I lick my finger and hold it up to see which way the wind is blowing. I do this metaphorically, of course. (I need dry fingers to type.)

But that’s the method. A radar game. What appears on my radar each week?

And this week, while there were some interesting currents on ageism and creative ways to set up creative departments, the biggest wind — a veritable hurricane — was Jaguar.

The teaser heard ’round the world fomented so many conversations on so many different media platforms, that I simply could not escape it.

All that said, I think the best way I can help this week is to provide a wee bit of context.

I call it, “A Brief History of Weird Ads.”

First things first, if you haven’t seen the Jaguar teaser called, “Copy Nothing,” watch it here.

Ok, it’s weird.

It reminded me of one of the first weird ads I recall seeing, Reeboks Let U.B.U. campaign.

A Chiat/Day classic, I remember this bursting on the scene with its weird casting, weird imagery, weird words for an ad (courtesy of poet Ralph Waldo Emerson), and weird spelling! This was a campaign for sneakers? Where were the athletes? Where were the courts and fields? Where were the close-up shots of the shoes?! This. Was. Weird.

That was followed up by another weird campaign for the carmaker, Infiniti. Made by Hill Holliday, this was a car campaign with no car. It was dubbed “Rocks and Trees” because that’s what it showed us: rocks and trees and rain and waves. It was a philosophical campaign that focused on the intent of Infiniti to create a new kind of luxury car brand — a Japanese luxury car brand. And while the world may have devoured the book, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” the world was somehow not ready for Zen car ads. It was too…weird.

Next up there was a weird campaign that tried to explain the internet (and the future of communications) without computers or screens or wires. It was for MCI, a telecommunications company, and it featured a then-six-year-old Anna Paquin and an epic and desolate New Zealand coastline. (All inspired by the wonderful film, “The Piano.”) And while the commercials do an incredible job of explaining the digital world we live in today, the audience had a hard time wrapping its head around the profound notion that, “…there will be no more there, there will only be here.”

(These ads are fantastic and truly hold-up, I think: ad number 1, ad number 2, and ad number 3. There are six in total and YouTube has the rest.)

Finally, there was the delicious weirdness of the Cadbury Gorilla. A chocolate bar ad sans chocolate, without morsels, and no cliche, beautiful 30-something woman enjoying a first bite. No, here we had a gorilla, a drum kit, and Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight.” Buda buh-duh buh-dum-dum boom!

Of course, there was outrage generated from all of these adverts when they first launched, just like there is outrage generated across the combined 160 million social media views of the Jaguar teaser.

So will all of this noise turn into sales for the Jags which won’t appear in showrooms until 2026?

Only time will tell.

For now, all we have is weirdness and outrage. Not often a recipe for success.

Rob Schwartz is the Chair of the TBWA New York Group and an executive coach who channels his creativity, experience and wisdom into helping others get where they want to be. This was originally posted on his Substack, RobSchwartzHelps, where he covers work, life, and creativity.

Header image: Simone Hutsch for Unsplash+

The post When the World Zigs … Jag? appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

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.

Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Go backstage on the Two Craigs website to see how the pair translate the prompt through photography and illustration.

Shatter

My wife and I were traveling in Japan when this word got assigned. I was seeing a lot of sake vessels and their silhouettes were always striking in simplicity—inspiration supplied. In order to know something is shattered, you have to know what it was whole.

Craig Frazier

Follow along with PRINT, at 2craigs.com, or on Instagram.

The post Two Craigs: 26/52 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Left image: 404 Branding, Right image: Co-founders (left to right) Renan Monjon, Rafael Caldeira, Saulo Monjon

Their debut project, The Cruise Heist, is a masterclass in creative risk-taking. Tackling a Netflix campaign when the company was less than three weeks old, with just five people on the team, is the kind of audacity that defines 404. Co-founder Rafael Caldeira put it perfectly: “Our name ‘404’ celebrates the idea that mistakes and risk-taking are essential parts of the creative process.”

And it’s not just a nervy concept—they’ve proven it works. In its first year, 404’s design-first approach and lean, two-department structure have delivered results that rival even the most established agencies. From partnerships with global heavyweights like Google and Natura to snagging awards at Cannes Lions, Effies, and El Ojo de Iberoamérica, 404 is shaking up the industry. They fully embrace their tongue-in-cheek, “error-prone” ethos by leaning into the spirit of a 404 error — playfully owning the fact that they don’t even have a website (yet!?) to showcase their award-winning work. You can, however, find them on LinkedIn and Instagram.

What stands out about 404 isn’t just the awards or the high-profile clients. It’s their philosophy: innovation thrives in uncertainty. In a world increasingly dominated by AI, the team champions the power of human creativity and thoughtful design. By blending cutting-edge tech with a distinctly Brazilian flair for bold ideas, they’re redefining how creative problems are solved—not just in Brazil, but anywhere.

As they enter year two, 404 Design & Innovation is on a mission to grow even bigger. Their rapid rise is a testament to the idea that with the right mix of creativity, collaboration, and courage, even the newest player can make waves in a competitive industry. Keep an eye on this agency. PRINT is excited to see what’s in store for 404’s next chapter!

The post 404 Design & Innovation Celebrates a Year of Bold Moves and Big Wins 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.

This isn’t just a book—it’s a time capsule. Inside, you’re presented with 1,000 symbols and logotypes crafted by Pentagram’s legendary partners since the firm’s founding in 1972. Each mark tells a story, capturing brands from all corners of the world, from grassroots nonprofits to multinational corporations to cultural institutions (there’s even a logo for a country). The beauty lies in their diversity: bold wordmarks, intricate symbols, and abstract designs—all stripped back to black and white, letting the forms take center stage.

