A Conscience For The Design Profession
Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller is one of the design field’s most respected figures, know for her decades of scholarship and activism and as a touchstone and conscience for the design profession. This long-awaited book documents the history of the question she has been asking for decades: “Where are the Black designers?” along with related questions relevant to the state of the design profession.
Published by PA Press, the book will be on sale October 15.
Holmes-Miller traces her development as a designer and leader, beginning with her own family and its rich multiethnic history. She narrates her experiences as a student at RISD, MICA, and Pratt, leading up to her oft-cited Pratt thesis examining barriers to success for Black designers. Holmes-Miller describes the work of her eponymous studio for noted clients that included NASA, Time Inc., and the nascent Black Entertainment Television, as well as the story of her later critiques of the industry in the design press. She also recounts the parallel history of collective efforts by fellow scholars and advocates over the past fifty years to identify and celebrate Black designers.
With a forward by Crystal Williams, president of RISD, poet, and noted advocate for equity and justice in the fields of art and education, HERE is part memoir, part investigation, and part urgent call for justice and recognition for Black designers, making it an invaluable resource for graphic design professionals, teachers, and students.
