political spectrum. “Islam informs so much of my political values, and I knew the same was true for others. I saw that magazines such as Jewish Currents had created this space to critically reflect on community and politics, and I thought that was so needed in the American Muslim community.”

Ahmed partnered with creative director Arsh Raziuddin—former AD of The Atlantic and The New York Times’ Opinion section, and former creative director of Bon Appétit—and Acacia was born online and semi-annually in print.

Its first issue released earlier this year, covering a broad spectrum of politics and culture, with fiction, poetry and art to boot: In “The Myth of Bodily Autonomy,” Natalia Latif explored the impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Muslim response; Sarah Aziza penned an essay on growing up the child of a Palestinian Muslim father and an American Christian mother; Shamira Ibrahim documented the use and impact of “Arab scales” in Western music; Mariam Rahmani and Lamya H discussed Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir.

The latest issue, released this month, meanwhile, focuses on Palestine. There’s Sanya Mansoor’s “Fury at the Ballot Box”; Matene Toure’s interview with scholar Zoé Samudzi on the historical use of the word genocide; Maira Khwaja’s look at torture, from Guantanamo to Gaza; a profile of poet Mosab Abu Toha.

Underscoring it all: Raziuddin’s deft design and art direction, supplemented by visual contributions from some of the industry’s best creatives. 

Below, Ahmed and Raziuddin tell us more about the publication, which is further building out a community through sold-out launches and other events. 

Tell us about the need for a publication like this today.
Ahmed: It’s no secret that Muslim-, Arab- and Palestinian-allied journalists are being censored in mainstream media, especially in the last year. We think in light of that censorship, it’s more critical than ever that Muslim voices have a platform to report honestly about the state of our world. 

Raziuddin: This kind of censorship seeps into the world of art, affecting what stories we can share visually and how they are commissioned. It’s important to involve Muslim artists and photographers in a wide range of topics, so we aren’t limited to narratives of war, pain, and exoticism.

Arsh, at what point did you get involved? How did the two of you first connect?
Raziuddin: Hira and I had a meet-cute in an elevator. We were both going to another literary magazine party and introduced ourselves. I asked if she was a writer and she said she’s starting a lefty Muslim magazine. The rest was history. 

Tell us about the significance of the name Acacia, and how it represents your overall mission.
Ahmed: Our name is a reference to the acacia tree (Vachellia seyal). It’s generally thought to be a tree under which Prophet Muhammad and early followers of Islam sought respite and prayed. In that same tradition, Acacia is a gathering place.

Raziuddin: I imagine the tree taking on various forms, adapting alongside different letters, abstracting itself into varied versions as the magazine evolves.

What made you decide to launch Acacia in print?
Ahmed: Publishing a print edition allows us to build a tangible and enduring legacy of American Muslim political, cultural and artistic production. The internet may seem like forever, but everything on it is ultimately ephemeral. Because most of us don’t own the platforms that host our data, apart from some commendable archival efforts, we have limited tools to preserve our stories for future generations.

We hope that years from now, the back issues of Acacia will tell the story of what it meant to be a Muslim in America during critical political and cultural moments. 

Hira Ahmed

Tell us a bit about the editorial breakdown/architecture of the magazine, and how it’s arranged.
Raziuddin: Acacia is broken down into different sections, similar but not necessarily dependent on the front, middle, and back of a book, like a traditional magazine. We have a mix of personal essays, reported essays, feature stories, interviews, poetry, and a photo essay.

How have you selected the issue themes so far?
Ahmed: Our first issue was finalized before Oct. 7, 2023. In some ways, that feels like a different world, and the American Muslim community is certainly in a very different place since the beginning of the genocide. But in the pre-Oct. 7th world, we wanted to tell stories that were affecting us intra-communally. Our cover story “Navigating Culture Wars” from the first issue really captures that effort. It was about rising homophobia in the American Muslim community and specifically an open letter penned by prominent American Muslim imams condemning queerness. I think it resonated with readers because it was something everyone was talking about in the group chat, but, prior to Acacia, there was no space to formally unpack and analyze the subject matter of that story. 

The second issue is about Palestine. The genocide has been an all-consuming issue for American Muslims in the past year. It’s hard to imagine how that isn’t the case for everyone. As the genocide worsens, Gaza moves further back into the pages of newspapers. It’s a real shame. 

What has been your approach to the stories within? You have assembled such a powerful collection across a broad swath.
Ahmed: We are lucky that such incredible writers want to work with us! There is no shortage of talent in our communities and it’s been such an honor to be able to highlight that. A lot of writers are already thinking about the issues we discuss in the magazine, and we provide a home for that writing. Other times, as fans of certain writers, we will commission pieces that we think our readers would want to read. We have a brilliant group of editors who commission pieces and we deliberate together about what makes it into the issue. 

What are your favorite pieces that you’ve run to date?
Raziuddin: It’s hard to pick just one favorite, but I really loved Shamira Ibrahim’s piece on the Arab Scale from Issue 1, and Matene Toure’s interview on genocide in the latest issue. Amir Hamja’s portrait of Noura Erakat in this second issue was absolutely stunning and complemented her interview perfectly.

What has been the most challenging part of the whole endeavor so far?
Ahmed: It’s a logistically large undertaking.

Raziuddin: Especially with a small team, we’re really breaking new ground. There aren’t many folks doing what we’re doing in this way, and we’re creating our own path.

Tell us about the look you set out to achieve through the design.
Raziuddin: I want to strike the right balance between showcasing our community’s artwork and styles that we cherish, while also embracing a modern editorial language and design system. It’s a tricky line to walk.

Tell us a bit about the first two covers.
Raziuddin: In our inaugural issue, we were so lucky to feature Cassi Namoda as our cover artist. Her work is so beautiful—steeped in history and rich with narrative. Sad Man With Roses (awaits his beloved), 2020, captures a tender, poetic quality that was a perfect fit for our first cover. …

For our second cover, we were honored to feature a photograph by Taysir Batniji, a gifted Palestinian artist born in Gaza. His photo essay, Fathers, carries a haunting depth. Each image tells a story of lineage and family, echoing profound themes of loss and memory. It captures what we leave behind in times of war and genocide, highlighting how we, as a community, navigate and reshape our history. This issue confronts the ongoing devastation in Palestine and its broader impact on the Muslim world, while also addressing the rising tide of Islamophobia. We’re thankful for the artists who help us uncover and share the truth through their work. This series was captured back in 2006, many years before Oct. 7, 2023. 

Overall, what has the reception been like so far?
Ahmed: We’ve been really moved by the response. There’s nothing more rewarding than having a journalist or a fellow reader express gratitude for Acacia. My favorite anecdote is when we heard from a college student that he was going to cite one of our stories in his senior thesis. 

Raziuddin: A friend shared that a young Muslim girl, a budding artist, cried when she held the magazine. It made me cry!

Editor’s Note: PRINT Magazine is committed to publishing a diversity of opinions.

The post Meet ‘Acacia’, a New Print Magazine for the Muslim Left appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Be sure to subscribe to our emails to learn when and where to enter your best work this year!

If any brand has an opportunity to take advantage of its leadership position in the category and elevate itself from a functional to an emotional brand, Bear Naked can. The team from Leo Burnett Chicago designed a campaign for hikers (and adult outdoor recreation enthusiasts in general) to think “Bear Naked” instead of “granola” because the company is a brand people love for its real ingredients, incredible taste, and commitment to the things they care about.

As part of this campaign, Leo Burnett designed a guidebook, “The Guide to Hiking Naked: The Essential Handbook for Nude Hikers,” winning first place in The 2024 PRINT Awards’ Brochures and Catalogs category.

Powered by Gaia GPS, a popular trail app, the design team deployed a new tool that replaces what used to be primarily done through word-of-mouth, marking trails as either friendly or unfriendly. The designers created an ownable moment for Bear Naked, kicking off on Naked Hiking Day 2023, that not only brought attention to the activity but empowered current (and curious) naked hikers to explore nature and reap all of its benefits confidently and safely. They achieved this through a bold, multi-pronged experience that grabbed the attention of hikers and non-hikers alike through its bare-all, grass-roots approach.

To get the word out, the team partnered with the name in all things outdoor, Outside Inc. Together, they embarked on a journey that included custom articles and how-to’s for enjoying hiking nude, partnership with influential outdoor personalities, video content delivered via CTV in outdoor-related contexts, cross-platform social engagement encouraging use of the app, a home-page takeover, and media outreach to garner earned coverage.

Oh, and so hikers don’t have to worry about leaving their granola at home, the design team created a hiker’s belt that holds a strategically placed bag of granola to cover up those who dare to be bare.

The post Leo Burnett Chicago Gets Bare Naked appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Mostafa Asadollahi was among the first graduates of the Graphic Design program at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, in 1976. Unlike the previous generation of graphic designers, mainly painting graduates, Asadollahi studied graphic design academically, though he had previously studied painting at the Tehran School of Fine Arts. Asadollahi found influence in teachers such as Morteza Momayez and Jalal Shabahangi in the field of graphic design and by professors like Karl Schlamminger, Rouin Pakbaz, Sima Kouban, Violette Mottahedeh, and Parviz Tanavoli, who taught the foundations of art. He describes that period: “Part of the exercises in college were related to the pure and essential expressions of graphic design, where we sought concepts. There, I developed an interest in simple and unadorned graphic design: the fewest fonts and colors for the greatest expression.” Subsequently, Asadollahi’s graphic design oeuvre draws on geometry, which is influenced by modernism and constructivism. His refined approach later incorporated classical Iranian art, making him one of Iran’s most unique and celebrated graphic designers.

Clockwise, from upper left: (1) Poster, The 9th Tehran International Poster Biennial, 2007; (2) Logo, Tehran International Poster Biennial, 2004; (3) Poster, Book Week, 1993; (4) Logotype, Kalameh weekly magazine, 1992; (5) Logotype, International News Network, 2001

Mostafa Asadollahi’s influence in my life reflects his generous nature and professional character as a mentor, graphic designer, friend, and colleague. All three roles hold equal priority; just as his role as a designer was of particular significance, his roles as a teacher and colleague were equally important. Asadollahi’s aesthetic, which made use of the three primary shapes, makes me think of each as an aspect of his influence: squares symbolizing his role as an educator, triangles a nod to his identity as a designer, and circles encompassing his professional persona.

Mentor

My most fundamental relationship with Mostafa Asadollahi involves his mentorship. He was one of the most influential, disciplined, and capable instructors during my studies at the College of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran in the 1990s. Having dedicated nearly three decades of his professional life to education, his passion for teaching was evident, paying attention to each student’s needs and supporting their growth. He was a beloved educator. His classes, especially those on poster and packaging design, are fond memories of my studies in the early 1990s. Asadollahi modeled strategy, discipline, and structure in the graphic design practice, which significantly impacted my work. His authorship of three books from the “Graphic Design Fundamentals for Visual Communication” series, including Environmental Graphic Design (2016), The Language and Expression of Imagery (2018), and Poster Design (2022), is the result of over five decades of teaching and professional experience.

Graphic Designer

Following in the footsteps of great designers such as Sadegh Barirani, Morteza Momayez, Ghobad Shiva, Mohammad Ehsaei, Farshid Mesghali, and Ebrahim Haghighi, I found Mostafa Asadollahi to be a uniquely distinguished graphic designer. Initially, I found his works overly rigid, but as I became more familiar with his perspective, I realized that he was a graphic designer unlike any who came before or after. One of his most brilliant works, a poster for the 5th Biennial Exhibition of Works by Iranian Graphic Designers (1996), helped me grasp the depth of his point of view as a graphic designer. In the poster, the tree balances simplicity and visual complexity, a nod to the dynamism of the graphic design profession. This work opened my eyes to his earlier poster masterpieces—such as the one for the Iranian Cultural Exhibition in Almaty (1992) and later works like the Book Week poster (1997). Asadollahi also designed remarkable logos for various companies and institutions, including Asia Insurance (1990), International News Network (2001), and the Tehran International Poster Biennial (2004), which, after nearly three decades, remain fresh, effective, and relevant.

Left: Poster, Exhibition of Iranian Culture in Kazakhstan, 1992; Right: Poster, Book Week, 1997

Logotypes: (Top) Day Bank, 2009; (Bottom Left) Asia Insurance Company, 1990; (Bottom right) Taban Printing, 1996

Friend and Colleague

The Iranian Graphic Designers’ Society (IGDS), established in 1998 through the persistence of Morteza Momayez and the collective efforts of several graphic designers, played a significant role in my relationship with Mostafa Asadollahi as a friend and colleague. During the three years (2003 to 2006) when he served as the board of directors president, I had the opportunity to work closely with him as the board treasurer. At that time, in addition to teaching and his professional graphic design work, he dedicated a large portion of his daily schedule to guild activities, organizing, and managing the profession of graphic design. This aspect of his personality reminded me that graphic designers must pay attention to industry and professional matters alongside their educational and professional responsibilities to ensure strong and enduring societies (outside of the governmental realm).

Posters, left to right: Commemoration of the Cultural Heritage & the International Museum Day, 2002; Polish Posters 2, 1973; Poster, Coffee-House Painting Exhibition, 2007

In 2019, when he was living in Toronto, his collection of works, Fifty Years of Graphic Design by Mostafa Asadollahi: 1968–2018, was published in Tehran. I brought him a copy on a trip to Toronto, but I couldn’t resist asking if I could open the package to have the first look. It was a fitting and comprehensive look at Asadollahi’s life and career. Though Mostafa Asadollahi, the patient teacher, brilliant graphic designer, and my responsible friend and colleague, is no longer with us, his legacy lives on among Iran’s most influential graphic designers.

Majid Abbasi is the design director of Studio Abbasi, an internationally active studio based in Tehran and Toronto. He leads design projects for start-ups, non-profits, and cultural institutions, specializing in visual identity and wayfinding. A member of IGDS and AGI, Abbasi contributes to the global design scene as an instructor, jury member, and writer. From 2010 to 2020, he was editor-in-chief of Neshan, Iran’s leading graphic design magazine. He is currently editing a book on the history of Iranian graphic design.

The post Remembering Mostafa Asadollahi (1950-2024) appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Identity Politics is a column written by veteran journalist Susan Milligan, covering the big issues in the socio-political ether as they intersect with design, art, and other modes of visual communication.

Hillary Clinton has a long career of being first. First female chair of the Legal Services Corporation in 1978. The first woman to be made a partner at the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock the following year. First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady of the country (and first First Lady to hold a law degree), the first woman to be elected a US senator from New York (and first First Lady elected to the Senate). The first woman to win the Iowa caucuses and, of course, the first woman to win a major party nomination for president.

The ultimate first – making it to the Oval Office job – was beyond her grasp. And her 2016 loss had all the elements of the frustrations women have endured in less-publicized employment struggles: she won the popular vote but didn’t get the job because of arcane rules that are the election equivalent of old boy’s club practices that keep women out of the room where it happens. And the presidency didn’t just go to any man, but a man who was notorious for his misogynistic remarks, a man not stopped even when a recording emerged the month before the election in which he bragged about being able to “do anything” to women, even “grab ’em by the pussy,” because he was famous.

Such is the painful conundrum of being a trailblazing woman. You often get burned.

Now, Kamala Harris is trying to be the first woman president. And she’s avoiding some of the pitfalls that beleaguered Clinton because Harris is not actually branding herself as the would-be first woman president – let alone the first Black and Asian woman president.

Even though she is facing the same general election foe Clinton did (and Trump has actually escalated his misogynistic rhetoric this time around), Harris doesn’t draw attention to her gender or to the historic possibilities of her candidacy. It’s just there, without her remarking on it.

Hillary Clinton made her femaleness a part of her campaign – sometimes awkwardly so: in her first run, in 2008, she needled primary opponent Barack Obama for being a bit too sensitive to criticism. “I’m with Harry Truman on this,” Clinton said at a Pennsylvania rally that year. “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Just speaking for myself, I am very comfortable in the kitchen.”

Harris, meanwhile, unironically talks about her favorite method of preparing collard greens: washing them in the bathtub and cooking them with bacon fat, garlic, and chili peppers. But it’s not in the reassuring context of – don’t worry; I still cook for my husband and kids even though I want to have my finger on the nuclear button. It’s just foodie talk.

Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits were a consistent topic of media conversation, despite the fact that the pantsuit was designed to serve as an unremarkable campaign uniform, much like a man’s suit. Harris wears pantsuits – sometimes with fashionable heels, sometimes with comfortable kicks – but there’s nary a mention of it in stories about her rallies. And while there have indeed been comments about Harris’s looks (Trump seems particularly obsessed with it, complaining about descriptions of Harris as a “beautiful woman,” and insisting he’s better looking than she is), it was Clinton who was the subject of a Washington Post story about displaying “cleavage” on the Senate floor (she didn’t, really, unless you looked very closely). And it seems an absurd observation now when we have a US senator content to wear hoodies and cargo pants on the Senate floor.