Pentagram—founded by graphic designers Alan Fletcher, Colin Forbes, and Mervyn Kurlansky, architect Theo Crosby, and industrial designer Kenneth Grange—has always been about pushing boundaries. While the tools and trends of design have evolved, one thing hasn’t changed: the logo remains a keystone of identity design.

What struck me most while flipping through 1000 Marks is how timeless great design can feel. These marks aren’t just logos; they’re cultural symbols that connect us to brands and experiences. And for designers like me, this book is pure gold—equal parts inspiration and education.

Whether you’re a designer, a brand enthusiast, or just someone who appreciates good design, 1000 Marks is a reminder of why logos matter. They’re more than just pretty pictures; they’re visual ambassadors for ideas, values, and stories. And Pentagram’s collection shows us just how powerful a single mark can be.

The post A Journey Through Pentagram’s Legacy in Logo Design appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Backstage on the Two Craigs website is on hiatus for a few weeks, but if you’ve missed any of the last few prompts, it’s worth a look back.

Wind

Follow along with PRINT, at 2craigs.com, or on Instagram.

The post Two Craigs: 25/52 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Here’s the thing about rebrands: they’re not just about slapping on a shiny new logo. A brand is an ecosystem of meaning, emotions, and experiences that lives far beyond the design. Jaguar hasn’t been top of mind for a while—except maybe when you see a vintage E-Type cruising by and think, “Wow, remember when Jaguars were cool?” A legacy brand being “forgettable” is way more dangerous than a controversial logo. Forgettable is death in today’s market. Controversy? That’s life support with a megaphone.

A New Roar: Why Standing Out Matters

The modern car market is crowded as hell. Luxury brands like Porsche and Tesla dominate mindshare, and electric upstarts are making disruption their personal brand. Jaguar was stuck in a lane of lukewarm association: luxury-ish, performance-ish, but ultimately not commanding enough ish to compete. They needed to do something radical to reclaim attention.

This rebrand plants a flag: Jaguar isn’t here to linger quietly in the background. Love the change or despise it, but the sheer volume of reaction shows one critical fact—Jaguar is back in the conversation. And for a brand that was fading into irrelevance, being talked about again is invaluable.

Here’s a hard truth marketers and brand owners often forget: most of the loudest voices online aren’t actual customers. They’re cost-sumers—people who cost you time, resources, and emotional energy without contributing a dime to your bottom line. These are the people loudly tearing apart Jaguar’s new look without ever intending to step foot in a dealership or open their wallets.

Forgettable is death in today’s market. Controversy? That’s life support with a megaphone.

Cost-sumers vs. Customers

Brands that chase approval from cost-sumers are doomed to dilute their identity and focus on the wrong metrics. The purpose of this rebrand isn’t to pacify Twitter branding enthusiasts; it’s to reignite interest in actual potential buyers. People in the market for a $100,000 electric luxury vehicle aren’t rage-posting about font kerning—they’re evaluating how this aligns with their lifestyle, aspirations, and future purchases.

This is why brands need to adopt selective hearing. The real measure of success is whether Jaguar can now attract modern luxury buyers who might have otherwise dismissed them.

The Real Critics: Branding People

It’s worth noting that much of the backlash is coming from branding professionals. Why? Because Jaguar broke an unspoken rule: don’t mess with the playbook. Many in the design and branding community love to shout “disruption” but cling to convention when it actually happens. The same people who roasted Gap for their logo swap or ridiculed Tropicana for reimagining their packaging are likely leading the Jaguar backlash.

What these critics miss is that sometimes different works. Gap abandoned their logo refresh in fear, but Tropicana recovered from initial backlash to remain one of the most recognizable OJ brands globally. Change takes time to settle, and public opinion is often a knee-jerk reaction driven by nostalgia and resistance. Jaguar’s job isn’t to win over designers; it’s to sell a vision of luxury, performance, and exclusivity.

Rebrands Are More Than Logos

Let’s zoom out: a logo is not a brand. The rebrand isn’t just about Jaguar’s new emblem or typeface; it’s a shift in how the company positions itself for the future. It signals a focus on modern luxury, electrification, and a younger, affluent demographic who care about sustainability and aesthetics over tradition.

Will it work? That depends on whether Jaguar follows through. Rebranding isn’t magic—it’s a promise. If the cars, customer experience, and marketing campaigns fail to deliver, the critics will be right. But if Jaguar uses this rebrand as a foundation for meaningful change, they’ll prove that the haters are just noise.

Stop Freaking Out. Start Watching.

To everyone freaking out about the rebrand: chill. This isn’t the end of Jaguar; it’s the start of something new. Whether that something is a roaring comeback or a quiet whimper will take time to see. But at least Jaguar is taking a chance, and for a brand that was teetering on the edge of irrelevance, that’s a hell of a lot better than standing still.

Critics might say this is the death of the brand, but I see it differently. It’s the rebirth of a brand willing to take a stand, turn heads, and claw its way back into the conversation. And that, my friends, is exactly what Jaguar needed to do.

Saul Colt is an award-winning and somewhat notorious real-world and online marketing leader and the founder of The Idea Integration Company, a 29-person creative shop staffed with alumni from Facebook, Wall Street Journal, Mad Magazine, Disney, and The Simpsons, specializing in marketing, advertising, word of mouth, and experiences for his clients that exceed expectations. Saul has been transforming the world of experiential marketing and community building for over two decades and has no plans to stop any time soon.

