Design History 101

Self-taught Designer Marguerita Mergentime Literally Brought Modernism to the Table in America

This story is part of our Weekend Reads series, where we highlight a story we love from the archives. It…

Design History 101

Self-taught Designer Marguerita Mergentime Literally Brought Modernism to the Table in America

People once flocked to see her typographic textiles and bought her work by the armload—so why don’t you know who she is?

Words by
Madeleine Morley

Published on
May 27th, 2022

Books

Belgian Graphic Design Is a “Crossroads of Influences”

In many ways, we’re living in the golden age of graphic design histories. All over the world, designers, historians, and…

Magazines

Butt Magazine Is Back. What Made It So Iconic in the First Place?

Founded in 2001 by Dutch editors Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom, Butt magazine spent the first decade of a…

Design + Music

From Fela to Made: A Kuti Family Lineage of Confrontational Artwork

If ever tangible proof were needed that Fela Kuti’s legacy lives on, look no further than his youngest son Seun…

Design History 101

Fleur Cowles and the Making of Flair, History’s Most Beautiful Magazine

This story is part of our Weekend Reads series, where we highlight a story we love from the archives. It…

Form Factor

Modern Period Brands Used to Blend In. Now, Like Everything Else, They’re All About Standing Out

In 2015, a few things happened that moved menstruation from the margins and into the center of the cultural conversation.…

Type Tuesday

Olympe Is a Lively Font Inspired by Vintage Typewriters and Greek Mythology

Name: Olympe Designer: Émilie Rigaud Foundry: A is for Release Date: February 2022 Back Story: French type designer Émilie Rigaud founded…

Digital

The Era of Rebellious Web Design Is Here

You might remember Gawker as an aughts-era blog with all the visual hallmarks of that moment’s web design trends: bright…

Design + Gender

Roberta Williams Is the World’s First Graphic Computer Game Designer—But She’s Famous for All the Wrong Reasons

This story is part of our Weekend Reads series, where we highlight a story we love from the archives. It…

Editors’ Picks

Design + Money

Why Pay Transparency Matters in Job Negotiations

When Lesley Carter*, 26, first saw the salaries listed in the Graphic Design Salary Transparency Spreadsheet in January 2020, she…

Books

In CAPS LOCK, Ruben Pater Untangles the Relationship Between Graphic Design and Capitalism

Two things about capitalism: graphic design is totally bound up with it; and it really has to end. You won’t…

Design + Gender

What Would a Feminist Alexa Look, or Rather Sound, Like?

In an episode of the beloved animated 1960s sci-fi sitcom The Jetsons, Mrs. Jetson decides that housework is becoming too…

Packaging design

Can Better Labels Really Fix Recycling?

In the United States, the presence of the universal recycling icon on a product might lead an unassuming consumer to…

Op-ed

Every Design Studio Should Be a Worker-Owned Studio

This op-ed was collaboratively penned by Design Action Collective and Partner & Partners. Design Action Collective is a cooperative design…

Design + Politics

The Evolving Legacy of Ken Garland’s First Things First Manifesto

The late Ken Garland’s First Things First manifesto, written in 1963 on the spur of the moment during a public…

Design + Ecology

Every Brand Is a Climate Brand These Days, and That’s Terrible For the Environment

You’re walking through the grocery store after a long day of work and suddenly you’re confronted by a vegan burger…

Typography

Monospaced Fonts Glance in the Rearview Mirror, Then Look Towards the Future

In the last few years, monospaced fonts were suddenly making appearances in editorial and advertising design, showing up everywhere from…

Digital

The Filtered Photo Revival Is a Sign of the Times

If you take a quick look at Olivia Rodrigo’s documentary-film Getting Home 2 U, the cinematography of Euphoria’s second season,…

Design History 101

The Sisterly Collusion Behind Vanessa Bell’s Book Covers for Virginia Woolf

When Virginia Woolf first published her experimental novel Jacob’s Room in 1922, reviewers recoiled at the cover. Her older sister—the…

Design + Music

The Cultural Capital of Designing For Musicians

Album art and gig posters have evolved beyond simple pieces of graphic design into an integral part of popular culture…

Design + Politics

On the Ground with Etsy Sellers on Strike

Between April 11-18th, thousands of Etsy sellers collectively put their shops on “vacation mode” to protest a 30% increase in…