Harris has been sexualized, to be sure, with the right-wing suggestion that she “slept her way to the top” because she once dated former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown (never mind that she was a district attorney, state attorney general, and U.S. senator). But the slurs haven’t filtered into the mainstream media coverage of her, even on a sanitized or wink-wink level. Clinton, meanwhile, always had the albatross of her own marriage around her neck – blamed for staying with a straying husband.

Harris’s gender is an asset this year in a way that has zero to do with any kind of “first.” With reproductive rights a central issue in the election, Harris has an inherent credibility on the issue even the most pro-choice man in politics can never have. Her candidacy underscores the perverse contradiction this fall: can we really be ready to elect our first female president, even as women’s bodies have been increasingly under the control of the state? She doesn’t have to talk about how personally insulting it is to her, as a woman. It’s obvious.

And Harris has Clinton to thank for taking the front-line assault in the presidential gender wars. To be sure, Shirley Chisholm took the worst of it in 1972, when the idea of a woman (especially a Black woman) running for president was so anathema to American politics and culture that she wasn’t even allowed to participate in televised primary debates (only after legal action was she allowed to make one speech). She simply wasn’t taken seriously as a candidate for the highest office in the land.

Clinton was taken seriously, making the attacks on her more personal and arguably more vicious. And it paved the path for Harris, who could not have run a campaign so remarkably un-gendered if Clinton had not taken the hits first. Some of it is the times – people are more used to women leaders, making the possibility of a female president more normal and arguably inevitable. Clinton, too, reads more like a 1970s-era feminist, Wayne State University associate professor Janine Lanza, an expert on gender and politics, observed to me – and younger women can’t relate to that as much. Harris epitomizes a more modern kind of feminist. She doesn’t talk about it directly; she just lives it. And thanks to the advance work of trailblazers like Chisholm and Clinton, she just might end up living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

For added commentary, PRINT’s Amelia Nash reached out to design industry leaders for their take on the topic of gender, identity, and brand as they intersect in politics and electioneering. Read their responses here.

More topics in this series:

What the Age-Old Campaign Against Childfree Cat Ladies Doesn’t Get

Susan Milligan is an award-winning veteran journalist covering politics, culture, foreign affairs, and business in Washington, DC, New York, and Eastern Europe. A former writer for the New York Daily News, the Boston Globe, and US News & World Report, she was among a team of authors of the New York Times bestseller Last Lion: The Rise and Fall of Ted Kennedy. A proud Buffalo native, Milligan lives in northern Virginia.

Header image composite by Debbie Millman.

The post Kitchens, Pantsuits, and Cleavage Oh My! Running for President While Female appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

These are some of the questions UK-based graphic designer Conor Foran found himself asking, spurred by his own journey with stammering. This reflection led to his development of the Dysfluent Mono typeface along with his wider project, Dysfluent, in 2017.

Through art, design, and curation, Dysfluent intersects the lived experience of dysfluency with creativity, activism, and social justice. Through Dysfluent, Foran collaborates with people who stammer, artists, speech therapists, academics, activists, organizations, and allies. One component of the Dysfluent project is an independent magazine of the same name, that explores the lived experience of stammering. Designed by Foran, the publication deploys the Dysfluent Mono typeface throughout its eye-catching and thoughtful pages, that visually portray the sounds, rhythms, patterns, and experiences of a stammer.

Foran has released two issues of the magazine, with a third currently in production. A digital version of issues one and two are available through Dysfluent’s online shop, with a hard copy of issue two distributed in the UK, Europe, Asia, and North America by Antenne Books.

More than a magazine, Foran has created a movement. Using his skills as a graphic designer and keen editorial design eye, through Dysfluent, Foran has helped cultivate a community centered around celebration and reclamation for those who stutter.

Stammering pride contends that verbal diversity is rich with meaning in its own right, and deserves to exist outside of a clinical lens of needing to be “fixed” or “cured.” 

Today, October 22nd, marks International Stuttering Awareness Day, a moment dedicated to sharing information about the realities of stuttering more widely and honoring the stuttering community at large. We’re thrilled to highlight Dysfluent and Foran’s work as part of the international celebration. Foran answered a few of my questions about the Dysfluent story below, including reflections on his editorial design, developing the Stammering Pride flag, and what he has planned next for the project.

Can you describe Dysfluent and its mission? What are you hoping to accomplish with Dysfluent?

Dysfluent is a collaborative and creative practice about stammering, a speech disability (also known as stuttering). Through art and design, it intersects the lived experience of dysfluency with creativity, activism, and social justice. So far, it has produced a stammering font, a magazine, a stammering pride flag, and, most recently, a billboard for Whitney Museum’s 2024 Biennial in New York City.

Dysfluent is led by me, Conor Foran. I collaborate with people who stammer, artists, speech therapists, academics, activists, organizations, and allies from around the world to contribute to a growing stuttering culture based around pride. Stammering pride contends that verbal diversity is rich with meaning in its own right and deserves to exist outside of a clinical lens of needing to be “fixed” or “cured.”

What’s the origin story of Dysfluent? How did the idea for a magazine reflecting the stammering community come about?

Dysfluent as a project happened very much organically, as I investigated my relationship with my own speech. While I am a proud person who stammers now, I wasn’t back in 2017 when I started creating the Dysfluent Mono typeface and magazine in college. Looking back, the project was a form of self-therapy that I still practice today. 

My experience with speech therapy was limited, and I wasn’t part of the stammering community as I am now. When creating content for the magazine, I met another person who stammers for the first time. What was an intensely personal project naturally evolved into a community-facing one. I’m very grateful to the stammering community that has embraced all the Dysfluent projects, from everyday people who stammer and parents of kids who stammer, to academics and therapists. 

The typeface is used in the magazine to proudly represent the voice of the interviewees. The magazine explores the lived experience of stammering through interviews and essays, facilitating contrasting and challenging views. It has published two issues so far. 

When it comes to the design of the magazine (and your beautiful website, merch, flag, etc.) can you speak to some of the visual choices you made to reflect stammering and how those were developed?

The typeface Dysfluent Mono is based on the three kinds of stammering: repetitions, prolongations, and blocks. I made special letterforms that repeat parts of themselves until they form the actual character, as well as characters that stretch their forms. Blocks are represented as multiple spaces. While ideas of stammering pride didn’t really exist when I created the typeface, looking back, the approach I took was very pride-coded. I interpreted my speech as forming over time, rather than being fragmented or broken. To consider stammering or dysfluency as not the antithesis of fluency is still a radical idea for a lot of people. 

To consider stammering or dysfluency as not the antithesis of fluency is still a radical idea for a lot of people.

For Issue 2 two, I asked how can a magazine itself stammer? The cover unfolds to reveal an inner dialogue amongst stammering letterforms. The issue’s title stammers across the spine. The “pull quotes” remain in their paragraphs, challenging the idea of the perfectly said phrase. Each interview is set in Dysfluent Mono. The expressive, typographic illustrations are inspired by the uniqueness of the interviewee’s voice. The magazine creatively questions society’s obsession with hyper-fluency, which leaves little room for organic moments in language.

Outside of the magazine, the typeface has been used in ZEIT and the “Stuttering Can Create Time” billboard for Whitney Museum’s 2024 Biennial with the collective People Who Stutter Create.

How have your skills as a graphic designer given you the power to make such an impact in stammering awareness?

My interest in typography in college laid the foundations for me to reconsider how my own voice could be represented in text. Making stammering visually beautiful, striking, and in some ways appealing empowers, me (and other people) to be proud of how I talk. I think it also speaks to a wider idea of what it means to be legible in both a linguistic and typographic sense. There is value to be found in visual and auditory dysfluency.

Making stammering visually beautiful, striking, and in some ways appealing empowers, me (and other people) to be proud of how I talk.

The medical model of needing to “fix” the stammer has dominated the stammering community up until a few years ago. As such, the graphic design of stammering only existed in clinical or organizational spaces. A lot of this visual design relies on tropes such as mouths, speech bubbles, and splintered, fractured, or broken typography.

There is now an emerging stuttering culture of visual art, design, music, poetry, and literature that explore the generative power of dysfluency by people who stammer, such as JJJJJerome Ellis, Willemijn Bolks, Paul Aston, and Jordan Scott. I consider my work in the stammering community to push past awareness and instead instill action. As the world becomes more and more accepting of difference, why shouldn’t stammering be included too?

I consider my work in the stammering community to push past awareness and instead instill action. As the world becomes more and more accepting of difference, why shouldn’t stammering be included too?

What was the development process of the Stammering Pride flag like? Can you unpack the design for me a bit?

The Making Waves flag was made by seven people who stammer from various countries: JJJJJerome Ellis, Kristel Kubart, Laura Lascău, Patrick Campbell, Paul Aston, Ramdeep Roman, and myself. We’ve titled it “a stammering pride flag” as it’s up to people who stammer if they identify with this design and approach we have taken. This flag is an invitation.

Water has long been associated with stammering and speech. We were eager to build upon work by the stammering community in a meaningful way, emphasizing that stuttering is as natural as whirling waves and calm creeks. The design visualizes three values: the sea-green symbolizes the existing community that has used this color for stuttering awareness since 2009; the wave motif symbolizes stammering as a natural, varied phenomenon; and the ultramarine symbolizes the progress and passion of the stuttering pride movement.

The flag has been flown by people all around the world. Kids who stammer and their parents have also responded to it so well, which has been a really amazing surprise!

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced with this project so far? What’s been the most rewarding aspect?

The biggest challenge I’ve faced is finding time to work on it! While I feel like I’ve produced a lot under the Dysfluent name, I still have so many ideas I want to develop. But because it’s a niche, there isn’t much money to be made, so it can be hard to devote time to the work.

My biggest reward has definitely been finding community. It still amazes me when I get an email or message from someone in a far-away country wanting to collaborate or just describing how Dysfluent represents them so well. The project also allows me to be a designer, artist, writer, facilitator… basically anything that needs to be done. While I enjoy being a generalist, it’s also taught me the importance of collaboration. 

What do you have planned next for Dysfluent?

The next Dysfluent-ism is an upcoming visual art exhibition in London, titled “Wouldn’t You Rather Talk Like Us?” with painter Paul Aston. It’s opening on November 29 and is supported by Arts Council England. The hand-made Making Waves flag will be on show in addition to some new work I can’t wait for people to see!

I’m also excited to start working on Issue 3 of the magazine next year. Overall, I’ll continue to position Dysfluent as a collaborative practice— forming alliances with people who stammer, therapists, and academics, to create work that both celebrates and challenges what we think about stammering.

The post Conor Foran Spreads Stammering Pride through ‘Dysfluent’ Magazine appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

At the first of two special PRINT Book Clubs this October, Debbie Millman and Steven Heller welcomed Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller to the stage to discuss her new book, Here: Where The Black Designers Are.

So, where are the black designers? As Holmes-Miller contends, “We’ve always been here. As long as Black people have been in this country, there have been Black designers. We go back to the slave artisans.” Here recognizes and celebrates this long history.

Holmes-Miller’s Here is part memoir, starting with her familial connection to art and design through her Danish and West Indian heritage and then her recognition of those threads as she began her design studies and scholarship.

The book is also part investigation, part urgent call for justice and recognition for Black designers, and part passing of the baton.

When asked why this book and why now, Holmes-Miller said, “I felt a deep sense of responsibility to put things in order, to document everything about the advocacy.”

When the elders go, so goes the library.

Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller, adapted from an African proverb.

A big part of Holmes-Miller’s journey of uplifting designers of color is to save the artifacts and history of Black graphic designers for future generations. She talked at length about her archives at Stanford, working with families to preserve this essential history—people like Dorothy Hayes, the co-curator of a 1970 exhibition about the Black artist in visual communication, whom Holmes-Miller features prominently in Here.

How do you encapsulate a life of advocacy? We only scratched the surface. During our conversation with Holmes-Miller, the engaged audience asked so many questions that our event ran long. We hope you’ll register here to watch the recording and check out some of the links below.

Here is an invaluable resource for graphic design professionals, teachers, and students. If you haven’t purchased your copy of Here: Where The Black Designers Are, get your copy here.

Header image © Olivier O. Kpognon.

Further reading:

“Be Better than the History I’ve Traveled:” A Chat with Cheryl D. Miller

Five Essential Books to Decolonize Your Studio, Library, and Classroom

Living History: Connecting the Threads Between Juneteenth and the Story of Black Graphic Designers

Black and White: A Portfolio of 40 Statements (1969)

Miller-Holmes’ 1987 article, Black Designers: Missing in Action

For more PRINT Book Club this month, join us this Thursday, October 24 at 4 PM ET for Let The Sun In, a new monograph on the life and work of Alexander Girard by Todd Oldham and Kiera Coffee. Register to attend here!

The post PRINT Book Club Recap with Designer, Writer, and Activist Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

A great title captures the spirit, psychology, mood, and inner-logic of the show in surprising, powerful ways. Something you feel, not something you necessarily know or understand. 

When season one of The White Lotus first aired on HBO in 2021, it quickly became the it show of the summer, with a scenery-chewing ensemble cast and incisive social commentary. But while many people were coming to the series for Jennifer Coolidge’s line reading and showrunner Mike White’s dark humor, they were staying for the show’s opening title sequence. Mike White worked with creative studio Plains of Yonder for the opening titles of both season one and season two of the hit show, each of which broke through the title sequence space and into mainstream culture.

Plains of Yonder is far from a one-hit wonder with The White Lotus, having designed equally impressive and impactful opening titles for other series as well, including seasons one and two of Amazon Studios’ The Rings of Power and Netflix’s The Decameron. The studio received two Emmy nominations in 2023 for Outstanding Main Title for Rings of Power and The White Lotus.

As an opening titles obsessive myself, I leapt at the opportunity to connect with Plains of Yonder Creative Directors Katrina Crawford and Mark Bashore to learn more about their process. Their responses to my questions are below.

What makes a successful opening title sequence?

For us, a great title captures the spirit, psychology, mood, and inner logic of the show in surprising, powerful ways. Something you feel, not something you necessarily know or understand. 

Building excitement and bringing viewers into the world of the show is also crucial. Main titles are unique in that if they hit the mark, they are watched repeatedly. We keep this in mind when creating. “Do I want to watch this again?” “Do I get something energetically or detail-wise with repeat viewing?”

Sometimes, a viewer sees a title and feels an immediate connection, as if an internal secret message has been sent, to the point that the viewer can say to themselves, “This feels like it was made exactly for me!” It actually does happen once in a blue moon, and we’re in the game for those moments. 

What’s your team’s typical development process for a given title sequence?

Each main title project is a puzzle, which can be solved in different ways. And like a puzzle, we start experimenting.  An idea can start with the psychology behind the show, music, emotions, or even a contextual component of the show, like a time period. 

We focus on mood, feeling, pace, and psychology way more than “design.”

We focus on mood, feeling, pace, and psychology way more than “design.” We try not to actually “design” any imagery until the idea is well set in our mind’s eye. 

I’m interested in your old-school approach and how you still mostly create your titles by hand. Why do you continue to use these processes? What do these techniques bring to a title sequence that is lost with more digital, modern-day alternatives?

More than old-school techniques, we are attracted to timelessness in work and titles that are concise in their concept. Each main title is so catered to the show, that it demands different techniques, pacing, and mood. We like the goal of keeping viewers less aware of the techniques used for creation, and more able to enjoy the feeling of a title. Truth be told, they are often more complicated to execute than meets the eye. 

Additionally, Plains of Yonder attracts a lot of makers! When we decided to use the phenomenon of Cymatics for Rings of Power season two, it was a dream come true for a lot of us. Getting to play with sand particles, physics, and robotic camera arms is a lot of fun! For The Decameron, we loved this puzzle of mixing super tech particle flow 3D with basically ink and paper. Perhaps it’s seeing the craft— the idea that our team sat down, often starting with something physical, with the audience in mind, and then attempted to make something just for them. Does that humanity show? Or perhaps it’s the joy we have in creating, but it draws people in. 

When we do create CG and technically complicated work, we oftentimes find ourselves engineering flaws back into the work, such as compositing feral live-action sand into the CG for Rings Of Power, or making rats in The Decameron rougher and choppier than when they were born in CG, including having them stray randomly from the pack. 

Can you share more about how you combined hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation with 3D/particle work in The Decameron title sequence? How and why did you land on this specific hybrid process?