This was originally posted on Saul Colt’s LinkedIn newsletter, Saul’s Ideas.af.

Images: “Copy Nothing” ad © Jaguar.

The post You Are All Wrong About the Jaguar Rebrand 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.

Other recent chopping-abouts on IG.

Rachel Cabitt on the technicolor influence of Kayōkyoku Records, where 1960s Japanese and Western cultures collide.

Loving Fred Aldous’ photobooth collection of goodies.

Director Bryan Woods on putting a “no generative AI was used in the making of this film” statement at the end of Heretic:

“We are in a time where I feel like creatively we’re in one of the big ethical battles, and the race is already ahead of us. The importance is to have these conversations before they force things in, just because it makes sense from a corporate structure. It’s incredibly dangerous. If there’s not people to throttle it, we’re going to find ourselves in five to ten years in a very dangerous situation. … AI is an amazing technology. Beautiful things will come of it, and it’s jaw-dropping. What is being created with generative AI and video … it’s amazing we could create that technology. Now let’s bury it underground with nuclear warheads, ‘cause it might kill us all.”

Could this become standard practice, please? To be posted alongside the “no animals were harmed” and “no this story isn’t real, honest” notices.

Artist and photographer Yasmin Masri’s Near 2,143 McDonald’s, documenting over 2,000 McDonald’s locations through Google Street View. Seen a few books and projects over the years use Street View as a source, but I’m unclear about how fair usage/public-domainy it is.

“For some reason, in July 1985, the Daily Mirror’s pseudo-saucy comic strip Jane ran a series of comics centered on – oh yes – Jane and boyfriend Chris hanging out with Sir Clive Sinclair.”

Kurt Cobain’s Youth Culture Scream Time.

Chris Ware on Richard Scarry and the art of children’s literature:

“The thing is, “people” weren’t anywhere to be seen in Best Word Book Ever. Instead, the whole world was populated by animals: rabbits, bears, pigs, cats, foxes, dogs, raccoons, lions, mice, and more. Somehow, though, that made the book’s view of life feel more real and more welcoming. A dollhouse-like cutaway view of a rabbit family in their house getting ready for their day didn’t seem to just picture the things themselves—they were the things themselves, exuding a grounded warmth that said, “Yes, everywhere we live in houses and cook together and get dressed, just like you.”

One must never underestimate the power of anthropomorphism in normalising empathy and diversity for children. I grew up with countless Scarry titles (to this day Peasant Pig and the Terrible Dragon is one of my favourite books) and they definitely shaped my view of the world.

It’s November and therefore LEGO have thrown a massive chunk of dad-bait into the universe in time for Christmas. As if a 3000-brick model of Shackleton’s The Endurance wasn’t enough, you can also get an extra set with a minifig of expedition photographer Frank Hurley.

There’s absolutely no need for Suede’s Dog Man Star to be thirty. It’s just unseemly.

That is all.

This was originally posted on Meanwhile, a Substack dedicated to inspiration, fascination, and procrastination from the desk of designer Daniel Benneworth-Gray.

Header image courtesy of the author.

The post Meanwhile No. 219 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Backstage on the Two Craigs website is on hiatus for a few weeks, but if you’ve missed any of the last few prompts, it’s worth a look back.

Wood

Follow along with PRINT, at 2craigs.com, or on Instagram.

The post Two Craigs: 24/52 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.

Be sure to subscribe to our emails to get all the details about when, where, and what to submit.

Studio TK, a furniture manufacturer with headquarters in South Carolina, is on a mission to help companies “bridge the gap between the spaces where we work and the work culture we aspire to create.” The company partnered with Tolleson, a full-service, Bay Area creative agency, to amplify Studio TK’s voice as an exclusive resource for furniture designed to foster creative collaboration, well-being, and connection at work.

The resulting creative, “Santé: Designed by Patrick Norguet” is a meticulously crafted stop-motion animation video that captures the essence of the acclaimed French designer’s work. Our judges awarded Tolleson first place in The 2024 Print Awards’ Motion Graphics & Video category.

Stills from “Santé: Designed by Patrick Norguet”

Inspired by Norguet’s love for music, the video utilizes visual metaphors to convey profound ideas, such as the transition from black and white to color representing the journey from concept to creation. With its tangible, handcrafted quality that feels real and touchable, the stop-motion animation captivates viewers. Every subtle change in direction, the slightest quiver of paper, and the visible texture of handmade sets add depth and authenticity that reflects pure joy.

The French celebrate by saying, “À votre santé” or “to your health.” In the same way that Norquet’s chair collection projects a lifestyle-oriented sensibility that softens the office landscape and expresses a more human work culture, this award-winning stop-motion video bridges tradition and creativity making it enduringly enchanting and worth celebrating!

The post Tolleson’s Stop-Motion Tribute to Designer Patrick Norguet for Studio TK 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.

Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Backstage on the Two Craigs website is on hiatus for a few weeks, but if you’ve missed any of the last few prompts, it’s worth a look back.

Time …

after Time

Follow along with PRINT, at 2craigs.com, or on Instagram.

The post Two Craigs: 23/52 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“How do you know if you have a good idea?” This profound query came at the tail-end of a robust day.

My answer was true, but a bit pat.

