What It Means to Be a Designer Today

“Writing about graphic design is mistakenly perceived as a niche theme for practicing designers. Eye On Design proves that what it means to be a graphic designer has relevance for everyone interested in visual culture-which is just about everyone.”

–Steven Heller, former editor, AIGA Journal of Graphic Design

“From the start, Eye on Design has been committed to finding new voices in design, uncovering stories no one else noticed, and detecting the faint heartbeats of soon-to-be major trends. I find myself returning to it again and again.”

–Michael Beirut, partner, Pentagram

“Eye on Design did what all great magazines do-land in the right place at the right time, delivering a much-needed fresh look at its subject.”

–Jeremy Leslie, founder of MagCulture

“Breaking through the design blogosphere is almost impossible, but Eye on Design is different-they have a point of view. It’s not a portfolio circus or slew of product plugs, the writers and editors behind each story practice real journalism. Having been involved with a handful of articles involving my work and the work of others, it’s one of the few places that takes the time, consideration, and viewpoints of all sources involved. This book is a snapshot of design journalism thriving during a decade of the demise, resurrection, and reinvention of the craft.”

–Jesse Reed, partner, Order

AIGA’s Eye on Design has always been, to me, a refreshing outlier in the design-writing world. Honest, incisive, and important, its reporting rejected the adulation typical of the field, seeking out reality instead. This book speaks to its title statement with the publication’s signature creativity and care-for its subject and its readers-capturing enduring ideas that may well impact us all.”

–Tiffany Jow, editor-in-chief, Untapped

“Graphic design is a slippery, squishy blob. Is it dead or alive? Is it everywhere or nowhere? These smart, plucky essays show how graphic design oozes between disciplines, adding shimmer and shine to anything in its path.”

–Ellen Lupton, author of Thinking with Type

Liz Stinson is a journalist and editor. She has covered the intersection of design, culture, and business for publications including WIRED, Fast Company, Architectural Digest, and more. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Jarrett Fuller is a designer, writer, educator, editor, and podcaster. He is an assistant professor of graphic design at North Carolina State University and the host of the podcast Scratching the Surface. He lives in Raleigh, NC.