Combining techniques that were born hundreds of years apart was hugely ambitious. It was a real leap of faith. We knew we wanted a sense of personality and cuteness, with a sense of “story,” so those required close-up shots of rats doing what rats do: scratching, going down holes, cuddling, scurrying around endlessly … and mating. Then, we wanted hundreds, or thousands of rats completing imagery and forming the hoard that represented the pestilence. We thought, “Maybe the rats are completely unaware of what they are making.” They are still behaving crazily and scurrying around, but what they form is epic and beautiful and highly metaphorical.  

It’s the combination of those two ideas that makes the title. The mundane mixing with the resplendent. The sacred mixing with the profane. You love the cute close-up rats, and you’re slightly terrified of the endless, ever-evolving, pervasive hoard.

We feel like we completed a bit of a magic trick in portraying pretty intense imagery and themes that have viewers smiling through it the whole time. It’s a show about the plague, but it’s also funny, so little scenes that have both darkness and levity were important. When the rats are forming a gravesite, we have them enter the scene in a campy way. They enter two by two to the gravesite like a somber funeral procession in time to the music. We had a lot of fun with the way they transition between scenes as well; having them back into a scene, pop up as a nipple, tumble, express confusion, and get sneezed out to form a new scene.

Why do you think The White Lotus title sequences have been such a massive hit, breaking through the open titles discourse and into the mainstream cultural consciousness?

It requires a show to break into the culture first. The title and the title music sort of act like a book cover or a great album cover used to do. The White Lotus titles (for both seasons) were simple in concept, but very deep in metaphor and meaning that can be appreciated by the viewer. The imagery, like the music, is simple but weird. It’s out of left field, but when the imagery and music combine it feels like they were destined to be together. 

Perhaps a more hidden reason the titles struck a chord is the wide range of emotions and themes hidden within them. There’s joy, sadness, lust, laziness, sex, jealousy, violence, death, and beyond, all portrayed in a way that is beautiful and pleasing to the eye.

It hits your heart, it hits your ears, and it hits your eyes…and they combine and detonate into a feeling that is way more powerful than the rational sum of the parts. 

What was it like working with The White Lotus team to land on the concept for those original titles?

For season one, we pitched several concepts to the showrunner Mike White, who chose one of our ideas around fictionalized beautiful wallpaper patterns embedded with hidden stories and darkening themes. 

From there, we were given a tremendous amount of freedom to design and edit as we saw best. Our original concept simply advanced for season two, incorporating more of the themes and capturing some of the imagery at a location that was shot for the show, and then creating the rest of the paintings. 

As you were working on it, did you have a feeling it would resonate so strongly with audiences or were you surprised by the response?

No. We are so focused on the show and making sure our titles laddered up to it that we don’t go there. We did, however, really like what we were making while we were making it. We knew that we had not seen anything like it on a TV title before, which is what we strive for. Sometimes, you have to just shut out the noise or any distractions with the uncontrollable landscapes of the entertainment industry and just say, “Let’s make something we think is great and that we would love to see,” and then release it out to sea in the hopes of delighting audiences. 

Is there a hidden gem or detail in either of The White Lotus titles that you’re particularly proud or fond of? 

We had a male naked statue for the Theo James character in the season two titles, which fit well. Then Katrina came up with the idea of a dog lifting his leg on the statue and it just became so much better. That synergy is fitting, as the character was both vain and aggressively marking his territory throughout the show— at least metaphorically. It’s commenting on toxic masculinity but in a playful, subtle way.

The scene in the season two titles with Jennifer Coolidge’s title depicting a leashed monkey and a blonde woman trapped in a tower was pretty deep. There are about ten things going on in that shot. We were happy with the idea of Jennifer’s credit picking up from season one, where there was a frolicking monkey in the jungle, and now that monkey is on a leash, albeit in a really nice place…or is it the lady in the tower that’s the metaphor? We like keeping the imagery in play for viewers to work out.

The post In Conversation with Plains of Yonder, Title Sequence Creators for ‘The White Lotus’ appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

As an avid soccer fan, I awoke to the news yesterday morning flooding my various social feeds and group chats that the newest NWSL team had been revealed: BOS Nation Football Club. 

You heard that right, BOS Nation. Begging the questions: What?, Why?, and How?

BOS Nation FC is a terrible name for a sports franchise because, to put it bluntly: it’s corny as hell. “Lady Boss” culture and the “Girl Boss” discourse is over. In fact, it never started. It’s an inherently dated and regressive concept that is the opposite of empowering. “BOS Nation” is trying too hard. It wants so badly to be cool, and there’s nothing less cool than wanting to be cool. It’s unnecessarily overcomplicating what simply should have been “Boston FC” or “FC Boston,” which are reportedly two of the options that were rejected in favor of their cringey counterpart. Apparently, “BOS Nation” is an anagram of “Bostonian,” which is one of those bad ideas reeking of the original brainstorm that should have been dismissed immediately—not taken seriously and then turned into an actual NWSL franchise. Alas, here we are. 

The BOS Nation design and branding aren’t doing the franchise any favors either. The stacked logo is especially baffling, with the “FC” split up oddly and placed galaxies apart on either side of the “BOS” and clipart-looking starburst icon. The brand names for the colors in the brand system are eye-roll-inducing in their own right: “championship green,” “relentless raspberry,” “loyal charcoal,” “daring pink,” “rise yellow,” and “orange press.” 

But while the name and branding are puzzling, the roll-out campaign unleashed by BOS Nation to officially announce the franchise is downright offensive. 

NOTE: The original video used for the rollout campaign has since been removed from all platforms by BOS Nation and the NWSL. A downloaded version can be accessed here.

I am far from alone in my incredulity toward every aspect of this campaign. For the first time ever, the internet is aligned in patently agreeing upon something: this is SO BAD. There are so many layers to how the roll-out so egregiously misses the mark, so let’s dive right in. First off, using men’s sports franchises as the main framework for the launch video is, in itself, infuriating. Why are we making a women’s sports franchise about men? What are they even doing here? But then on top of that, making the roll-out about male genitalia? Now that’s beyond the pale. 

In an attempt to be edgy and subversive, BOS Nation is simply being transphobic and misogynistic, reducing gender to genitalia in a tired and childish joke about balls. They double down on the joke by encouraging people to go to toomanyballs.com, which then redirects to the BOS Nation website. The whole concept sounds like a parody, satire, or comedy sketch, or perhaps an idea that was proposed by some frat boy intern at an NFL-themed podcast. 

Another layer in this lasagna of disrespect is the erasure of the many women’s professional sports teams that are, in fact, already playing and thriving in Boston. As The Athletic reporter Meg Linehan rightly points out, Boston’s women’s professional hockey team in the PHWL, the Boston Fleet, not only exists but made it all the way to the league championship series last season. Boston is also home to a women’s professional rugby team, Beantown RFC, and a women’s professional football team, the Boston Renegades, who have won five national championships over the last six seasons. Forgot about all of those incredible women athletes, did ya, BOS Nation?

So who’s to blame? Colossus Creative Co. was the agency behind the BOS Nation integrated campaign and brand identity, smugly posting about the work on their Instagram yesterday in which they thanked their “brave clients for having the guts to be wildly provocative with this launch.” They also thanked the various men’s sports franchises featured in the launch (for contributing creatively, as well?), for their “incredible sense of humor.” 

As a teaser for yesterday’s hard launch, more than 200 billboards and other OOH placements sprung up around Boston for 48 hours, which proclaimed the campaign’s idiotic refrain: “There are too many balls in this town.” The “cryptic (and entertaining) message” was meant to inspire shock, confusion, and intrigue from onlookers who would then be enticed to visit everybody’s new favorite website, www.toomanyballs.com. You simply can’t make this stuff up!

The lingering question is, of course, what comes next? Will BOS Nation FC (every time I type that out I can’t believe it’s real) see the error of their ways and pivot in a new brand direction before they’re in too deep? Or will they dig their heels even deeper into this name and brand system, despite literally everyone hating it? Only time will tell! Maybe they should ask Tom Brady what he thinks they should do.

Story update as of October 16 at 1PM ET / 10AM PT

The “too many balls” roll-out is actively being rolled back by BOS Nation, who have removed the brand launch video from their socials and posted this statement:

The post NWSL Announces a New Boston Soccer Franchise With a Brand Launch so Bad it Feels like Satire appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

In today’s rapidly evolving creative landscape, the importance of collaborative teams and de-siloing design departments is becoming increasingly clear. As agencies seek to break down barriers between creative, strategy, and design, the role of design has shifted from a final aesthetic touch to a core driver of the entire process. At McCann NY, design is not just a service but an integral part of the creative journey, embedded within the agency’s core teams. By fostering cross-department collaboration, McCann has created a culture where design not only informs the work but also elevates it, challenging traditional agency models. This approach has resulted in more cohesive brand identities and inventive campaigns that drive meaningful client outcomes. I was thrilled to chat with McCann New York’s Shayne Millington, chief creative officer (left), and Matt van Leeuwen, head of design (right), to discuss the transformative impact of de-siloing design within McCann and the lessons other agencies can learn from their approach.

In what ways does McCann Design integrate design processes throughout the agency and within various departments?

Shayne Millington (SM):
At McCann, design is not an afterthought. It’s not just there to make things look pretty or to dress up a deck at the end of a project. From day one, our goal has been to make design a true partner in the creative process. 

We are becoming more visually driven, so design has become a necessity rather than a nice to have. It is crucial to a brand or agency’s success. Our team of about 20 designers is deeply embedded within the agency. They are present in every corner of our business, from new business pitches to social strategy.  

To make sure the practice is integrated, you can’t overlook where they are physically placed within the agency. That is why our designers sit alongside our creatives—at the center of where everything happens. This isn’t a separate department tucked away somewhere. It’s an integral part of our creative brain, collaborating closely with the teams to shape work that’s both visually compelling and conceptually powerful. 

For us at McCann, design is about making things that challenge people to look twice, experience things deeper, and connect with brands in unexpected ways.

How does McCann Design’s de-siloing approach challenge the traditional agency model, and what specific benefits have you observed from integrating design across all aspects of your work?

Matt van Leeuwen (ML):
In the traditional agency model, design and creative operate separately or not at all. And often times, the design team is siloed and brought in after the fact. On the other hand, if you’re working with a brand design agency, what often happens is that they will design the brand identity, then hand it off to the creative agency, who will take it and often times break the rules by giving it its own spin. It’s not efficient. Coming from a branding background, the disconnect comes when the work is different than what we designers intended.  

SM:
At McCann, we knew we wanted to take a different approach. With timelines getting shorter, we noticed that the craft and experimentation were starting to become an afterthought. So we took a different yet simple approach. We combined creativity and design under one roof with McCann Design embedded within the creative teams. We’ve brought on some of the best brand designers in the industry and have created culture-defining work for our clients like TJ Maxx with its first custom font inspired by its logo, Smirnoff’s entire global design system, and the Last Prisoner Project’s Pen to Right History campaign.

ML:
It creates exciting work, but also new ways of working and types of work. We are currently helping multiple clients with the design of their brand identity. When you combine that, with crazy cool creative ideas, the sky is the limit.

In an industry often segmented by specialized departments, how has McCann Design’s commitment to removing silos transformed the way you collaborate internally and deliver value to clients?

SM:
Designers are some of the most conceptual people in the industry. We include design from the beginning of every project. From conception to execution, it’s a collaboration between the teams. It allows for greater debate and challenges the work and learning on both sides. You start to see the lines blur and that is when you know it is working. 

The success of this is creating new opportunities within the agency. We have begun to take on design specific assignments and are entering new areas with our client’s business. In the last year, we have been embedded in all of our clients’ design systems and brand architecture.

ML:
I think of creative and design as cross-pollination, inspiring and challenging each other. For the client, design is an awesome added value; we can truly look at a client’s brand in a holistic manner. From the communication side and the purer brand side, we are bridging those worlds.

Can you share a case study or project where de-siloing had a significant impact on the outcome? What lessons did you learn from that experience that could inform other agencies looking to make similar changes?

ML:
Our work for TJ Maxx on their visual identity is a great example of creative and design collaboration from the beginning. Surprisingly it didn’t start as an identity exercise. Our work was born out of our campaign work. We noticed that the retail space TJ Maxx was operating in, was flooded with Helvetica typography. So we wanted to change that – especially as designers, we wanted to create something unique and ownable for the brand. We proposed something simple; a bespoke typeface, born out of their iconic wordmark. 

The simplicity of the typeface, designed with Jeremy Mickel, forced us to revisit the identity. We couldn’t typeset things the old way. Step by step, we are working through the visual world of TJ Maxx, ultimately resulting in new brand guidelines. In parallel, we are developing campaigns in the same new look. It’s extremely exciting, the way this all comes together. 

To me, it’s living proof that silos don’t have to exist, but we can operate fluidly.  

SM:
Another great example is our most recent work for the New York Lottery. As its agency of record for the last decade, we’ve produced some of the category’s most impactful campaigns. Now, we are incorporating ideas around the design for the scratch cards (most recently for the “Grande” games) that align with the creative communication allowing for a much more holistic and surprising way to engage with the brand.

As agencies continue to evolve, what do you believe are the most pressing challenges to fully integrating design across all functions, and how is McCann Design addressing these challenges?

SM:
One of the most pressing challenges is breaking down the siloes between departments and fostering a culture where design isn’t just an afterthought – it’s a core driver of the creative. When you include more creative voices in the conversation, something amazing happens. It ignites the culture of the agency. The conversations get richer and the solutions become more unexpected. You can move quicker, and the community grows. It’s because you are bringing new experts with new capabilities and new energy to the table, which allows for impactful creativity to flourish.

In the last two years, with Matt heading up the McCann Design practice, we’ve done that. Built design from the ground up – the team, the capabilities – a home for design to shine and a culture where design is celebrated.

ML:
It’s very hard to explain the amount of craft and time that goes into design. The development of a visual narrative, the workings of color, typography, and image. It’s a delicate exercise that doesn’t always abide by the same timeframe of let’s say a campaign idea. So, time. Time to develop, tinker, and play, is of extreme importance. I like to say that design is a playground. We don’t have a house style. We don’t operate within a fixed framework. Every project is unique with its own set of challenges. With all those variables, it’s important to create time to make the best work. If we truly are creating a playground for design, we need to make the time to play.

Bring design into the process as early as possible. This gives designers the time they need to create and iterate throughout the creative process.

How does the de-siloing of design at McCann Design influence your agency’s creative process and strategic thinking? What role does leadership play in fostering a culture of integration and collaboration?

SM:
As soon as a project kicks off, my first question is – where is design? I bring them in from the beginning and they are with us for the journey. Collaboration across all departments is key to getting the best creative product.

McCann Design has been recognized by Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards, MONOCLE’s Design Awards, and leading industry creative accolades like ADC’s Best in Show, Designism, Best of Discipline in Typography, Cannes Lion for Design Driven Effectiveness, Epica’s Grand Prix, and One Show’s Best of Discipline, to name a few, and there’s no doubt that their approach to collaborative creativity is a reason for these accolades.

I’m all about tearing down walls, and I have no doubt that more agencies and big corporations will follow suit—especially with today’s remote, agile workforce making it easier than ever to rethink how we work together.

The post De-Siloing Design: McCann Reimagines Collaboration in the Creative Process appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

The narrative is all too common in this country: an old building steeped in history gets demolished, only to be replaced by a cookie-cutter “luxury” apartment complex, filled with grey flooring and chrome cabinetry. There’s little to be done about the fate of most of these buildings, but what if they got one last hurrah before their demise? And what if that last hurrah benefited the artists and creative community within that city?

This was the very concept concocted by the RiNo Art District in Denver, CO, when they created their NO VACANCY program in 2021. The initiative partners with real estate developers to provide local artists with funding and studio space in Denver buildings that are slated for demolition. The innovative artist residency program transforms these vacant warehouses into temporary studios for vibrant installations and has paid out more than $100K to local Denver artists to date.

The third and most recent iteration of NO VACANCY wrapped earlier this month, in which 10 artists were provided a $5,000 stipend along with two months of free studio space at two buildings in Denver, courtesy of Uplands Real Estate Partners.

Upon hearing of NO VACANCY, the idea seemed like a complete no-brainer to me, that should be replicated across the country. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with RiNo Art District Executive Director of Programs and Partnerships Alye Sharp and Programs Manager Kiah Butcher about the impact of NO VACANCY on the artists they host and on the Denver arts scene at large. I was also able to chat with two artists who were in the midst of their residency at NO VACANCY, artisan, seamstress, and crafter Kate Major and musician Marcus Moody, about their experiences with the program. My conversations are below, lightly edited for clarity and length.

Alye and Kiah, can you shed more light on the genesis of NO VACANCY and its mission? 