I said a good idea should make you feel something. I bolstered my answer with the classic line often attributed to legendary creative director Phil Dusenberry that goes, “If you don’t feel it in the board room, the audience won’t feel it in the living room.”

The emphasis on ideas that make you feel something: a laugh, a cry, motivated to take some action.

It was a fine answer, but something about it was bugging me.

Today’s communication efforts are sprawling and complicated.

I didn’t feel I gave a good enough answer and wouldn’t you know it — it kept me up that night.

I got out of bed early the next day and wrote down some notes and came back with a better answer.

I re-confirmed that a good idea should indeed make you feel something.

I then went further and talked about how a good idea should reveal something.

Then I went deeper and talked about how a good idea should drive all the executions of the communications ecosystem.

The Sea Leggers appreciated this deeper answer.

I kept going with one more thing.

I told them that, ultimately, the best method for determining a good idea is the timeless framework from legendary designer Milton Glaser. His notion is that there are only three reactions you can have to a piece of work:

Yes, No, Wow.

Meaning…

Yes, I understand the idea. It’s on strategy. Fine.

No, I don’t get it. I don’t like it.

Or…

Wow.

Yep, Wow is in, you can’t control how you’re feeling. And your overwhelming reaction is to just go, “Wow.”

Sure enough, the next night, we were all together at an art studio creating masks for a Lucha Libre wrestling event we were about to attend.

We had tasked ourselves with taking existing wrestling masks and making them uniquely our own.

We were armed with glue guns, scissors, and various pieces of glittered craft foam.

I saw several fun improvements our Sea Leggers were making to the classic masks.

And then out of nowhere, one appeared that was completely amazing.

One of the rising stars from our Paris office emerged with an Art Deco masterpiece.

She crafted the foam pieces into magnificent gold and green feathers. The mask looked like a piece of art that belonged atop the head of some kind of mythical goddess. Or a piece of sculpture you’d find in an Art Deco masterpiece like the Chrysler Building or Rockefeller Center.

It was such an incredibly high-brow approach for something as populist as Lucha Libre.

But in the end, it worked magnificently.

I tell you all of this because each person who saw her mask had the exact same reaction: “Wow!”

So how do you tell if you have a good idea? Start with this. Is your first reaction Wow?

Rob Schwartz is the Chair of the TBWA New York Group and an executive coach who channels his creativity, experience and wisdom into helping others get where they want to be. This was originally posted on his Substack, RobSchwartzHelps, where he covers work, life, and creativity.

Header image: Getty Images for Unsplash+

The post How Do You Know If You Have a Good Idea? appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Remember this name – Letrástica!

Held biennially (2024 was its fifth edition), Letrástica Festival is led by Gen Ramirez, an experienced typeface designer, sign painter, calligrapher, and educator from Guadalajara. Ramirez studied at TypeMedia at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and completed the Type@Cooper Extended program in San Francisco and the Condensed program in New York.

At Letrástica, I was surprised by the small but growing ‘letters’ community, how passionate, dedicated, and professional they are, and, most importantly, how connected and supportive this collective is. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend design and branding events all over the globe, where you might see creative superstars, but they often exist in their own separate worlds. At Letrástica, you can mingle around the creatives and experience how they all gladly cheer for each other when presenting their work.

Event photos courtesy of Mau Nogueron

The festival featured many engaging workshops where students and professionals gathered to learn from their peers. Also, typography work by students and professionals from around the world was displayed on the conference walls.

Event photos courtesy of Mau Nogueron

The highly skilled and professional Latin creative force from Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico was complemented by foreign designers like Kalapi Gajjar (India), Cyrus Highsmith (USA), and the one and only Ellen Lupton (USA), among others.

Collaboration was the main topic around Letrástica, at least from my perspective, as most speakers credited a big part of their success to active participation with other creatives. I found their candor honest, emotionally resonant, and refreshing. This transparency showing the struggles and successes that creatives go through was motivating, making it even more real and relatable.

It was hard for me to narrow down the creatives to highlight in this article, as all are incredibly talented and inspirational.

Marte is an Argentinean designer now residing in NYC who initially studied to be a geologist. She made us laugh about that choice, but we all quickly realized how lucky she was to have made that decision. Her work often is influenced by the shapes and colors found on earth, from the inside or outside of a stone or straight under the microscope. She said this powerful phrase: “What forms you never leaves you.”

© Marte

Daniel Barba, a local designer, leads MonotypoStudio, a company specializing in packaging design, branding, illustration, and editorial design. What caught my attention wasn’t the superb work that Barba and his studio are producing, it was mostly his quirky mind and his ability to extract, deconstruct, and apply concepts from literature, poetry, and philosophy, among other research-rich areas. If you want to have a debate with Barba, come prepared!

© Daniel Barba

Alicia Márquez is a graphic designer and typography professor from Argentina. Her clear and stunning approach to transforming materials was mind-blowing. Márquez’s stone carving craft is soothing and impressive and most definitely could be seen as art. She explained that to her the process is what matters most, probably more than the end result.

© Alicia Márquez

Last but not least, legendary designer Ellen Lupton, or as many know her, Type Mom, for her educational yet fun Instagram posts about typography. I was lucky to spend more time with her and was surprised at how eager she is to keep exploring after all her success. She’s quite passionate about baking and explained how similar it is to design. From the selection of the materials, ways of mixing them, timing, quantities, and finishes, you can get an amazing result or burn the whole thing. Lupton imparted a sensorial design workshop and a lecture about how to fall in love with typography, and she killed it!

