W. A. Dwiggins (1880-1956) left an indelible mark on 20th-century visual communication as a pioneer of advertising, magazine, and book design. He was also a master calligrapher, type designer, and illustrator. Dwiggins, a maker and… Read More »Call Yourself a Graphic Designer? You Have W.A. Dwiggins to Thank
It was the first and only major museum exhibition in the United States devoted exclusively to graphic design. Nonetheless, the historic Graphic Design in America: A Visual Language History, curated by Mildred Friedman at Minneapolis’s… Read More »The Daily Heller: A Major Exhibition of Graphic Design Triggered Heated Debates
Pretend you’re working on something. You look up at a wall clock. Would you prefer that clock to say it’s 10:10 A.M or 10:10 P.M.? I bet the answer just jumped into your head. Why?… Read More »My Favorite Things: What’s Your Favorite Time?
In a world of ubiquitous marketing, figuring out what supports a “healthy lifestyle” can be challenging. Marketers have picked up on the cultural trend towards wellness branding, and are enthusiastically, if somewhat disingenuously, leaning into… Read More »If Everything is Healthy, Nothing Is
I don’t usually promote fashion accessories in this space (there are plenty of couture sites to choose from). But because Italy’s Ferragosto public holiday begins today, and that’s where I started wearing fedoras and straws:… Read More »The Daily Heller: Tip(s) of the Hat(s) to You
From contemplative cats to wide-eyed bat skeletons and even Santa on an exercise bike, Ilya Kazakov’s cartoony characters are helping the artist build his own community of fans and clients around the world. Originally from… Read More »Emotional, expressive, evocative: Illustrator Ilya Kazakov is proving that cute is the way forward