AS: One of the main parts of the mission of the RiNo Art District is carving out and preserving space for artists in the community, and providing them with paid opportunities. So back in 2021, one of our board members was like, “Hey, I have this warehouse, it’s just sitting empty. It’s going to be demolished soon, but would you have any use for it in the meantime?” And our first reaction was a resounding “Yes!” We had no idea what we were going to do with it, but then we decided to make a temporary art installation and provide working space for artists. 

This is the third iteration of NO VACANCY, and they’ve always looked a little different year to year based on the space. In that first iteration, we did four months of four artists each month, so 16 total artists, along with an immersive theater group who did pop-ups throughout the four-month residency. 

KB: I’m new, so this is my first experience working with NO VACANCY. Coming from the fine arts world, and having worked in contemporary art museums, the thing that most artists need is space, time, and resources. Then, providing a pretty healthy stipend and budget for all of the artists to really utilize that space and time to the greatest effect, is such a gift to give to the community. 

NO VACANCY is the gift that keeps on giving, because it’s bringing art, it’s bringing awareness, it’s showcasing all the different wonderful expertise in art, cooking, sewing, whatever, in the district itself. 

So with each iteration of NO VACANCY, there’s a different empty building that’s slated for demolition you’re able to use for the residency? 

AS: Yeah— it’s kind of a bummer that ultimately these buildings are coming down, which speaks to the Art District as a whole; we’re in a rapidly gentrifying area. It’s our way of giving one last breath of life to these cool, old warehouse spaces and helping write their final chapter. We’ve gotten a little goofy with it; we had a funeral for the last building to send it off. But it’s a beautiful thing too, that artists get the last chapter in these spaces. 

It’s our way of giving one last breath of life to these cool, old warehouse spaces, and helping write their final chapter.

Alye Sharp

KB: Historically, these areas in Denver were the hub for so many artists, because there were affordable spaces within the warehouses. All of these buildings have so much history with artists and creatives in the area, and so it just feels like a good nod to historic Denver, bringing artists back into them. 

I’d imagine the concept also allows the artists to really let loose and create with reckless abandon since the buildings are coming down anyway. 

AS: Yes, go wild! That’s become the joke; we say, do whatever you want in here! Be safe, but fuck it up!

That must be so refreshing, even for the artists who have access to a space or a studio setup, where there might be rigid rules around what they can and cannot do. Only certain types of artists doing certain types of work are allowed in certain spaces, so it’s great that NO VACANCY encourages doing things that others wouldn’t allow. What’s better as an artist than to have the stamp of approval to be free?

KB: There’s nothing more exciting than just pure potential, right?

What sort of criteria do you use when selecting artists for the residency? 

KB: This year, we had massive interest; we had about 200 artists submit proposals. We then had a selection committee of RiNo staff, local artists, and previous NO VACANCY artists go through and decide which artists would work well within the space, but also complement each other. They work through demographics, mediums, what level in your career you’re at, if you’re more emerging, if you’re a more experienced artist, to try to find and curate the correct people that can work together and have a focus on community. 

Trying to define and figure out which of those artists would work well together is a big part of that puzzle piece because it’s a hugely collaborative residency. It’s ten people in a building, and you have to work together; you’re sharing space and resources, so it’s good to be mindful of that collaborative and community-forward-thinking artist.

I’d think that one of the best aspects of working in the space is the synergy with the other creatives. I’m a sign painter in addition to my writing work, and up until recently I was painting in a classroom with a lot of other sign painters for the last two years, and it was so much more exciting than now. I’m not in that class anymore, and I’m just lonely!

KB: I’m a curator and a video artist as well, and video art is always so collaborative, so it’s always pretty inherent in that practice. It’s pushing people to realize that they can do so much. Creativity knows no bounds when you work with others.

Creativity knows no bounds when you work with others.

Kiah Butcher

AS: I’d also add that, in the second year, a lot of the artists from the first year showed up to the openings to support and be like, “I’m so excited that you all are part of the alumni of this program now!” Some of them will ask to come in after the residency is over and add their own collaborations. It’s a really cool community. 

Why do you think Denver is particularly well-suited for the NO VACANCY program? 

KB: Denver is still a burgeoning art scene; it’s really rich and really connected, and there’s a lot more than people think, but it is still burgeoning. It’s still working its way to becoming something bigger than it is now. But because it’s in this particular state, I think people are more apt to be collaborative, they’re more apt to be supportive and work together. 

We all know working within the arts can be a bit cutthroat, but I think, specifically in Denver, “lift as you climb” is an ethos within the art community, because we’re all working to elevate the art scene itself. This residency, because it’s based in collaboration and community and also activating historic parts of Denver, so many people feel that emotional connection and that aspiration to be a little bit bigger and a little bit better. 

Specifically in Denver, “lift as you climb” is an ethos within the art community, because we’re all working to elevate the art scene itself.

Kiah Butcher

AS: The timing is good for something like this too. I like to joke that Denver is in its awkward teenage phase; we’re experiencing pretty exponential growth that really hasn’t slowed, so artists are also trying to carve out their space and find where they fit in a city that’s becoming rapidly unaffordable. So as much as we can take the role of helping create these opportunities and provide space for them to work that has no rules or boundaries around it, that’s our big goal with this project as well.

KB: It’s a great platform for artists too, because so much can come from it. When you have a space to showcase your work, you can start to invite gallerists, curators, museums, etc. to experience your work, and then it’s just moving forward from there.

Since NO VACANCY is dependent on a building opening up that you can use for each cycle, what is it like navigating that uncertainty when planning the next iteration?

AS: This hasn’t been a straight line, annual program, as much as we would like it to be. As these spaces come online or we get connected to a property owner, we have to move quickly to get all of our permits in place and get the call for artists out. We do try to set aside funding every year, just banking on the fact that we will find some opportunity. 

Our hope is that this program grows into something that’s more than just buildings that are going to be raised, but also existing buildings that are long for this world; how do we continue to try to carve out space for artists everywhere?

What aspect of NO VACANCY are you proudest of?

KB: Paying artists is the greatest gift ever, because so many people expect so much from artists on such little pay. Being able to give to artists, because they always give back, is really fulfilling. Putting funding where it’s really important for the arts and culture, especially when it comes to the vibrancy and the health of the city.

AS: I’ve been involved in the RiNo Art District for almost ten years, and this is, by far, my favorite project that we do; it’s just an all-around feel-good project. When you come to one of the openings and events, there’s so much diversity of art that’s happening in the space, it really does kind of bring me to tears. Seeing everyone all together in the space, and everybody’s having an amazing time, and just being themselves; we usually have drag performers in there! It’s just a really cool thing.

I think the fact that we’re in a building, making all of this stuff, putting so much energy into it, and we’re just going to demolish it. That’s amazing.

Artist Marcus Moody

Kate and Marcus, how did you first discover NO VACANCY, and why did you decide to apply?

KM: A friend of mine, Shadows Gather, who I believe was an artist in the first year of NO VACANCY, sent me a link and was like, “You need to apply.” Shadows is a photographer in the Denver area, and she’s come to a lot of the fashion shows I’ve put on. She was like, “I think you would do amazing things here. I think you could do so much cool stuff.” And she’s right!

MM: I was doom-scrolling and I saw an ad, and there was something about it, it really popped out, it just had an energy to it. Then, the more I read about it, I was like, “Oh, we’re gonna get a warehouse? It’s gonna get demolished? Impermanence?” It was all these things that are big themes in my work right now; coming out of impermanence on more of the resurgence, resurrection side, really examining the grief of change. 

I think the fact that we’re in a building, making all of this stuff, putting so much energy into it, and we’re just going to demolish it. That’s amazing.

KM: I love that too!

MM: I’m really happy to be here. It really fell into place. And some of the work being done in this warehouse… It’s wild. 

What has the collaborative nature of the residency and working amongst the other artists been like for you so far? 

KM: I do a lot of wearable art—costumes, fashion, I tend to even be weirder than fashion—so inherently I need somebody to wear it, it has to be collaborative or it’s nothing. Clothes are nothing without people to wear them. I love having a building full of people, and I can be like, “Put this on! Let me see it!” It’s fabulous.

Denver is so great for collaborating. I’m from New York where we don’t talk to each other, we’re actively trying to bring each other down, because it’s so cutthroat. But here in Denver, everybody wants to be together. They want to help each other. Like if I have a show, I’m going to have a friend put in work too. We want to build each other up. I had a friend come by the site yesterday, and they said, “The vibe in here is so good.” And it really is. Everyone’s the best.

MM: The vibes in the warehouse are great. It’s very honest, vulnerable, and safe. It’s been beautiful. Kate’s making a head for me! I’ve never been around anybody who had the skill, and then to be curated into a group of people who have all of the skills that I feel like I need right now, I’m just like, alright, universe, God, Buddha, whatever, thank you. I’m really excited to even just take photos with it! 

It’s been very intimate because what I’ve been asked to do with my music is intimate. Like Nadia, we’re collaborating on putting her father’s poetry into a song. To me, that’s intimate as hell. But that’s the kind of work I want to do, I want to make stories out of this stuff, and I’ve always wanted them to be stories that mean something to people. 

What has been the most unexpected value of NO VACANCY so far?

KM: I have more ideas than I could possibly do in the amount of time, which kind of surprises me. I’m working toward the pitch that I put into the application, but then I’m like, Oh, so I could do this! And also, I could do this! And I think that speaks to the potential of a raw building that has no potential anymore— it’s slated for demolition, but we’re making it a fun, cool space to hang. I didn’t expect that. 

MM: It’s like when you get really bad news, and you know you can’t do anything about it. There’s this moment of acceptance, and this makes me think of that. That moment in grief when you’ve found out that your thing is going to be destroyed— how are you going to act in the meantime? What this project teaches is you can make something beautiful, you can still do something that’s never been done. And I think that’s an awesome message. That’s the unexpected thing: this connection to grief, and I’m understanding mine more, even before we finish the process. It’s been emotional as hell.

The post Denver’s NO VACANCY Lets Artists Write the Last Chapter of Buildings Set for Demolition appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Miller’s new historical memoir, Here: Where the Black Designers Are, is part of this topical resurgence with Cheryl Miller at the helm, but it’s also the story of a woman coming into her purpose, a reflection on all she’s learned, and a passing of the baton to the next generation. Steven Heller and Debbie Millman will discuss the book with Miller at our next PRINT Book Club on Thursday, October 17.

Miller and I chatted recently; excerpts from our conversation are below.

Advocacy and activism are just part of Cheryl Miller’s DNA. Growing up in Washington D.C. (her father, what she called a “highbrow negro politician”), Miller’s upbringing was somewhat insulated amidst the backdrop of Black nationalism, “I’m Black and I’m Proud,” and Nina Simone, her father scooting out the back door to attend the March on Washington. She was busy “dancing and graduating” when MLK was assassinated. “I was a kid,” Miller said, “I didn’t realize I was deep in a big part of history.”

Design was also a central theme of Miller’s childhood. Dansk flatware, ceramics, and jewelry filled her family home, carefully wrapped in local newspapers and shipped by her West Indian grandmother, a perfumier. The juxtaposition of the muted, minimalist, function-forward Scandinavian housewares with the newspapers’ Afro-Caribbean iconography and the family’s traditional, patterned textiles of the Danish West Indies (now the Virgin Islands), planted the seeds of design. However, she wouldn’t realize this until she landed in the commercial/graphic art program at MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art).

Often, we have to go back to move forward. We all have those foundational things that shape us, and if we’re listening and open to the world as adults, these things tend to bring us to our purpose. Talking about her childhood resonances made me curious. Miller’s career could’ve gone in a myriad of different directions. I wondered about those moments of change, choice, and struggle in Miller’s life—what, in hindsight, does she believe made the most significant impact?

One of those pivotal moments was the death of her father. Miller was in her first year of art school at RISD. “I went up to RISD to paint,” she says, utterly unaware of the conversations swirling around the school about the value of Black art, the ongoing civil and human rights violations, and the Vietnam War. Moving to Waspy New England from D.C. was a culture shock, and she felt the isolation of being one of very few African-American students. Her father would soon be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and would pass away ten months later. Miller moved closer to home, where she would study graphic design at MICA in Baltimore (the only regional school with a commercial art program). There, she met Leslie King-Hammond, a woman who would serve as her academic mentor (and still does).

Moving to New York with Phillip, the couple met in high school, was juncture number two. The move required her to leave her burgeoning broadcast design career in D.C. to start over essentially. Miller could’ve picked up the broadcast career in NYC without a beat—she had a tempting offer at ABC—but she felt the pull towards publication design. “I wanted the dream of what New York could be.” She contends that had she taken the ABC job (a job that, by any account, would’ve set her up for a successful and financially rewarding career), “I wouldn’t have made the contribution I did, had I taken it.” Miller decided to go to grad school instead, entering Pratt. Many of the things she’d seen at RISD and in Baltimore coalesced with what she was experiencing as a Black designer in NYC.

Being in New York really brought into light that Black designers were underexposed and under-educated in the field of graphic design. My community was suffering and I had something to say.

Cheryl D. Miller

On the cusp of finishing her graduate degree, her advisor threw her a gauntlet: instead of a graduate design project, Miller was to undertake a written thesis. She called King-Hammond, who encouraged her toward scholarship. “I started learning how to write history, about social justice. I started owning my skillset,” Miller said. “Leslie gave me the heart and the rigor for the work. The only way I was going to be able to make a difference was in the footnotes. Data and scholarship move the needle.”

Miller at the helm of her successful design studio, Cheryl D. Miller Design (1984-2000); In 1992, Miller was commissioned by NASA to create the poster for Dr. Mae Jeminson, America’s first African American woman astronaut.

I may not look radical, but I am.

Cheryl D. Miller

The third moment is our current moment, the resurgence of the social justice conversation in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and far too many others. The next generation is asking many of the same questions as Miller and her peers have asked in their time, “There’s nothing new about this,” Miller contends. She readily admits that after fifty years in the business, she doesn’t expect that 3-4% representative number to jump up suddenly. “Where the Civil Rights Movement pushed the idea of equality, it didn’t mean that it would then be equitable,” she said. What is Miller’s prescription for what needs to happen now so our industry can bolster the equity of opportunity for Black creative talent? “We need to diversify design organization boards, we desperately need professors who are versed in a broader cultural perspective, we need more inclusive curricula, we need network affiliations that will offer us business opportunities, and we must carry on,” Miller said.

So, what would Miller like to dismantle in this time of sustained awareness and activism, her “Confederate statue”? “I want to take down the players who make you feel with intentionality that you’re not supposed to be here and the cult of the mid-century male designer,” Miller said. “It’s the imagery of my oppressor.”

But Miller is also an optimist, and she believes, as does Kamala Harris, “We’re not going back.” To close her book, Miller includes a quote from her commencement speech, an inspirational baton passing, to the RISD class of 2022:

Be better than the history I’ve traveled through and make your history far more inclusive and welcoming for everyone to encounter.

Cheryl D. Miller to RISD’s class of 2022

Cheryl Miller is still writing, researching, and advocating for recognizing and celebrating the Black designer and artisan’s contributions to society. Still, she’ll admit, “On this side of the story, I’ve done more finishing than starting.”

There is always more to do.

It is always essential to have people like Miller remind us to look and to see things as they are, not as they are curated for us.

I have only scratched the surface; there is much more to Cheryl Miller’s story. We hope you can join us next Thursday, October 17, for the first of two PRINT Book Club events this month!

The post “Be Better than the History I’ve Traveled,” a Chat with Cheryl D. Miller appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

You have been doing portraits for a number of years. You are known for caricature-portraiture, in other words, faces with a satiric edge (I recall your sardonic John Wayne). How did this shift to, well, less-comic “celebratory” portraiture come about?
Since I stopped my main focus as an editorial illustrator, I’ve been working on self-generated projects. First, I did a book that re-configured old iconic paintings into works from a modern female perspective, then I did a book about male nudes, and now this project has occupied my time through the pandemic until recently. This project is a celebration of under-appreciated women (in my view) and by its definition needed to have a more historic perspective. The project was less about my view of things and more about the women I portrayed; I keep saying it’s not about me, it’s about them. And since the portraits were honoring the women, I stayed away from anything cheeky or satirical. This is a serious subject and requires a serious approach. A year ago, the United Nations did a worldwide study to find out what percentage of people have a fundamental bias against women, and the percentage was a staggering 9 out of 10. And that includes women! I think many of us sense this inequality in everyday life. So, I think there’s work to be done in this area.* But my project is not negative in any way, rather it is positive. It’s a celebration; an expression of love dedicated to women on whose shoulders I stand. These are great stories! Included are pirates, artists, scientists, doctors, warriors, queens, musicians, and more. And the portraits cover women from the beginning of time to now, and through different cultures and religions. Also, I’ve painted them in a way that I believe makes them accessible to women and also to men, kids, teens, boys, and girls. I’m trying to fill a hole in history with colorful art.