It has been a while since this old dog has been this lifted and inspired by the spirit and work of the upcoming young creatives and the successful and experienced designers.

A spark has been lit inside me.

Letrástica is not just a festival, engaging a growing community of hundreds of type and design enthusiasts spanning 39 countries. Its focus is on sharing the typographic work of the Latin American and Mexican regional community with the world. The organization hosts free workshops, drawing sessions, contests, mentoring, and more, all centered around learning, sharing knowledge, and exchanging ideas.

Learn more about Letrástica.

Ricardo Saca is the US and Mexico managing partner for Cato Brand Partners, a global design and branding consultancy. He has a Master’s in Branding from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and has 20+ years of experience working with a wide range of companies, from startups to airlines. He is a plant-based animal lover and a cyclist.

The post Letrástica: Latin American Type to the World 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.

Our gratitude is individual. Like the lines and whorls on our fingers, our relationship with gratitude is unique.

Gratitude doesn’t have to be about big things. It doesn’t mean everything is perfect. Our gratitude can be most sustaining and most profound when things are falling apart. We can be grateful for things that are vast, things that are ineffable, but we can also be grateful for small things, for a favorite coffee cup, a soft pillow, the flash of a bird in the tree.

Finding gratitude in the quotidian can help center you, can help you find perspective, and can make a difference in how you experience the world around you.

Talking about gratitude is more commonplace now than it was a handful of years ago, or maybe it feels that way simply because I struggled with gratitude. I struggled to find my footing in gratitude as a mindset and a practice at a time when it seemed like things were falling apart.

I was a late-comer to the gratitude table, or, in my case, hilltop. I found my way there not as things got better but as things started to dissolve. When I first talked out loud about gratitude, I got emotional. I remember feeling like I was shedding my surface as I admitted that what I thought I needed was to focus on gratitude. It didn’t make sense to me, but my discomfort, and even my resistance, seemed important. I struggled with my sense that gratitude was a superficial practice, something that blurred or elided reality. I remember feeling silly. I might as well have been admitting I was going looking for unicorns in the park.

That was a beginning. I was struggling with fear and anxiety and worry over ongoing health issues in my house. I was feeling like there was no bottom to bottom, like I didn’t know where “bottom” was, but I recognized that something was increasingly hollow in me. Almost instinctively, I reached for something shiny, something I thought might be powerful. I reached for gratitude.

The next year, in November, I did 30 days of gratitude writing and recording. I found myself standing at the top of the hill, the literal hill on which I live, at sunset most days, and looking out, a point that lets me see the ocean and the bay, a point that puts the sky in motion overhead. I can turn in a circle and see the whole world. That’s how it feels, the moon over the bay, the sun dropping into the ocean, rose light warming the faces of the houses on the street. November has the best light.

That year, I gave myself over to the top of the hill, to my appreciation for all that was right then, for having that beauty within the distance of a short walk of our senior rescue. I noticed the colors of paint on houses after rain. I wrote about memory, about all that I don’t remember. I wrote about being present, being aware of things we take for granted, and appreciating things that are within reach.

I try to keep gratitude in mind all year long, but November is always a reset point, a month steeped in a gratitude mindset. I no longer cry when I talk about gratitude.3 Like most things, with practice, we get over our resistance, find our own patterns, move past the things that hurt, and find comfort in the routine.

I’ve done a number of November gratitude projects now, both written and drawn. I’ve tracked November light, the barest of diagrams showing the bands of the sky when I first walk into the kitchen and see the light over the bay in the distance. I’ve added gratitudes to daily planners and my Notion dashboard. There is really no wrong way to approach it. One year I did a series of portraits of people in one of my online communities. Two years in a row, I did large drawings to which I added a simple drawing each day of a concrete thing for which I was grateful. (Those projects are favorites.)

It may feel silly to focus on daily gratitude and on gratitude for small things, the favorite coffee cup, the favorite pencil, the familiar quilt, the cozy sweater from a loved one who has passed, but the practice is powerful. It is deceptively simple, but it can make a dramatic difference in how you feel. All that is wrong doesn’t go away. That remains the tension with gratitude. It isn’t an eraser. But something happens in the process of paying more attention, focusing, and looking around with intention and naming and recognizing our gratitude.

Spirals grow infinitely small the farther you follow them inward, but they also grow infinitely large the farther you follow them out.

John Greene, Turtles All The Way Down

Snail Mail – November Postcard Prompt

This month’s postcard prompt is gratitude-infused, but on the concrete level, the prompt is a spiral.

A spiral is a winding path, one that either moves in on itself or radiates from the center out. In walking, tracing, or drawing a spiral, literally or figuratively, there is mindfulness, the coiling or unfurling of thought, the chance to see what sits or stands or dances at other points of the spiral as you pass again and again.

Mathematically speaking, there are a number of different types of spirals, including: the Archimedean spiral, the hyperbolic spiral, Fermat’s spiral, the logarithmic spiral, the lituus spiral, the Cornu spiral, the spiral of Theodorus, the Fibonacci spiral (also called the golden spiral), conical spirals, whorls, and the involute of a circle.

These quick line drawings (not mathematically precise) show some of the spirals listed above.

This elongated spiral doesn’t show up in the list, but we know this model from the world around us:

To multiply the fun, consider the triskelion (or triskele):

We can think about spirals in terms of galaxies (look up “barred spiral”), snails, pinecones, succulents, pineapples, and the horn of a goat. The list goes on.

