In 1991, AIGA—the professional association for design—hosted a symposium asking, “Why is graphic design 93% white?” Yet, a study several years ago found this statistic hasn’t shifted much, even with newer industry efforts such as the AIGA’s Diversity & Inclusion and Women Lead initiatives to boost representation of women and people of different backgrounds, genders, races, cultures, sexualities, religions, and abilities. “Raising Consciousness: Diversity in Graphic Design” is a feature story written by ArtCenter’s Marketing and Communications Department Senior Writer Solvej Schou on the ongoing importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in graphic design. It’s based on interviews with Black, Latinx, Asian, and international recent graduate and undergraduate Graphic Design Department alumnae and a student: Pasadena-based freelancer Ziyi Xu, New York City-based Nonstudio co-founder Pearlyn Lii, Los Angeles-based Ace Hotel graphic designer Jimena Gamio and graduate student Kizzy Memani. The story also includes insight from Graphic Design Chair Sean Adams and Antionette Carroll, an equity designer and industry expert whose St. Louis, Missouri nonprofit Creative Reaction Lab trains Black and Latinx youth to become leaders designing equitable communities. The story was written in early 2020, before the global COVID-19 pandemic and 2020’s racial reckoning following the police killing of George Floyd. It was published in April 2020 both online and in the Spring 2020 print issue of ArtCenter’s Dot magazine.
From the Judges
Well done painting a picture with words here. The writers brought the story alive, and caused the judges to reconsider the role of race in design at their own institutions, the obvious hoped-for intent of the writers to begin with.