What was the genesis of your current exhibition?
I’ve been thinking about this and trying to remember how I came up with this idea. A few years ago, I was invited to an artist residency on Peaks Island, Maine. While there, on a boat tour, the captain talked about a woman who lived all alone on a tiny cold foreboding windswept island hundreds of years ago. I was intrigued and wanted to find out how anyone could survive such harsh conditions. I did some research and found out she was a transgender woman. And she drowned in the bay wearing a Japanese kimono. And that was it. Try as I might I could not find any more details. And I wondered how many more women’s fascinating stories were lost to history. That, I think was the germ of the idea. Then I thought about how I could do portraits of unknown women who inspired famous quotes. For example, Mary Anning was a brilliant, unrecognized paleontologist who is thought to have inspired the quote “She sells seashells by the seashore”.  And St Aebbe was a Mother Superior who advised her nuns to cut off their noses so they would be too hideous to rape by the advancing Viking marauders. She is thought to have inspired the quote “to cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face.” That idea was a dead end because I couldn’t find enough subjects. So, I finally decided to just keep it simple and do portraits of women who were not treated kindly by history. Once I started looking, they were everywhere. I found them on websites, blogs, encyclopedias, Google, etc. I asked friends in different fields if they could suggest subjects. And I decided to paint their portraits. And I thought that the project also needed a small written blurb to describe their accomplishments. The pandemic proved the best time to paint the portraits because there were so few distractions and I could just work. So, I painted one a day. It kept me busy and it kept me sane.

I’m sure you haven’t lost your edge for graphic commentary, but have you become more circumspect in what you devote your art and time to in recent years?
Well, I’m getting older and I do feel a sense of urgency. I’m finding my time is increasingly precious and there are still so many things I want to explore so I want to make sure I use my time in a meaningful way. But the projects themselves dictate how edgy the work should be.

How have you grown into the artist you’ve become? What social, cultural, political, and personal factors have altered your art?
That is a tough question. I was never really interested in making decorative art. I wanted my work to have some sort of cultural relevance. For years I was fortunate to work with great editorial art directors who gave me a lot of creative freedom to visually comment on social and political issues. But recently it’s become more difficult to find artistic autonomy in publishing (except for a few magazines) and with the threat of AI and other factors, I’ve more or less gone off on my own. (And I should say that I’m eternally grateful to the book publishers, galleries, and now the Norman Rockwell Museum who support this newer work.)

There are many faces in this crowd (forgive the movie reference) that I have never seen or heard of before. What governed your selection?
Exactly that. There are so many women who made significant contributions to all of the areas of society who have been underappreciated, fallen through the cracks, or who have been forgotten entirely. I felt they needed to be recognized. For example, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was an astrophysicist who discovered the chemical makeup of stars (contrary to prevailing scientific thought) and who should be a household name yet I’d never heard of her. The National Geographic Society studied ancient cave paintings and concluded that many of the hand paintings were made by women, not men; possibly making women the first artists of our species. Eunice Newton Foote discovered the greenhouse effect in 1856. Alice Ball pioneered a treatment for leprosy and died at age 24.  Ada Lovelace was the first computer programmer in the 1840s. On and on and all marginalized by history (see www.originalsisters.com for more examples). This was a project that I felt compelled to take on.

Is there anyone left on the cutting room floor?
So many! And so many more to add. At this point I have at least 50 more subjects in my files I’d like to paint and write about. I’m considering ending the project at 500 paintings (I’m currently at 460) but I keep discovering new women whose life stories I’d like to learn.  So, who knows?

What do you hope the Rockwell Museum visitors— many of whom are mainstream art-neutral walk-ins—will take away from your show?
Well, hopefully, they will discover some interesting women they never heard of. The project is at the end of the day an exploration of achievers who made great strides despite the odds. So that’s inspiring for everyone, I hope!

Is there space in your space to focus on others on the fringes who’ve made some under-represented mark on society?
That’s tough to answer. I think I am able to make portraits of women because I can relate on some level. I would never be able to properly address very personal issues of other marginalized groups because I simply don’t have that experience. It would be presumptuous and I don’t think it would be authentic. But I have tried to be as diverse as possible within my chosen subject.

What is next in your artistic journey?
I’ve just completed a book of fables, updated for the modern world, called Allegoria. My ancestry dates back to 12^th century Transylvania (I know! Creepy!) and as a child, I read books like Struwwelpeter, Max und Moritz, and the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. They were short and dark and often had a moral warning. Later I devoured TV shows like The Outer Limits, Night Gallery, and Twilight Zone which were also short stories with a message. This project is similar in nature. It’s an art book of paintings accompanied by short fables I wrote, except they have to do with climate change, ocean acidification, species extinction, and various other issues we are currently facing. It’s a completely different project than “Original Sisters.”

*New UN report reveals chronic bias against women over last decade

The post The Daily Heller: Women Who Matter appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

My photography is deeply community-connected, so none of this is worth it if my community doesn’t feel rightfully represented.

Los Angeles-based photographer Thalia Gochez bought her first camera at a flea market for a buck and never looked back. Raised just outside of LA in Pasadena in a Mexican-Salvadorian household, her Latine heritage is the central force behind her point of view as a photographer and the worlds she captures in her work. After seeking refuge in the art form while in college, Gochez unlocked the power of the medium for herself and has continued to hone her unique perspective as an image maker.

Coming upon Gochez’s recent collaboration with stylist Kaamilah Thomas in a series entitled “Yo Soy Latina,” I was instantly entranced by her subjects and the love she so clearly bathed each within in every photo. I had to reach out to learn more about her journey and ethos as a photographer; her responses to my questions are below.

When did you first get into photography? What inspired you to pick up the camera?

I’m self-taught and started taking photographs back in 2017. Photography found me when I needed it most. I never really excelled in academia, but decided to go to my local community college to take some courses that were of interest; I took a fashion styling class and started to find my creativity.

During an assignment for the class, I had to work closely with a photographer for a photoshoot I conceptualized. I couldn’t help but feel an urge to take the camera away from him and start taking the photographs myself. The next day I went to my local flea market and got a film camera for a dollar. After that, I started taking photographs every chance I could, like in between my two jobs, before school, after school, truly whenever. 

Simultaneously, I was going through a lot of anxiety, and I realized photography was the only time I was truly able to live in the moment. It’s been a huge source of liberation for me. 

How would you describe your personal aesthetic and style as a photographer? 

It’s really important to me to always photograph style and story. I’ve always been interested in photographing beyond a fashion-led visual, to honor and highlight various BIPOC identities and experiences. I’d say my photographic aesthetic is docu-style, with a fashion editorial contemporary twist.

There’s a palpable warmth, intimacy, and love infused in your work. How have you achieved this, both from a technical photography standpoint and in terms of the person-to-person trust with your subjects?

I always say our greatest photography tool is to engage in genuine conversation. In my first year of image making, I used a cheap, $1 Minolta film camera. It’s never been about the equipment, but more about learning the story and connecting with people beyond when the cameras are turned on.

I always say our greatest photography tool is to engage in genuine conversation.

If I’m building genuine connection and community, the photos will always be the bonus. A lot of times I’m photographing folks in environments that they are connected to and rooted in; the location mirrors their identity. I view the location as another talent, always trying to highlight it the way I would highlight a model. 

I love a soft, even light and I tend to go warmer to highlight the subject’s gorgeous skin tone. 

How do you find and identify the people you shoot? What’s that process like? What details or characteristics about someone typically catch your photography eye?

Casting is super important to me; it’s the foundation of every photoshoot. 

Who I’m photographing informs the creative. 

Who I’m photographing informs the location. 

Who I’m photographing gives the project a heartbeat and pulse.

I’m always interested in photographing all BIPOC identities and tend to gravitate toward women-identifying individuals because that’s who I feel I connect with most organically.

Casting varies depending on the project, but sometimes it’s a friend of a friend, a cousin, someone I find on social media or someone I scout on the street around my neighborhood. A lot of times I feel like we find each other and the project just unfolds so naturally. I find that a lot of the projects I create focus on evoking a sense of nostalgia, so typically what interests my photographic eye is highlighting the latine experience. It’s often a deeply shared lived experience amongst many people.

I first discovered your work through your “Yo Soy Latina” series. Can you tell me a bit about that project specifically– how it came about, your vision, collaborating with stylist Kaamilah Thomas, the execution, etc?

Kaamilah and I were fans of each other and had such a genuine urge to collaborate. She told me a bit about her Afro-Latina side, and how she wanted to highlight that in some way for a project. I instantly knew this was something I wanted to highlight as well.

Historically, we often only see white or light complexion Latinas represented in mainstream media. Our goal was to honor and celebrate deeper complexion Latina identities. Through months of planning, “Yo Soy Latina” was born. It was a true collaboration in every sense of the word. We connected on styling, hair, casting, make-up— every aspect of the photoshoot was collaborative.

Kaamilah is an incredibly talented person and took the styling to another level. It was always important to me to incorporate culturally specific items that wouldn’t be traditionally fashionable into the creative. The creative was meant to feel very nostalgic but with a contemporary twist. It’s truly some of my favorite work I’ve done this year.

What sort of experience do you hope viewers of your photographs have? What are you hoping to communicate with your images? 

I hope the viewers feel the love and care I have for the people I photograph. 

I hope the right people feel represented and beautiful. 

I hope I inspire others to create with integrity and respect. 

I hope the people I photograph feel properly honored and their story never gets misconstrued. 

My photography is deeply community-connected, so none of this is worth it if my community doesn’t feel rightfully represented.

The post Thalia Gochez Honors Latine Identity Through Her Immersive Photographs appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

From beauty to food to fashion, Latinx entrepreneurs are bringing their rich cultural heritage to the forefront, building brands that honor tradition while pushing innovation. Discover these Latinx-owned brands that stand out not only for their exceptional products but also for their unique visual identities, which reflect the passion, creativity, and pride that drive their success.

Sallve

Founded by Bruna Tavares, a Brazilian beauty influencer and entrepreneur, Sallve has taken the skincare world by storm. With a focus on clean beauty that celebrates diversity, Sallve’s products cater to a wide range of skin types and tones, reflecting Brazil’s vibrant, multicultural population.

The brand embraces bold, lively colors that echo Brazil’s tropical environment, with minimalist packaging that feels fresh and approachable. Its identity combines a balance of modern typography and playful design, reflecting its youthful, inclusive spirit.

Loquita Bath & Body

Based in Southern California, Loquita Bath & Body is the brainchild of Jessica Estrada, a proud Latina with roots in Mexican-American culture. The brand offers handmade, artisanal bath and body products that blend nostalgic scents from Latinx childhood, such as churros and conchas, with high-quality skincare.

Loquita’s packaging is both whimsical and nostalgic. The brand features vibrant pastel colors and playful illustrations that transport consumers back to fond memories of Latinx sweet shops and family gatherings. The brand captures its cultural essence while keeping the design modern and inviting.

Somos

Somos, founded by former fast-food executives Miguel Leal, Rodrigo Salas, and Daniel Lubetzky, brings authentic, plant-based Mexican meals to the forefront of the food industry. Their ready-to-eat meals and pantry staples make it easy for consumers to enjoy traditional flavors without compromising on health or sustainability.

With bright tones, playful typography, and illustrations inspired by Mexican folklore and agriculture, Somos’ branding feels deeply connected to its roots. The packaging is bold and colorful, immediately evoking a sense of authenticity and joy in Mexican cuisine, and appealing to both foodies and environmentally-conscious consumers.

Cuyana

Cuyana, co-founded by Karla Gallardo, offers timeless fashion pieces that focus on sustainability and “fewer, better” items. With roots in Ecuador, Gallardo and her co-founder, Shilpa Shah, have built a luxury brand that emphasizes craftsmanship, quality, and mindful consumption.

Cuyana’s visual identity is elegant and minimalistic, with neutral color palettes and refined typography that reflect its luxury ethos. The brand uses clean lines and high-quality imagery to underscore its commitment to timeless design and sustainability, making each piece feel like a thoughtful, long-lasting investment.

Hija de tu Madre

Founded by Patricia “Patty” Delgado, Hija de tu Madre is an unapologetic celebration of Latinx identity through clothing and accessories with the goal of creating fashionable statements of identity. With a candid, authentic voice and culturally relevant designs, Hija de tu Madre serves as a reminder for Latinx women to embrace their heritage and take pride in their roots.

With its bold typography and striking color palette—often incorporating golds and deep reds—the brand exudes confidence and a touch of luxury. Its use of symbols, such as the Mexican lotería and phrases like “jefa,” create a deeply personal connection with its audience, blending cultural pride with fashion-forward sensibilities.

Through their distinct visual identities and innovative approaches, each brand serves as a powerful example of how culture and commerce can beautifully intersect. Whether through flavors, fashion, or self-care, these brands invite us to embrace the warmth and richness of Latinx culture in our everyday lives—reminding us that celebrating heritage can be as vibrant and meaningful as the products we love.

The post Five Latinx-Owned Brands Infusing Culture and Creativity Into Everyday Life appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Kamala’s Recipes isn’t just another culinary website—it’s a fun blend of politics, pop culture, and delicious bites designed to activate voters through their love for food. With under 50 days to go until the election, People People launched this playful project to celebrate Kamala Harris as a leader and as someone who knows her way around the kitchen.

From the “Purple Powersuit cocktail” to dishes inspired by her viral moments, Kamala’s Recipes is an interactive celebration of Harris’s star-studded YouTube cooking show, her memorable quotes, and iconic outfits. But it’s not all just fun and food—the site smartly integrates voter registration links and encourages donations, making it as much a rallying cry for political action as it is a culinary adventure, both online and through the project’s Instagram page.

Design-wise, People People leaned into Harris’s collection of power pantsuits, drawing inspiration for a color palette that’s as bold as she is. But what truly brings the site to life is its grounding in home-cooked memories and our universal connection through food. The typography and illustrations channel the charm of family recipe cards and cherished cookbooks, while the overall design is reminiscent of bustling farmer’s markets and the communal joy of food festivals. Playful sticker-like callouts and lively layouts capture the energy of conversations shared over a meal, a tasty nod to grassroots activism.

If ever there were a recipe for bringing people together, this is it. Food and politics? Yes, please.

The post People People Serves up a Culinary Adventure with a Side of Activism appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

October is a special month because we are bringing you two book events.

The first of these is happening on October 17, as the PRINT Book Club welcomes Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller. Debbie Millman and Steven Heller will lead a discussion about her new book, Here: Where The Black Designers Are.

HERE is part memoir, part investigation, and part urgent call for justice and recognition for Black designers, making it an invaluable resource for graphic design professionals, teachers, and students. Written by designer, writer, activist, and educator Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller, the book is a portrait of her life in advocacy and her journey to answer the question “Where are the Black designers?”

In HERE, Holmes-Miller traces her development as a designer and leader, beginning with her multiethnic family of origin. Her educational journey from Rhode Island School of Design to Maryland Institute College of Art, and finally, to Pratt, where her oft-cited Pratt thesis examining barriers to success for Black designers launched her activism. The book details her time at the helm of her namesake design studio working with clients such as NASA, Time Inc., and BET, as well as the story of her later critiques of the industry in the design press, most notably in her 1987 PRINT article: Black Designers: Missing in Action.

In the long struggle for equity and representation in the design professions, Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller’s voice has been loud and clear, not for years but for decades. Hers is a story with important lessons for all of us. We should all be grateful she is here to tell it.

Michael Bierut, partner at Pentagram

Learn more about Holmes-Miller in this short video for her recognition as a Design Visionary in Cooper-Hewitt’s 2021 National Design Awards.

Don’t miss our conversation with Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller on Thursday, October 17, at 4 PM ET! Register for the live discussion and buy your copy of Here, here!

The post Cheryl Miller’s Life of Advocacy at the Next PRINT Book Club appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

But Havas Lynx met the challenge head-on, taking on the project pro bono because they believed so wholeheartedly in the importance of the MysteryVibe message. In doing so, Havas Lynx developed an eye-catching, thought-provoking, and conversation-starting OOH “Happy Menopause” campaign in New York City this past March, during Women’s History Month. Among other elements, the campaign featured a massive billboard in Manhattan depicting MysteryVibe’s Crescendo 2 device, designed to treat menopause-induced arousal, pain, and dryness. This historic ad marked the first-ever US billboard to feature a sex toy.

To learn more about the development of this provocative campaign, I recently chatted with Robyn Wagner and Ludmila Crowther of Havas Lynx. Wagner led on the project, and elaborated on the progression of the campaign’s messaging and what’s next. Our conversation is below, edited lightly for clarity and length.

How did the Happy Menopause campaign develop? What was the jumping-off point? 