As a metaphor, we can use the spiral as a path for mindfulness. We can walk the spiral in or out. We can wind our way around and back like a labyrinth.

For this month’s postcard, integrate a spiral and, if you are bold, let gratitude be your guide.

You may want to simply play with the spiral as an image. You might think about cinnamon rolls or the Fibonacci sequence or snails. Or you may want to use the spiral as the form of the writing, starting from the center and writing your message in a spiral. Maybe you choose a special quote or poem. Maybe you express your gratitude to the recipient. Maybe you simply write a letter as a spiral, something the reader will have to slowly spin to read.

There is mindfulness in the reading, too.

Primary or secondary, either way, gratitude is part of the November prompt. If the spiral isn’t of interest, you might use your postcard to document daily gratitudes (one a day). You might draw a series of icons of things for which you are grateful.

Gratitude Quotes

Here are a few gratitude quotes to get you started thinking and appreciating in November:

“Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.” — Rumi

“Gratitude bestows reverence…changing forever how we experience life and the world.” — John Milton

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” — A.A. Milne

“Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour.” — Walt Whitman

“Gratitude for the present moment and the fullness of life now is the true prosperity.” — Eckhart Tolle

We are not going in circles, we are going upwards. The path is a spiral; we have already climbed many steps.

Herman Hesse, Siddhartha

If you made and sent an October card, we would love to see what you did with the costume-themed prompt. If you share in social media, please tag me and use #PostcardPrompts.

Amy Cowen is a San Francisco-based writer. A version of this was originally posted on her Substack, Illustrated Life, where she writes about illustrated journals, diary comics/graphic novels, memory, gratitude, loss, and the balancing force of creative habit.

Images courtesy of the author.

The post Connecting Dots: Tracking Gratitude in Snail Mail 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.

But what if I told you it didn’t have to be this way?

Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez-Palacio, the charming pair behind the Indiana-based graphic design firm UnderConsideration LLC and beloved design blog Brand New, are on a mission to reclaim conference culture and are succeeding with carefully considered flying colors. I had the privilege of attending their most recent event in October, the Brand New Conference in Salt Lake City, UT, which was infused with a familial sense of warmth and thoughtfulness.

The two-day affair was held at the glorious Abravanel Hall and featured an eclectic line-up of speakers from various corners of the design industry. Some standouts for me included Ragged Edge‘s Max Ottignon, Dhiya Choudary formerly of Magic Spoon, Violaine Orsoni and Jérémy Schneider of Studio Violaine & Jérémy, and Andy Pearson of Liquid Death. The multi-dimensional diversity of the panelists made for a rich presentation of perspectives and experiences for the 600 or so of us in the audience, with maestros Vit and Gomez-Palacio setting the tone in between.

Hand-dyed programs, T-shirts, and tote bags, a truck turned into an all-blue photo booth, a design book swap station, and a handful of design-related games peppering the lobby, were just a few of the inviting details infused into the conference. At the end of the event, I found myself reflecting just as much upon the display of Vit and Gomez-Palacio’s prowess as conference facilitators as I was the pearls of design wisdom shared by each of the speakers. I reached out to the duo afterward for more insights into their process and what went into the event. Vit and Gomez-Palacio’s thoughtful responses are below.

Every aspect of BNC24 felt so carefully considered and thoughtful. Can you shed some light on your thought process for these considerations? What’s your overarching mission for BNC, and what tone are you trying to set for attendees?

The overall goal is to create the experience we would like to have at someone else’s conference. We’ve been to our share of conferences, and have experienced things that work and things that don’t work, so we try to have as little discrepancy as possible in all of the various interactions our audience has, whether in person or online, all delivered with as much attention to detail and craft as possible. 

We even choose our outfits based on each year’s color palette.

We are not perfect at it by any means, but we try to take care of as many things as possible. We want people to feel like they are entering a mini universe where all parts are connected and add up to the overall experience of being in the same building for more than ten hours each day for two days straight to make it more enjoyable and memorable. We even choose our outfits based on each year’s color palette, and our audience really appreciates how hard we commit to making each year distinct. 

Our biggest fear is becoming repetitive because we have so many people that come year after year, we never want them to feel like they are getting the exact same experience over and over.

I know that this was the first year BNC didn’t have sponsors. Can you share a bit more about that decision? How did the conference feel different this year than in the past by not having sponsors? 

First off, we have to say how appreciative we are of our past sponsors as they provided a financial boost that was integral to being able to develop and grow the conference, but our main struggle with having sponsors is that there were two very different experiences during the event: one inside the auditorium with the speakers, and one outside in the lobby with the sponsors, and the two were not particularly in sync. We felt that we could integrate those two experiences in a more memorable and relevant way for our audience. 

We left a lot of money on the table—like, A LOT—but we are lucky that we have an audience that shows up for the event so we felt comfortable risking profit in favor of a more curated experience. The energy in the lobby this year was amazing and the one goal we had, based on feedback we have received over the years, was to provide more opportunities for attendees to interact with each other and have shared moments of joy and design nerdiness to make it easier to strike up new conversations. 

We are also stubbornly independent and want to do things our own way with as little outside influence.

We are also stubbornly independent and want to do things our own way with as little outside influence as possible so this move puts us in a position where we are in total control of the results, good or bad. So far, first year, it’s been all good.

How do you curate the speakers for the conference? What do you hope to achieve when developing the presenter line-up?

