It was a wild year. But 2024 was more than Jaguar’s recent and very polarizing brand campaign. If the roller coaster of a presidential election left us reeling, the Paris Olympics provided a much-needed break from the distressing news cycle. There were bright spots in art and books and women’s sports. On the latter, there was also a head-scratching disaster of a brand roll-out (our first buzzy pick, below).
In the mess and uncertainty of 2024, our writers found ample fodder for discussion, not least of which are topics around diversifying the design industry. There will always be a home on PRINT for discussions around decolonizing our industry, and we’re happy to report that these topics resonated with you, too.
As an alternative to doomscrolling while we sit around our holiday tables and wait for what 2025 has in store, we present …
NWSL Soccer Franchise Launches a Brand so Bad it Feels Like Satire
As an avid soccer fan, I awoke to the news yesterday morning flooding my various social feeds and group chats that the newest NWSL team had been revealed, writes Charlotte Beach. So she unpacked the branding horror show of the BOS Nation rollout. (It has since been rolled back.)
13 African American Designers You Should Know
While studying in the early 90s, we learned of famous designers like Saul Bass, Milton Glaser, Paul Rand, and more, writes designer Glenford Laughton. So, he compiled a celebration of African American graphic designers who left an indelible mark on him and our field.
The Eames Archive is Open to the Public for the First Time Ever
Photo by Nicholas Calcott
After launching their An Eames of Your Own guide last year via their online magazine Kazam!, The Eames Institute has set its sights on an exciting endeavor through its newly opened headquarters in Richmond, California. You might want to sit down in your Eames Molded Plywood Chair for this one …
Seeing is Unseeing: Bianca Bosker’s Immersive Time in the Art World
We can have that experience of art where our mind jumps the curb.
Bianca Bosker
Why do world cultures honor art as essential as air, food, and shelter? Why do artists toil away in their studios for years in obscurity with little financial reward? When artists do ‘make’ it, why do they put up with the incredible heaps of bullshit from the art-capital machine? The why is the essence of Bosker’s research in Get The Picture.
What 0.1%? The Undervalued Force of Women Founders
As a fractional design leader for brands like Airbnb and Dropbox, Rachel Gogel’s practice reflects one under-recognized way that women, including queer women, can claim their agency in a male-dominated, disproportionately white industry. She explains why solopreneurship is one undervalued and important way self-identifying women and non-binary individuals can start to right the balance.
2024 Paris Olympics: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Paris 2024 provided us with much to chew on by way of design, writes Charlotte Beach. State-of-the-art facilities in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, dazzling looks and fits on athletes, and a unique Opening Ceremony on the Seine that was just so French. Of course, there were less successful design displays, including questionable kits and even aspects of the Games’ overall branding.
What is the State of DEI in the Creative Industry? Uncertain.
Agency leaders–if you want to support Black ad talent, understand the obstacles we face, listen to our stories, and provide growth opportunities.
What is advertising’s responsibility to address [diversity] shortcomings? What changes will we make within agencies and industry-wide to reflect the diverse population of America that we are marketing to? Will we, as an industry, succumb to the ‘DEI is Dead’ narrative? Or, stand firm and protect Black talent? A must-read by Adrienne Lucas, global head of DEI & strategic partnerships at The One Club.
Airbnb “Icons” Bring Imagination to Life
Photo by Ryan Lowry
At the Icons launch event, writes Charlotte Beach, it was clear that the Up! house was the room’s favorite—and not just because the house itself was on-site for the attendees to tour. It was an exact replica of the house from the movie, down to the most minuscule detail.
Why Bad Design is Good
For years, I had an uncomfortable desk chair, writes Elliot Vredenburg, ACD at Mother Design. It stood as a testament to the idea that we pay more attention to those experiences that challenge and discomfort us than our seamless, frictionless experiences, like sitting in good chairs.
Migrating Herd of Elephants Bring a Message of Hope & Coexistence to NYC
Photo by Jim Fryer and Iri Greco courtesy of BrakeThrough Media and the Great Elephant Migration.
Once a district known for the heavy footsteps of cattle headed to slaughter, and the clatter of Louboutins headed to Pastis, in October, New York City’s Meatpacking District was home to a very different kind of animal gathering. Get up close with the herd.
Editor’s Pick:
Identity Politics is a new PRINT column written by veteran journalist Susan Milligan, covering the big issues in the socio-political ether as they intersect with design, art, and other modes of visual communication. Catch up with these three recent features!
What the Age-Old Campaign Against Childfree “Cat Ladies” Doesn’t Get
On the pervasive and nasty crusade against single women. It’s nothing new, but demographics tell another story: We’re not going back.
Pantsuits, Kitchens, and Cleavage Oh My! Running for President While Female
Milligan dives into the evolution of campaigning as a woman for the highest job in the land, from Shirley Chisholm to Hillary Clinton to Kamala Harris.
The Dame Persists Undeterred by Human Follies
On the grand re-opening of Notre-Dame de Paris after the devastating 2019 fire and what architecture can teach us about human resilience.
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