RW: The client was looking for support with getting the message out there about his product— not just being a vibrator, like everything else is on the market, but the fact that it’s been FDA approved, and it’s actually able to be purchased from your HSA (Health Savings Account) and FSA (Flexible Spending Account). So he was looking to us to do a scrappy campaign to support him across the US and UK markets. 

As we delved into it, we came across Joyce Harper, who is a professor of reproductive health at the UCL (University College London) who’s been doing a lot of her own research in menopause and sexual wellness and how the two are very closely linked in terms of orgasms, masturbation, and sexual pleasure. When you have menopause symptoms like vaginal dryness, it’s kind of a daunting thing to even want to do those things, but actually, her research is showing that if you do, it will get much easier and almost relieve the symptoms that you’re going through from a menopause perspective.

So we thought that Joyce would be a really good fit in terms of being able to get more of that credible, professor side to the messaging. She was very keen to have a bit of a platform to get her messages told and to make sure that that narrative is coming through. Still, it’s such a big stigma in society, both menopause and sexual wellness, so the two together are a huge stigma.

What was that initial campaign roll-out like? 

RW: The first part of the campaign was Joyce giving some bite-sized information in videos that MysteryVibe posted on their website and on social media. We had a little out-of-home campaign that went with that in New York, initially, that talked about, “over and over again,” in terms of orgasms and that using this product will help. It was less product-focused and was more about getting that message out. Then, we were able to do a second push with a different out-of-home campaign that had the stopping power that we wanted. 

Can you elaborate on that second push of the campaign? How was that messaging different from the first iteration? 

RW: It had the stopping power that we wanted, but it only worked in the US. We tried it in the UK with the product on the billboard with the word “orgasm”, and we were completely shot down, of course, because of the advertising standards in the UK. In the US, it was slightly different, so we were quite scrappily looking at how we could get this campaign out, and how we could get the message that an “orgasm comes with a medical prescription,” that was the whole point. We had “happy menopause” on it, and also that it was FSA and HSA accepted; those were the key messages.

We were able to find a media outlet that had individual billboards that were owned by different landlords, so they had fewer of the restrictions that perhaps some of the bigger media corporations have. We found a billboard where the landlord would accept the message, and it happened to be one of the biggest in Manhattan. So it worked out really well for us to be able to put that up and actually start to gain some traction and start to get some earned media.

MysteryVibe has its clientele already, but we wanted to get more people to understand the messaging of masturbation as medicine for women who are going through pre-, peri-, and post-menopause; it’s an amazing and very easy thing that people can do to relieve all of these symptoms. So having this billboard was a real chance for us to get that message out for people to see, share organically, and build that traction. 

This campaign was a pro bono project for you all at Havas Lynx. Why is doing mission-driven work like this important to you all as a company? What is the selection process like for your pro bono work?  

LC: It’s a mixed bag in terms of how many pro bono projects we do, where they come from, and how much we invest in each, but there are so many opportunities out there. As long as we hit our core goal, which is having an impact in the health space that’s actually going to matter and make a difference, then, as a team and as a business, we can choose to invest in what we can. 

Our agency does something called a “Hatchling Day” every year, where everyone splits into mini teams for a whole day, and we get a challenge that we have to think of a unique and creative way to solve. There’s a vetting code to make sure the ideas are all sound for the business, then voting goes out through social media. We see who engages with it on social media to determine if this is an idea that’s viable and worth investing in. Is this something that we think we can take forward and really make it into something powerful for the healthcare community? 

Another project that Robyn’s heading up with our strategists is in the mental health space around ADHD, and that was very much a personal-driven piece. We created a brief, we invested time in it, and now we’re progressing it into a little bit of a pilot study, and hopefully, it’ll turn into something bigger. 

Working in the healthcare industry specifically must pose a rich blend of being challenging to address issues that are so personal, sensitive, and even controversial, but also deeply rewarding knowing the sort of impact you can have on people’s well-being.

RW: It’s brilliant. Our team in New York specializes in patient and consumer wellness, so obviously, MysteryVibe is more consumer-focused, but in the other work, we’re doing a lot of disease education for patients, and trying to be untraditional so that it cuts through.

In the US, in particular, there are huge product ads for patients that are like, “Buy this product! Here are the side effects!” But we want to support patients in making a more empowered choice that’s not product-focused, and actually educating them on their condition and the things that might help them. We’re not saying, “Get this product,”— we want it to be unbranded and focused on being empowered and informed so that they can go to their doctor and drive that conversation to actually get something that’s going to work best for them. 

It’s super rewarding because we’re able to do communication and marketing, but it feels like everything we do is for good. That’s why I absolutely love the work that we do. 

Can you speak more on how an out of home campaign is particularly powerful when addressing taboo subject matter?

RW: From an advertising perspective, there’s a real push still for out-of-home being a really good choice. If what you want to achieve is stopping power, that really is the greatest space to do it.

From our perspective, we thought that OOH would be able to generate more of that earned media and push the message out when we didn’t have a huge media budget. How are we going to make sure that this gets the earned media it deserves? How is that then going to push the message to the people who need to see it? So that’s really why we looked at doing this one billboard. 

Gabe, the creative director, and I went down one afternoon once the billboard had been put up—it was huge! It’s like, 40 feet wide—and we stood there for no more than half an hour, and I would say there was not one person who didn’t walk past and do a double take or do some sort of look. There were people looking at the QR codes too. It wasn’t necessarily always the demographic we were looking for, but I don’t think that matters. Sometimes allies, like husbands, look at it and go to their wives and say, “I saw this, did you know about this?” It was really cool for us to see that level of footfall and the level of engagement that we actually got in just half an hour. It’s not something you can replicate as easily with digital because you’re fighting so much all the time there. Whereas the street that we were on, there was nothing else. There’s no other billboard for a while, so it really is the first and only thing you see for a few minutes, which is a great thing. 

Seeing the reaction of people walking past and just talking about it, even if they don’t do anything with the call to action or the QR code, but if they’re talking about it, that’s the aim. We want people to have this conversation more fluidly and to not feel like there’s a stigma. So from an objectives perspective, it definitely did that in terms of starting conversations.

What was it like on the creative side of the campaign trying to strike that tonal balance of bringing levity to what some might consider awkward subject matter, while not wanting to delegitimize the important health ramifications of the topic? 

RW: You can see the progression in tone between the first and second campaigns. In the first set of out-of-home ads, we said, “A menopause prescription you’d be happy to take over and over again.” That was a play on words with the “orgasm” and the way that we did the font. But our creative director really wanted to do something that was more punchy and an immediate read. That’s why the second billboard came out with, “Orgasm now comes with a medical prescription.” There’s no doubt, it’s right there, you can see it. Credit to the client for allowing us to push with that. A lot of clients would have been hesitant to have gone so bold with orgasm and the product right there.

What’s next for Havas Lynx and MysteryVibe? Will there be a phase three of the Happy Menopause campaign? 

RW: We want to keep pushing. Right now, we’re hoping to push more on the menopause message because we think there’s still more to do and we want to ride this wave and build more traction as much as we can. We want to do another campaign related to this with another out-of-home piece, so we’re going to be aligning with Soumyadip, probably early next year, on a new brief to see if we can push further.

Something else we’re working on with him is for the Ocean Awards; it’s a big competition in the UK where you can submit an idea, and if it wins, you can then make the ads and get the free media from them. We’ve submitted something focused on a different product he has, the Tenuto 2, which is an ED vibrator. So it’s a very different angle, but something that we also think is an important topic that’s stigmatized and not talked about. We saw an opportunity to do a similar approach with a big out-of-home campaign to support men with erectile dysfunction. It’s a competition, so we don’t know if we’ll be able to create it, but hopefully, that will be something else we can do within this space

The post Havas Lynx Destigmatizes Pleasure and Menopause with First-Ever US Billboard to Feature a Sex Toy appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

This exhibition features 100 handcrafted sculptures, each modeled after a real, living elephant from the Nilgiri Hills of Southern India. Created by Indigenous artisans using strips of lantana camara—an invasive shrub harmful to local wildlife habitats—the sculptures stretch across a vast 12,000 square feet of plazas and walkways. The majestic elephants’ migration to downtown Manhattan has brought with them intricate beauty and a message of hope and conservation.

Co-organized by the nonprofit Art&Newport and conservation group Elephant Family USA, the installation aims to raise awareness and funds for endangered elephants and wildlife around the world. What makes these sculptures so unique is that they aren’t just static displays; they invite interaction, and visitors are encouraged to touch and feel the detailed craftsmanship. Whether it’s the lifelike resin eyes, wooden tusks, or the individual personality reflected in each piece’s pose and structure, these elephants offer a tactile connection to nature—right in the heart of the city.

Dodie Kazanjian, founder of Art&Newport, explained to the New York Times that the installation mimics “how it is when you’re in India, with the elephants walking through the streets”. And while these weatherproofed sculptures may be motionless, the emotional response they evoke in passersby is anything but still.

Ruth Ganesh, a trustee of Elephant Family USA, highlights the deeper mission: “We’re trying to recreate that feeling of awe, wonder, and connection.” More than just a public art project—it’s about understanding that we can live alongside wildlife rather than apart from it. This theme of coexistence runs through every aspect of the installation. The artists themselves, living near the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, have learned to coexist with elephants daily, adapting their lives around these gentle giants, from the bold and curious elephants to the shy and elusive ones.

The exhibition also showcases the power of sustainability in art. By repurposing the invasive shrub into art, the project not only removes this destructive species but converts it into biochar, a carbon-rich material that improves soil quality. The tour also embraces eco-friendly practices, using solar-powered storage and electric trucks to minimize its carbon footprint.

The installation also features a series of public events designed to engage the community in conservation efforts. Highlights include a blessing of the elephants in Gansevoort Plaza, a conservation-themed panel discussion in Chelsea Market, and a lively parade through the neighborhood. A related art show featuring works about elephants and migration by artist Hadi Falapishi will also open at 82 Gansevoort Street.

After New York, the herd will continue its journey to Miami, the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, and then Los Angeles, leaving a trail of wonder, awareness, and action wherever it goes. Ganesh hopes that this project shows how conservation is “not just about science and data, it’s also about culture. And Indigenous perspectives towards animals in that they were, they are, our relatives.”

The herd is here to tell their story of coexistence; that there is room for all of us on this planet. We hope this exhibition reminds us of the awe we feel when in the company of wild, free animals and inspires us to better share our world with them.

Ruth Ganesh & Shubhra Nayar, The Coexistence Collective

The elephants are for sale, with prices ranging from $8,000 for a five-foot-tall baby elephant to $22,000 for a towering 15-foot tusker. Proceeds are set to benefit 22 conservation organizations worldwide, including the Coexistence Consortium and Indigenous-led groups that work to protect wildlife. The hope is to sell 1,000 elephants during the tour, which would raise $10 million for global conservation efforts. But beyond the financial goal, the exhibition is about cultural preservation—showing how Indigenous craftsmanship can play a role in saving endangered species.

Supported by corporate sponsors and philanthropists like Edith McBean and Sylvie Chantecaille who belong to the project’s Matriarchy, a group of influential women helping to promote it —Cher is also a member—“The Great Elephant Migration” is more than your typical fundraiser. It is an artistic journey that emphasizes the importance of conservation in today’s world, merging traditional science with cultural storytelling. By showcasing the beauty and individuality of each elephant, the exhibition reminds us that conservation is not just about numbers and statistics—it’s about connection, compassion, and coexistence with the natural world.

A stroll through the Meatpacking District helps us remember that these elephants carry with them not just the story of endangered species but the spirit of a world where humans and nature live in harmony.

The post Migrating Herd of 100 Elephants Bring a Message of Hope, Beauty, and Coexistence to NYC appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

The relationship between content and audience is always complex, and the power of words to inspire or harm is widely debated. In this episode, we discuss the controversial yet ubiquitous “trigger warning,” a specific form of content advisory suggesting that some content is so offensive or traumatic it may “trigger” you. Trigger warnings are relatively new and are seen both as a means of respecting and including your audience by allowing them to disengage from harmful content and as evidence of a decline in the ability to handle difficult content.

While content warnings and advisories have long been part of the landscape, the concept of “trigger” is contentious. It has moved from a clinical environment into a moral one, where “offensive” content is labeled as potentially triggering–even in cases where no underlying trauma exists to be triggered. One under-examined aspect of trigger warnings is the potential re-stigmatization of storytellers whose work is labeled and the reinforcement of cultural taboos. Should scenes of interracial dating or stories of single motherhood come with trigger warnings if the audience finds such content distasteful?

Join us as we explore the emerging literature and experimental data on trigger warnings, their utility, function, and impact.

Correction: In this episode, we mention that Anna Calix had a miscarriage. Anna actually had a 40-week stillbirth. Miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) is a fetal demise in utero at less than 20 weeks of pregnancy, and stillbirth (fetal death) is a spontaneous fetal demise in utero at 20 weeks or more of pregnancy. The two have very different experiences medically, legally, logistically, and socially.

Welcome to Breaking the Code! Behavioral science is a cornerstone of modern marketing practice, but much of what passes itself off as behavioral science is just bs. Good social science gives us the insights and roadmap we need to change behavior, but bad social science just muddies the water and tarnishes the social sciences. As behavior change is a core objective of marketing, getting behavioral science right is crucial. Listen in as hosts Brad Davidson, PhD and Sonika Garcia, MPH, Medical Anthropology Strategists at Havas Health, sound off on what is, and isn’t, good social science, from a variety of disciplines covering new topics every podcast.

Learn more on LinkedIn and Spotify.

The post Making Sense of “Trigger Warnings” appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

This rare booklet published by the International Workers Order excerpts portions of a 1942 speech by FDR’s vice president, Henry A. Wallace. As the poet Carl Sandburg wrote in the foreword, “His speech transcends partisan causes and petty ambitions. As a speech, it deals with living history and may long be remembered.”

What’s interesting about Wallace’s arguments (which can be heard here), each highlighted by illustrations produced by the social realist-idealist Hugo Gellert, is that they attempt to tie the United States more closely to the Soviet Union in the face of a common enemy, Nazi Germany. “It is no accident that Americans and Russians like each other when they get acquainted,” Wallace said. “Both people were molded by the vast sweep of a rich continent.” He further noted that “thanks to the hunger of the Russian people for progress, they were able to learn in 25 years that which had taken us in the United States a hundred years to develop.” The quintessence of liberal thinking.

The speech further addressed the issue of “ethnic democracy,” which Wallace insisted was vital to the “new democracy, the democracy of the common man … the different races and minority groups must be given equality of economic opportunity.” And he continued, “President Roosevelt was guided by principles of ethnic democracy when in June 1941 he issued an executive order prohibiting racial discrimination in the employment of workers by the national defense industry.”

An additional point: “From the Russians we can learn much, for unfortunately the Anglo-Saxons have had an attitude toward other races which has made them exceedingly unpopular in many parts of the world. … We have not sunk to the lunatic level of the Nazi myth of racial superiority, but we have sinned enough to cost us already the blood of tens of thousands of precious lives.”

Gellert (1892–1985), who was born in Hungary, underscored Wallace’s theme through graphics that echoed other lithographic work he did for progressive causes. (I had the pleasure of being on a panel about political art with Gellert a year before his passing—he was committed to “ethnic democracy” until the end.)

The images here are selected from the 1943 booklet Century of the Common Man, with points in Wallace’s speech illustrated and titled by Gellert.

The post Social Ideals and Social Realism, Gellert Style appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Launched on Voter Registration Day (September 17) and running through Election Day (November 5), the campaign provides a one-stop resource for voters at readyforroevember.com. The site allows visitors to register to vote, prepare for the upcoming election, and dive into key ballot measures and races focused on reproductive rights. Hey Jane will donate $1 to abortion-related ballot measure organizations for each visitor, transforming engagement into direct support for reproductive access.

In a country where reproductive rights are increasingly threatened, Ready for Roevember is designed to do more than just encourage voter turnout — it’s about driving informed action on an issue that’s critical for many. For women under 45 in swing states, abortion has overtaken even the economy as the top voting concern, according to The New York Times. And national surveys show that eight in ten Americans oppose federal abortion bans, emphasizing the broad support for protecting reproductive choice, per The Associated Press.

A key moment in this campaign is September 28, which marks both International Safe Abortion Day and the Ready for Roevember Day of Action. On this day, supporters nationwide are encouraged to share why they’re “ready for Roevember” on social media. They can use the campaign’s free toolkit to amplify their messages and guide others to the campaign website. Hey Jane has created phone screens, social media templates, yard signs, posters, postcards, and more, all available in the toolkit to help spread the word.