We keep an ongoing list all year long of people that catch our attention, whether they were featured on Brand New (the blog), whether we ran unto their profile on LinkedIn, or whether doom scrolling on social media paid off and we saw someone’s work that we hadn’t seen before. Usually in November or December, we make an initial cut of that list to make sure we have diversity in every aspect of the word: race, gender, location, specialty, age, types of clients, styles of design, experience level, anything that will make it feel like each of the 20 speakers we have on stage has something different to offer. 

We want to create opportunities. There is nothing we love more than to have a first-time speaker being as nervous as they’ve ever been right before presenting and then being awesome on stage.

Our goal is to portray the breadth of possibilities of what one can be and do in the branding industry. We don’t try to be all things to all audience members with every single speaker, but, as a sum of all the presentations, we want everyone to be able to take at least one thing back from each presenter. We try to also provide a mix of designers and firms people have heard of along with others that none or few have heard of. We are never looking only for seasoned speakers who have done this a million times; one because that’s just boring and, two, because they’ve already gotten enough opportunities. We want to create opportunities. There is nothing we love more than to have a first-time speaker being as nervous as they’ve ever been right before presenting and then being awesome on stage.

This isn’t Adobe Max or TED and we love that it NEVER feels like a super slick corporate event. 

Now that BNC 2024 is in your rear-view mirror, what are you proudest of about this year’s conference? 

Seeing people interact with all the weird stuff we came up with for the lobby to replace the sponsor booths and swag. We spent a lot of time thinking about what these things could be and how we could bring them to life within our budget and means, which means some things were rough around the edges but that’s part of what we love about doing this ourselves and with tight budgets… we are putting our skin in the game and we are not aiming to make everything pitch-perfect and flawless. This isn’t Adobe Max or TED and we love that it NEVER feels like a super slick corporate event. 

Digressing though… our biggest pride every year is seeing new speakers get the opportunity to explore this side of themselves—folks like Eleazar Ruiz or Dhiya Choudary or the duos behind M — N Associates and Violaine & Jérémy—and realize how much they have to offer others. Equally fulfilling is the insane amount of work that our volunteers put in the day before the event and the days of the event. They leave with huge smiles on their faces and new friendships. It sounds cheesy but it really is quite something.

The post The Brand New Conference Reclaims Conference Culture with Warmth and Joy appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Go backstage on the Two Craigs website to see their thought process as they translate each prompt through photography and illustration.

Hot

Follow along with PRINT, at 2craigs.com, or on Instagram.

The post Two Craigs: 22/52 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.

“We noticed that athletes today are increasingly seeking ways to personalize their experiences, and they’ve been early adopters of athletic equipment personalization,” said Xavi Cortadellas, Gatorade’s Sr. Director of Marketing, Athletic Equipment. “Through these AI innovations, we’re so excited to help athletes showcase their unique styles, passions, and personalities.”

Gatorade guzzlers can go to www.gatorade.com to generate their own water bottle designs through the brand’s partnership with Adobe Firefly. Gatorade also collaborated with digital product agency Work & Co, part of Accenture Song, to ensure the new AI experience was seamlessly integrated into their site and was user-friendly.

“Our ambition is to serve athletes better than anyone else, so we’re incredibly proud to be one of the first brands to put the power of an AI-fueled experience in the hands of athletes,” said Cortadellas. “This technology allows us to meet athlete needs with fully customizable solutions no matter their journey.”

“This is just the start of how AI will continue to fuel athlete personalization at Gatorade,” added Cortadellas. What the next AI pursuit for the brand will be, however, remains to be seen. An AI flavor perhaps?

The post The Classic Gatorade Water Bottle Gets the AI Treatment appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Go backstage on the Two Craigs website to see their thought process as they translate each prompt through photography and illustration.

Small

Something is only small in relation to something larger—scale. If I wanted the figure to be small, I needed to diminish it in relation to its environment.

Craig Frazier

Follow along with PRINT, at 2craigs.com, or on Instagram.

The post Two Craigs: 21/52 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Line & Thread invites a reexamination of the place of prints and textiles in our understanding of art, and presents artworks that use the mediums as sites of resistance, critique, and expressions of self.

Explore a sample of images from the 50 or so pieces featured in the show below, along with Viljoen’s reflections.

What was the development process like for this exhibition? What was the genesis of the show?

The exhibition grew largely out of close study of the wide-ranging collection of prints in The New York Public Library’s Wallach Division of Art, Prints, and Photographs. Prints owns several examples of late seventeenth-century/early eighteenth-century “adorned” prints— works that were made by carefully cutting out parts of original printed artworks and facing and/or otherwise embellishing them with small pieces of fabrics and lace. It was an activity that literally engaged its makers (often women) in the act of “dressing” their creations— not accidentally, they are also commonly referred to as “dressed prints.” 

The department also has early modern etchings and engravings on fine silks, as well as several contemporary artworks impressed on humbler fabrics, including an old plaid handkerchief (Alison Saar) and vibrant African wax fabrics (Jonathan Monk). Most prints are printed on paper, so these examples intrigued me. 

After confirming that still little research had been done on the intermedial connections between prints and textiles and finding wonderful additional examples in the collection, I proposed to the Library’s Exhibitions Committee the idea of devoting an exhibition to the topic. 

Given the breadth of our holdings, my goal was to focus not on a single period or type of object alone but to explore the many and varied ways in which prints have intersected with textiles. My aim was also to bring the early modern examples into conversation with works from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Historical evidence confirms the many ways in which printed works of art were created in response to and in concert with textiles (and vice versa). The fifteenth-century discovery of a means to create reproducible images on paper has its origins in methods devised by textile designers to stamp repeatable patterns on fabric. Conversely, by the eighteenth century, textile designers looked to professional printmakers for knowledge about how to print on fabric from the sorts of copper engraving plates that were specific to their craft. 