Hey Jane, a New York-based telehealth provider specializing in reproductive care, is driving this initiative with a clear goal: to ensure voters are equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed decisions at the ballot box. For years, Hey Jane has been at the forefront of expanding access to safe, affordable reproductive healthcare through its telehealth services. Now, with Ready for Roevember, the organization is linking healthcare advocacy with civic action.

This year’s election is pivotal for the future of reproductive freedom in America. With state and federal legislation increasingly threatening to roll back rights, voters have the opportunity to send a clear message that reproductive autonomy is non-negotiable. Ready for Roevember aims to channel this energy into concrete action, ensuring voters are not only showing up at the polls but also fully aware of the issues at stake.

Visit readyforroevember.com to register, learn about key races, download your Roevember assets, and prepare for the election. In 2024, every vote counts—and with Ready for Roevember, your voice will make a difference.

The post Hey Jane Casts its Vote for Reproductive Freedom with Roevember appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Welcome to a new column we’re affectionately calling, Identity Politics. Written by veteran journalist Susan Milligan, we’ll be covering the big issues in the socio-political ether as they intersect with design, art, and other modes of visual communication.

“You’ll change your mind.”

I first heard those words when I was still a teenager, having just informed adults that I had no interest in having children. Such declarations were seen as a radical – and temporary – flirtation with Women’s Liberation and a misguided rejection of All Things Normal and Natural for females. At that age, I was treated with a patronizing kindness by those whose smug smiles conveyed their assurance that, of course, I would be overcome by baby fever, settle down, and consent into a life where I might well have a career, but of course would reproduce and always, always put my children first.

As I got older, my childless state became a source of perplexity, judgment, alarm, and finally, pity, as it became clear to others that the time had passed for me to fulfill my expected role as a mother. How could I have missed the memo, waved frantically in my face by myriad sources – older adults, media warnings about my ticking biological clock, advertisements, and marketing that celebrated marriage and parenthood? The sappy engagement ring ads, food sold in family-sized packages, the pregnancy test commercials that overwhelmingly featured married couples hoping so much for the little blue line that reveals that she – oops, “we,” in the couple-centric vernacular that erases the one thing a woman can do that a man can’t – is/are pregnant.

Decades later, despite dramatic demographic and social changes, we’re still in the same place. It’s arguably worse, since American politicians, opinion leaders, and marketers have had decades to adjust to the new reality of American households but haven’t. A first-of-its-kind 2021 Census Bureau report on childless older Americans found that nearly one in six adults age 55 and older are childfree. In 2023, 47 percent of adults under 50 said they were unlikely to have kids—a big jump from just five years previous, when 37 percent felt that way, according to the Pew Research Center. Another Census study found that 58 percent of households are childless (though this figure likely includes empty nesters), up from 7.7 percent in 1940.

The anger and outright hatred towards the childfree among us has been ugly and mounting. The silly (and suspiciously manufactured-looking) videos of “trad wives” on social media underscore the idea that a “traditional” wife, wearing a spaghetti-strapped tank top on her ballerina body, is so much happier staying home all day, making homemade Oreo-style cookies for her kids and waiting for her husband to get home from his paying job. A popular meme online contrasts drawings of two women—one, described as an “Established and Complete Woman,” in a flowy dress and smiling as she holds her husband’s, who is carrying one of their four children. The other depicts a scowling single woman with a cat, a sex toy, a glass of wine, a sorry-looking slice of pizza, and a tally of “men I’ve whored myself out to.” The moniker for this woman? “A Victim of Feminism.”

And now, the crusade against childfree women has become part of the presidential campaign. Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance in 2021 excoriated the “childless cat ladies” who are unhappy and “want to make the rest of the country miserable too.” Asked about the audio, unearthed after Vance became his party’s nominee for vice president, Vance snipped that he had nothing against cats. Another audio clip of Vance, discovered in August, features him castigating the head of a teachers union for not having children. “If she wants to brainwash and destroy the minds of children,” Vance says, “she should have some of her own and leave ours the hell alone.”

Newsweek, which wrote a mea-culpa story in 2006 countering its own 1986 cover story warning single women that their chances of getting married after age 40 were lower than the chance of getting killed by a terrorist, hasn’t evolved. It’s just modernized the line of attack. An opinion column in the magazine this summer piously informed readers that wealthy and uber-successful Taylor Swift – one of the most effective brand ambassadors in the world – is a terrible role model for girls. Why? Because she is unmarried, has no children, and has had a lot of boyfriends.

And that’s the root of the anger and renewed backlash: it’s not (just) that women are remaining single and childfree. It’s that they’re happy that way. And that has provoked a range of reactions from incomprehension to out-and-out rage.

Sure, you won’t see ads anymore like the 1930s pitch for Listerine, noting of a halitosis-afflicted female: “And as her birthdays crept gradually toward that tragic 30-mark, marriage seemed farther from her life than ever. She was often a bridesmaid, but never a bride.” However, as Jess Lloyd, head of strategy at the advertising firm Hill Holiday, noted in a 2018 column in Adweek, single women still felt the judgment. In a study conducted by the firm, nearly half of single women felt “virtually nonexistent” in advertising, and when they were portrayed, it was often as “hyper-sexualized, desperate or lonely.”


Entertainment and food establishments offer “family days” and family discounts irrelevant to single and childless consumers. And while people drive alone more than three-fourths of the time (even more so for single drivers), vehicle advertising tends to show families and groups driving together, behavioral economist Peter McGraw wrote in a column for Contagious, a creative and strategic agency.

The underlying premise of political campaigns, media, and advertising is that singlehood and childlessness are temporary—states that people universally want to escape. That explains why Republicans – seeing the overwhelming electoral advantage Democrats have among single women – haven’t responded by crafting policies to appeal to that voter group. They’ve just tried to get them married. And more insidiously, shaming them into having children (or making it hard to end an unwanted pregnancy).

Good luck with that. According to the Census Bureau, women (and men) are marrying later. The Pew study found that the childless are not mostly reproductively challenged: 57 percent of the adults under 50 who said they are unlikely to have kids said a major reason is that they don’t want them. The side-by-side meme of a happy wife and mother and a miserable single woman means to insult unmarried, childless women. But it misses the point: very many women would prefer to be the female on the right than the one on the left. You can get over a hangover. There’s no recovering from a frontal lobotomy, as the woman on the left appears to have been given, in a caricature that’s arguably as insulting and reductive as the one depicting the single woman.

It will get nastier before the childfree cat ladies take their rightful role in politics and the consumer market. Eventually, candidates, advertisers, and the media will figure out that if they want our votes, our money, and our attention, they’re going to have to accept us as we are. In the stump speech slogan of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, we are not going back.

Susan Milligan is an award-winning veteran journalist covering politics, culture, foreign affairs, and business in Washington, DC, New York, and Eastern Europe. A former writer for the New York Daily News, the Boston Globe, and US News & World Report, she was among a team of authors of the New York Times bestseller Last Lion: The Rise and Fall of Ted Kennedy. A proud Buffalo native, Milligan lives in northern Virginia.

Header image background by Marlene Stahlhuth / Death to Stock

The post What the Age-Old Campaign Against Childfree “Cat Ladies” Doesn’t Get appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

This story framed the introduction of design anthropologist Keith Murphy‘s 2017 article, “Fontroversy! Or, How to Care About the Shape of Language.” As an Associate Professor of Anthropology at UC Irvine, Murphy (left) spends much of his time researching the intersection of design and human culture, specifically typography. Murphy describes type in this same chapter as “an ever-present formalization of language in the everyday world,” [insert smart academic prose here], and that “typefaces often operate as familiar mechanisms through which broader social and political struggles are able to unfold.”¹

He contends that the friction between design and humankind often comes alive in type. Enter the “fontroversy.”

Microsoft’s default font change from Calibri to Aptos initially sparked my interest in talking with Murphy. But as we spoke, I wanted to learn more about the work of a design anthropologist (fascinating job alert!), what he calls the “golden age of fontroversy” in the early-mid-2010s, in addition to getting his thoughts on the latest episode of type friction. Our conversation is below (lightly edited for length and clarity).

As an anthropologist, how did you get interested in researching design, specifically type and type designers?

My interest in design was accidental (I was originally interested in studying hand gestures). One of my grad school advisors suggested that I look at architects (because they gesture a lot). I started studying a group of architects in LA and looked at how they used their hands to speak to one another as they designed a building. Through that experience, I became interested in the design process, specifically, what humans do when designing. We know what design is anecdotally through the voices of famous designers in history. But what is actually going on when designers are designing? From there, it took me ten years to figure out exactly what I was interested in.

Then, I went to Sweden and fell in love with everyday objects. I already had a personal interest in graphic design and typography (as a self-taught graphic designer). As an anthropologist, I started to think of designing as a fundamental form of human action. Type is the smallest expression of this.

It was the early 2010s, a time rife with people getting angry about fonts. I started to wonder what was going on. So, I started systematically looking at why people get so worked up about fonts.

his line of research led me to look at the people who design fonts, so I started studying their processes. This led me to letterpress, which led to neon sign making, which opened up many different lettering communities.

What did you discover about the early-mid 2010s that made it ripe for fontroversy?

If brands are contracts between a company and a customer, type is doing some work in that. If you make the wrong choice (going generic instead of iconic), then you have violated the relationship that you have with the consumer. A lot of this is unconscious. We relate to and trust brands. If you choose to mess that up, it’s like being slapped in the face as a consumer.

Consumers have become more savvy (maybe not even aware of how much we’re attuned to it—we can’t help but think about it). The internet made it possible for us to find each other and complain.

Social media was not yet a cesspool. People were gathering online; forums were still popular. People started to talk about it, share it, and share images. Blogs were still a thing. My educated guess is that this period saw the convergence of brand needs and the ability for people to share their thoughts.

Tropicana [2009] and The Gap [2010 one week!)] are two big cases of having to walk back their big brand rollouts; JCPenney [2012] kept the new logo (though they switched it back several years later). Black and Decker might have been in the mix, too.

It’s like a haircut or new glasses (you notice something different in what you take for granted), and it might be a subtle enough change, but people know it’s different, and there’s friction in the perception. There’s a zone of tolerance where people might notice the change and not react badly, but if it’s too far out of the zone, like Tropicana and the Gap, people notice enough to form judgments about it and decide if it’s good or bad.

Southwest [2014], I think, got it right.

One big change during that time was cell phones—iPhones came out in 2007 but didn’t really take off until 2010. Brands started to realize that they needed to translate to smaller screens. The Tropicana logo would’ve been hard to render on a small screen. Many brands were simplifying their logos to look better on screens. But if all brands are doing this, then they all start to look alike. That sparked some of the reaction: They’re all Helvetica rip-offs! It all looks like Helvetica!

I tried to find examples of people getting upset about fonts prior to the internet, and nothing quite fit how this unfolded in the 2010s. I found an instance of the name of a font in Emigre in the 90s causing some anger (but that wasn’t unusual for Emigre). Since 2016-17, fontroversies are much rarer. When Ikea switched from Futura to Verdana in 2010, it was a PR crisis for the company—spokespeople had to explain things. But, in 2019, when they switched from Verdana to Noto, the news was barely covered.

Brands are also learning how to better roll out changes to mitigate reactions.

Talk about the Microsoft “fontroversy?” I certainly heard about it, but it hasn’t risen to the level of some of the rollouts you just mentioned.

I’ve been reading different forums to get a sense of what people are saying. It’s more mixed than I expected it to be. There’s a general sense of I hate it anytime a company switches (which is more about change). One of the reasons I think people react is: I’m used to one way, and now it’s different. There’s something interesting in that. It shows some violation of ‘this should be invisible’ (it is until it’s not).

The differences between Calibri and Aptos are minuscule. Many people didn’t notice. The New York Times framed an article about that, asking if people noticed. Then, it slowly started trickling out that something was different, appearing on forums and in the news. It’s the most recent example of a fontoversy that broke the barrier of professional attention. It was nothing like Comic Sans—it won’t reach the level of some other controversies. It’s about choice and change: ‘I hate it.’ ‘It’s ugly.’ ‘I like what I had before.’

It’s also different because Microsoft weirdly rolled it out as a brand exercise (without admitting it as such). It has all the hallmarks of a brand rollout. Some official explanations were, “We want something new and fresh” and “Calibri is getting old.” People still use Baskerville and other typefaces that have been around for decades. And we also keep redesigning the same typefaces. So the idea that something that is 17 years old is old doesn’t pass the smell test. They also said something about technology for higher-resolution screens. A lot of Microsoft’s explanation is the story constructed around it. The changes between the letterforms are tiny, but the hype around the switch brought more attention to it—attention that benefits the company in a good way without having to make a major change that would likely upset a lot of people.

What iconic logo wordmark do you think is overdue for an overhaul?

The one that comes to mind is GE. I’m torn because it’s so iconic and recognizable, but also so juvenile. To me, it just screams we’ve been doing it a long time, and we’re just going to keep doing it. It existed long before I was born and would definitely benefit from a redesign. But while it’d be exciting to see what happens as an anthropologist, it’s not something I would want to touch as a designer!

It would also be interesting to consider mass transit, playing with the iconic letters that identify the systems, the T in Boston, for example. But that would never happen. During a station renovation a few years ago in the DC Metro, signmakers used the same font [Helvetica after Massimo Vignelli’s iconic M] but a different style [Black instead of Bold]. It still did its job as a wayfinding tool, but people noticed, and the Metro scrambled to fix it.

When Murphy first started talking to typographers and type designers, he explains, “I went into it assuming they are designing fonts for me. But in reality, they design fonts for graphic designers, type directors, and art directors in professional contexts, who then put them to use for people like me. That disconnect between what design professionals think and take for granted and what regular people think and take for granted comes from two different poles but we meet in the middle at type.”

Fonts are vehicles for delivering information and in the case of logos, visual affinity, so the non-designer human doesn’t usually notice unless it causes friction in our lives. “We’re consuming type all the time, and reacting to it, but not necessarily thinking about it,” says Murphy. “Designers and professionals are thinking about and looking at type all the time, but not always from the standpoint of the consumer.”

I confess I didn’t notice Microsoft’s change until I copied some text into a Word document in Times New Roman, producing weirdly large and bossy 14-pt text that the formatting panel informed me was Aptos. After the momentary annoyance, I changed it back and was on my way.

As we easily navigate the web, read transit maps at our subway station, or find our preferred brands on the shelves of a busy big box store, type is an invisible yet powerful force in our lives. But when design causes friction, it becomes an issue. And we’re not shy about telling companies about it.

Keith Murphy is the co-editor of Designs and Anthropologies: Frictions and Affinities (University of New Mexico Press).

Photos courtesy of Keith Murphy.

1. Murphy, K.M. 2017. “Fontroversy! Or, How to Care About the Shape of Language,” in S. Shankar and J. Cavanaugh (eds.), Language and Materiality, pp. 63-86. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ↩︎

The post Helveticization, Comic CERNs, & Change: A Design Anthropologist on “Fontroversy” appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Close down Sabrina Ionescu from three-point range.

Box out Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones in the paint.

Nothing can stop Big Ellie.

Who’s “Big Ellie,” you ask? A new top draft pick from the NCAA? A key signing from abroad? She’s neither. Big Ellie is the New York Liberty’s mascot.

Ellie the Elephant, affectionately known by her throngs of adoring fans as Big Ellie, has had a breakout WNBA season this year, though Liberty loyals have been on Team Ellie since her rollout in 2021. Ellie replaced the team’s previous mascot, Maddie (named after their then home court, Madison Square Garden in Manhattan), when the franchise rebranded from playing at MSG to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Liberty’s chief brand officer, Shana Stephenson, was one of the team members who originally conceived of and developed the Ellie character and persona, though she has evolved beyond Stephenson’s wildest dreams into a viral sensation entertainer extraordinaire and downright diva. “I’m also a fan of Ellie, of course, but I’m also often blown away by her ability to just continue to blow minds and exceed expectations and rise to the moment,” Stephenson told me recently as we chatted about Ellie’s star power.

Ellie sets the exuberant tone for the game day experience at NY Liberty games, from her drippy arrival tunnel fits, iconic on-court dance performances, and mid-game antics on the sidelines and in the stands. As a result, the games appear to be more like parties than sporting events, with the packed stands overflowing with joy. Ellie’s popularity is indicative of the seismic growth in the WNBA over the last few seasons. With the 2024 regular season wrapping this past weekend, ESPN has reported that this has been the most-viewed WNBA regular season ever across their various platforms, with games averaging 1.2 million viewers. That marks a ridiculous 170% increase from 2023.

Of course, most of the credit goes to the athletes for these skyrocketing stats, but feats in the teams’ branding and entertainment value, like Ellie, have critically bolstered what the players are doing on the court. The rest of my conversation with Stephenson is below, where she reveals details about Ellie’s development and evolution, and why she thinks Ellie has connected with the masses in ways she never could have imagined.

(Conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity).

An elephant mascot for a Brooklyn-based sports team isn’t the most obvious choice. Can you walk me through how the idea of Ellie first came about?

Our previous mascot at Madison Square Garden was Maddie, who was a golden retriever. When we knew we were relocating the team to Brooklyn, we knew we couldn’t bring Maddie (who was named after Madison the Square Garden) to the Barclays Center. Maddie was very beloved by our Liberty loyals, our fan base, and we also knew that we had to be really thoughtful about how we sunsetted Maddie, and introduced whatever this new mascot would be. There were big shoes to fill (no pun intended), and we didn’t want our fans to hate this new mascot.

So from that moment, we knew we had to think up a new mascot; not having a mascot was never an option. Mascots have always been key to WNBA teams, so we knew that it was important for us to dream up something different. As we were thinking of what were viable mascot replacements for Maddie, we tossed out everything that you could think of that’s New York related, from rats and pigeons to apples, just naming anything that New York was known for, but none of them hit in the same way that Maddie did. 

Our CEO, Kia, who never sleeps, was up late one night and Googled “Brooklyn and animal” and this story about the Brooklyn Bridge came up where Barnum and Bailey executed a stunt with elephants walking across it to prove that the bridge was sturdy, safe, and strong enough to withhold all the weight and traffic. She came into my office the next day saying, “Okay, I think I got it. Hear me out: what about an elephant?” And I immediately dismissed it. But then she told me the story. So then we thought of the name Ellie because of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty (since she’s our muse) and “Ellie” being short for elephant. It just all made sense. It went from being an “absolute not” and immediate “no,” to a no-brainer.

Once you landed on the idea of Ellie, what was the character’s development process like? 

First, we had to pitch the idea to ownership and get them on board with this idea of an elephant as the mascot of the New York Liberty. We were successfully able to convince them that this was a direction that we should go in as an organization, and they gave us the green light. That was in 2019, and then in 2020 the pandemic hit, so we had a bit of a lag and some lead time in terms of when we actually had to start developing Ellie. 

We found an artist who sketched Ellie out and then put together a prototype model to show what Ellie could look like with the crown, the ears, the lashes, and the sea foam and black-and-white J’s. And we were like, she’s cute! We love her! Then we went into the phase of playing around with proportions and different things, and then we found a costume maker. We ended up working with a costume maker out of New York, and at that time there were so many challenges with ordering materials with the supply chain issues. Different pieces that we ordered from overseas were delayed, and we were really nervous if we would be able to complete the costume in time for the start of our season once things started to ramp up. But luckily we made our deadline.

How did your team handle launching Ellie to replace Maddie from a brand storytelling perspective?

There was a whole campaign and story around it. We had to figure out what the story was behind sunsetting Maddie and having her pass the torch to Ellie because, again, we wanted fans to really embrace Ellie. We wanted fans to love who Ellie was. So we came up with the idea of having Maddie film herself at Madison Square Garden, get on the subway traveling to Brooklyn, getting off at the Atlantic Avenue Station, and coming up the steps out of the subway at the Barclays Center. Meeting Maddie at the top of the staircase in front of the Barclays Center was Ellie. Maddie then literally passed the torch to Ellie, and then Ellie went inside the Barclays Center and waved to Maddie. When Ellie walks inside the building, all of the LEDs say, “Welcome home, Ellie!” 

The fans initially, like most people, were confused by the idea of an elephant, but after they actually read the press release and we explained the story behind it they got on board with the concept of an elephant. 

It’s brilliant to use the mascot storyline to not only explain the mythology of Ellie as a character, but to encapsulate the wider rebrand the NY Liberty was undergoing as a franchise in the transition from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Those boroughs have such different identities, and New Yorkers know that better than anyone, so I’m sure every aspect of that rebrand rollout needed to be handled with the utmost delicacy and thoughtfulness. 

Exactly; Ellie could not exist at Madison Square Garden. It’s such a different culture. Her personality is very New York, but it’s also very Brooklyn. And that brings me to the mascot tryout.

I think you have to be a really interesting individual to want to be a professional mascot.

We held auditions for different people who wanted to be Ellie, advertising at different entertainment casting agencies, and posting it on social. The tryout was one of the craziest things I’ve ever been a part of; I think you have to be a really interesting individual to want to be a professional mascot. We were able to identify the person, and they’re still Ellie to this day. They were a mascot prior to becoming Ellie, so they had that unique experience before transforming Ellie into this major character who’s an entertainer, a performer, and a dancer. 

When we first met with them, we asked to see what ideas they had. We already knew that we wanted Ellie to be female and we wanted Ellie to dance. It wasn’t that important to us for Ellie to be athletic just because we were a basketball team. Most basketball mascots can dunk, they can dribble, they can do all the things. But we definitely wanted to do something different. 

Obviously, the love for Ellie has blown up now, but after the reveal of moving from Maddie to Ellie, what was the initial reaction from the fans?

The first season we introduced Ellie was in 2021, and we were still dealing with a lot of the effects of Covid, and we had a lot of restrictions in place to protect the players. So that meant we were still testing players every day and testing everyone who was in direct contact with players every day. As a result of that, there were tiers of people who could be down on the court, and our entertainment, dance teams, and Ellie weren’t able to be on the court. 

So when we introduced Ellie that season, we had a stage built on the baseline where she performed. She couldn’t interact with the fans in the way that she does now, so it took a little bit of time for people to understand who Ellie was, what her strengths were, what her personality was, and how her character was evolving into what it is now. 

In time, we’ve continued to try new things. When Ellie was introduced, Ellie had typical mascot shoes, and by season two, we ditched those completely and realized Ellie should just rock some sneakers. It just felt more authentic to her, especially as a dancer. She likes to move around, and we didn’t want those shoes to hinder her in any way. Ellie also initially had a little curl on the top of her head, and, quite honestly, we couldn’t keep it curled, so our senior director of entertainment, Criscia Long, came up with the idea of getting hair extensions and braiding it, and that’s how Ellie’s ponytail braid was born. So, out of a need to solve a problem or just ingenuity, we’ve been able to continue to find little tweaks here and there that bring more of Ellie’s personality to life. 

Also, because the person who embodies Ellie was a mascot before, they have ideas. They’re from Brooklyn, which was also very intentional. We wanted someone who really understands the culture and the core audience we’re hoping to connect with. 

“Authenticity” is the key word that comes to mind when I analyze Ellie— it so clearly has driven every choice you and your team has made in creating her. I’m sure that’s what resonates with your fans and why they love her so much. 

I’m just as blown away by Ellie on most days as everyone else is. For example, when Ellie performed with Ciara, she went backstage and met her, and Ciara completely fangirled out about meeting Ellie. And then when Ellie took the stage and performed, she truly owned that moment. My jaw was on the floor. I was like, Ellie is performing in front of 18,000 fans right now! I’m often blown away by her ability to exceed expectations and rise to the moment. 

The players love Ellie too, and they love sharing the player tunnel fit moment with her. They shouldn’t be watching Ellie during the games, but it’s hard not to! I sit not too far from the player bench, and sometimes they just look over at me and shake their head like, What is she doing now? 

I sit not too far from the player bench, and sometimes they just look over at me and shake their head like, What is she doing now? 

You mentioned before how you didn’t necessarily want Ellie to be conventionally “sporty,” dribbling around and dunking the ball like other mascots do. Instead, you’ve played up her femininity with her styling, outfits and bags, her signature braid, her lashes, the way she moves, etc. I love how she’s reflective of so many athletes in this era who are also embracing glamour and presenting so femme, even as they play. It feels like they’re reclaiming the power of femininity, dismantling binaries, and defying stereotypes about what types of women are good at sports. 

We’re seeing a lot more femininity in sports right now, and that’s always been a goal of mine as a chief brand officer. Even in terms of the photography and how we talk about our athletes, I always wanted to highlight the femininity of those who identify as feminine (because not all of them do), but you can also show them as being strong. It’s not an “either-or,” it’s a “both-and.” They can exist together.

It’s just really fun that our game has evolved to a place of acceptance and celebrating, pushing boundaries and trying new things. 

One aspect that makes women athletes different from men is their hair, their nails, their lashes, and their makeup. It’s important to me that we really lean into that and celebrate that. So in the photographs we’re taking, I want them to flip your hair if you have braids or locks. I want us to show the multidimensionality and the diversity with which all of the players show up as women in sports. It’s just really fun that our game has evolved to a place of acceptance and celebrating, pushing boundaries, and trying new things. 

Your team has struck gold by creating such a powerful brand-building tool with Ellie. How have you capitalized on that outside of her entertainment value as a performer? 

We are definitely consistently thinking through ways we can integrate Ellie into the rest of our brand outside of just being in the arena. Integrating a new drop into Ellie’s tunnel fit, for example. So if we’re launching a new merch item, maybe Ellie can wear that on her way into the arena when we’re capturing the player’s arrival. We’re strategically placing these items on Ellie and having these moments, continuing to innovate and elevate around it. 

The Jets released a new uniform this season, and they asked if they could gift Stewie a new jersey and have her wear it. And I was like, “Yeah, but what do you think about Ellie also wearing it?” and they were like, “Oh my god, yes!” so then they gave Ellie a custom jersey. So it’s not just us who are recognizing Ellie’s power and influence, but other teams in New York are seeing it, other brands. Brand Jordan customized a whole Ellie fit for her, and Jordan doesn’t collaborate with just anybody or any athlete; it’s a very specific and elite group of people that they often work with, so for Ellie to be on that list it’s like, yeah, we have something special here. 

The social media aspect of Ellie’s meteoric rise can’t be understated, considering almost every video of her seems to go viral. I’m sure there’s a whole team dedicated to that part of her persona, but I’m curious about the voiceover you’ve chosen to give her in those videos and how that’s pushed her character forward.

Our ultimate goal with Ellie is for her to have a show like Sesame Street, with a puppet sitting on a stoop in New York City interviewing people. But at first, we were like, but Ellie doesn’t have a voice so we can’t do that. As a workaround, the person who plays Ellie suggested we use a trending TikTok voice. 

We were a little uncomfortable with it at first, but the first video they used it on was really funny, and the reaction that it got was amazing, so we just decided to go with it. That’s just another one of those risks that we took, because in the mascot world mascots don’t speak, they’re nonverbal. So this was something that hadn’t been done before; it was unexpected, but the reaction has been great, so now that’s the voice of Ellie.

The voice is very New York, it’s very Brooklyn, and I think that’s also what people are drawn to. I speak to people who sound like Ellie every day. Her accent is so thick; I’m from New York, and even when I listen to it I’m like, Ellie’s accent is out of control right now in this video. 

The post The NY Liberty’s “Big Ellie” Takes the Big Apple By Storm appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Anne Pasternak, the Shelby White and Leon Levy Director of the museum, sums it up perfectly: “We needed a new brand that meets the demands of the day, honors our rich history, and brings a whole lot of energy.” And energy is precisely what this rebrand delivers. The museum’s building—an architectural journey from neoclassical grandeur to modernist minimalism—served as inspiration. The new look blends approachable, modern sans-serif fonts with design elements that tie directly to the institution’s storied past.

Look closely at the new logo, and you’ll see dots framing the text—an ode to the ancient philosophers and playwrights whose names adorn the museum’s façade and a nod to its early days as a library. These dots pop up everywhere, from motion graphics to signage, adding a playful touch that keeps things fresh. The intertwined O’s in “Brooklyn” and the merged M’s and U’s in “Museum” symbolize connection, community, and how the museum brings together diverse voices, cultures, and ideas.

The color palette? Consider it Pantone Brooklyn. Grays echo the limestone walls of the building, balanced with bright, bold hues that shout out creativity. The effect is a reflection of the borough—gritty, colorful, and alive with possibility.

The brand reflects the Brooklyn Museum’s identity as a place where art meets education, community meets culture, and history meets what’s next.

The rebrand was brought to life behind the scenes by Brooklyn-based design studio Other Means in collaboration with the museum’s in-house team. After a year of research, collaboration, and conversations with audiences and staff, the result is a brand that reflects the Brooklyn Museum’s identity as a place where art meets education, community meets culture, and history meets what’s next.

So, the next time you’re in Brooklyn, don’t just stop by the museum—experience its brand-new chapter. Admire the kaleidoscopic colors, grab some fresh merch, or enjoy a weekend event. The Brooklyn Museum’s reimagined identity is as dynamic as the borough it calls home.

Photographs by Adrianna Glaviano.

The post The Brooklyn Museum Unveils a Bold Rebrand for 200th Anniversary appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

When it comes to Baby Boomers, there is a lot for brands to love.

They are the second-largest generation next to Millennials. They hold more wealth and disposable income than other generations. Their spending power influences entire industries from travel and leisure to healthcare and housing. Boomers are loyal, not just to brands but to employers, too. But here’s the catch: the term Baby Boomers comes with baggage. It’s time for marketers to toss that baggage aside and embrace this powerful demographic.

Who Are the Baby Boomers?

Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are so named because they emerged during the post-World War II baby boom. They were the largest generation until Millennials surpassed them in 2020. Today, the youngest Baby Boomers are in their early 60s, approaching retirement.

Given this group’s size and influence, it makes business sense to understand their wants and needs. For instance, Boomers are likely free from child-rearing responsibilities, have more time to enjoy life, and focus on managing their health and saving for retirement.

But this generation—73 million strong—gets overshadowed by unfair assumptions associated with the term “Baby Boomer,” and those stereotypes can get in the way of understanding the demographic. They’re seen as out of touch with technology, resistant to change, and entitled. Younger generations harbor resentment, blaming Boomers for having economic advantages that seem out of reach today, like affordable housing and secure jobs. The meme #OKBoomer only fuels the fire.

Stereotypes Harm Business

These stereotypes don’t just harm people aged 60 and up. Here’s how they hurt creative agencies and our clients’ businesses, too.

Missed Marketing Opportunities

Clinging to inaccurate views of the over-60 demographic can make businesses overlook a lucrative segment. Failing to develop products and services that resonate with them, companies miss out on significant opportunities to build brand loyalty with this generation. The travel, entertainment, learning, and wellness industries are among the sectors ripe for opportunities with this generation, given their financial means, more leisure time, and a natural interest in managing their health proactively.

Inaccurate Marketing Strategies

Assuming that an over-60 demographic is tech-inept is a costly mistake. This generation is digitally engaged, and outdated messaging will fail to resonate with this group’s diverse interests and lifestyles. Businesses that paint them with a broad brush risk missing the mark entirely, alienating a diverse group that values direct and meaningful communication.

Loss of Valuable Insights

Businesses that stereotype and under-leverage their over-60 workforce can lose valuable knowledge and experience. Dismiss this generation, and companies may overlook the insights seasoned employees bring to product development and customer service. These companies might also miss mentorship and knowledge transfer opportunities within their organizations.

What We Should Do

Marketers should retire the term “Baby Boomer” and adopt a more nuanced approach. Here’s how to get it right.

Understand the Demographic

Build buyer personas by gathering data on behaviors, preferences, and motivations through surveys, interviews, and behavior analysis. Generative AI can help by analyzing large datasets to uncover patterns and create rich personas. AI-powered tools can even simulate interactions, allowing marketers to test messaging strategies and fine-tune their approach.

Be Mindful of Your Words

Instead of “Baby Boomers,” use phrases like “ages 60 and up” or “active adults.” Build trust by demonstrating brand credibility and reliability, values this generation holds dear.

Emphasize Value

An over-60 audience is price-conscious as they near retirement. Mention pricing early in your communications and make it easy to find. Offering discounts is a smart strategy. Try using discount codes in exchange for email addresses to generate interest.

Get Your Content Right

An over-60 audience appreciates direct and informative content. Provide value through detailed blog posts, articles, and how-to guides, especially about health, hobbies, and personal finance topics. Reviews, referrals, and testimonials can be powerful motivators because this audience values social proof.

#OkBoomer might make for funny moments, maybe even some viral content, but it is not helpful in the broader branding and marketing context. Do your homework to build trust with this unique audience and create a win-win for your brand and a generation ready to engage.

One doesn’t necessarily associate poetry with the day-to-day business of a thriving agency, but Jim Misener, CEO of 50,000feet, has found great success being an exception to the rule. Most mornings, you can find him deep in thought about clients’ brand strategies, and by midday, he’s making rounds with tasks in hand. Jim received a B.A. with highest honors from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and completed the AIGA Program for Creative Leaders at Yale and the Executive Program at the University of Chicago Management Institute.  Jim is also a board member at the Design Museum of Chicago. 

The post It’s Time to Put “Baby Boomer” on the Shelf appeared first on PRINT Magazine.