What was the curation process like to select the works featured in the show? 

I wanted the exhibition to draw attention to the many ways in which printmaking has thought and continues to think of itself vis-à-vis textiles. For this reason, the show features not just prints on fabric but also prints made with, for, on, and about textiles, as well as paper as a textile-like support. I also wanted to frame the notion of what constitutes a textile expansively to include not just fabric but also lace, quilts, embroidery, knitting, and even a modified mesh window screen.

Broken into six sections, the exhibition begins with a section of early modern examples titled “Text(ile) Precedents” to uncover some of the earliest examples of the ways prints have intersected with textiles. The following five sections focus on works produced in the 20th and 21st centuries, entitled  “Prints on Fabric,” “Textured Prints,” “Prints and the Dress”, “Prints as Textiles/Textiles as Prints” and “Stitched Prints.” 

“Textured Prints,” for example, considers how printmakers have sought to replicate the rough, nubby qualities of fabrics, often by printing directly from various kinds of textiles. Significant examples in this section include works by Sue Fuller, an experimental printmaker active at Stanley William Hayter’s famed Atelier 17, who cut up and printed from an old Victorian collar, a collagraph by Dindga McCannon, and a print by Chakaia Booker composed of quilt-like strips of paper that are blind embossed to enhance its texture. 

An important sub-theme to the exhibition is the role gender has played—and continues to play—in prints’ involvement with textiles. Prints were an important conduit for women’s work with fabric, traditionally regarded as the province of female labor, often within the home. The well-known feminist artist Miriam Shapiro makes this the topic of her work Anonymous Was a Woman II: Mimi’s Baby Bonnet, which uses a bonnet as a matrix for printing. The title of the series points to how examples of women’s creative expression were habitually produced anonymously within the private or domestic realm and have consequently been both less visible and less regarded within the history of art. 

Similarly, Julia Jacquette in White Square (Wedding Dress) portrays a swatch of sequined and embroidered cloth to demonstrate how mass media has encouraged women to regard the perfect white wedding as the consummate expression of femininity and womanhood. The exhibition features many other examples too.

What sort of experience do you hope viewers of the show have when they attend? 

I’m hoping that attentive viewers will not only appreciate the full range of how prints have interacted with textiles, but also notice the visual and conceptual overlaps between some of the earliest examples in the exhibition with works created in the 20th and 21st centuries. The dressed prints of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries are echoed, for example, in works like Valerie Hammond’s Great Memory (above) and Delita Martin’s Two Moons (below). Hammond uses an antique lace dress as a matrix, which she embellishes with minute tiny beads, conflating the print with the original textile. Martin, meanwhile, sews printed paper gowns onto the bodies of her printed figures, treating the paper itself as a sort of textile. 

The exhibition offers many opportunities for close looking and is arranged in ways that encourage viewers to make connections of this sort. 

Is there a particular piece in the show that speaks to you the most? Why does this one stand out to you? 

This is a really hard question! I love all the works in the show, and would find it very hard to pick a single work that speaks to me the most. The one that comes closest to visualizing the title of the show, “Line and Thread,” however, may be Analia Saban’s Transcending Grid, Black (with Fringe). 

Drawn to unconventional techniques, Saban consistently works across and between media to create her art. Here she employs linen as a support on which she imprints a grid of wavering etched lines, creating a dialogue between the fabric’s rigid weave and the etching’s freer, looser strokes. The marriage of textile and print is consummated at the margins, where the artist’s printed uneven lines meet and intermingle with the fabric’s wild, frayed edges.

Line & Thread is on view in the NYPL’s Rayner Wing from September 7, 2024– January 12, 2025

Hero image above: Sanford Biggers, The Floating World: Lotus (125th) (2013). Screenprint and collage. Print Collection, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, New York Public Library. © Sanford Biggers.

The post ‘Line & Thread’ at the NYPL Reveals the Bond Between Prints and Textiles, Past and Present 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.

Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Go backstage on the Two Craigs website to see how they set about translating the prompt through photography and illustration.

Angle

Follow along with PRINT, at 2craigs.com, or on Instagram.

The post Two Craigs: 20/52 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.

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.

Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Go backstage on the Two Craigs website to see how they set about translating the prompt through photography and illustration.

Spin

I couldn’t resist riffing on Craig’s spinning top in his ‘balance’ photo. After drawing the little graphic top, I realized that it felt static—not spinning. So I made it into a diagram by adding a little cut paper arrow.

Craig Frazier

Follow along with PRINT, at 2craigs.com, or on Instagram.

The post Two Craigs: 19/52 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.

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.

Check out the full series as it unfolds.

Go backstage on the Two Craigs website to see how they set about translating the prompt through photography and illustration.

Coffee

It wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t explore the cup. I love drawing a cup. But what says coffee first thing in the morning is our Bialetti coffee maker—and the smell. It’s a gorgeous object and gorgeous to draw.

Craig Frazier

One of my favorite books showcases the commercial work of the great Czech photographer Josef Sudek. He created this work between 1920 – 1930 and was inspirational for this week’s word. It was important for me to create this image in one shot.

Craig Cutler

Follow along with PRINT, at 2craigs.com, or on Instagram.

The post Two Craigs: 18/52 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.