7 Ways to Rethink Black Graphic Designers

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“When Design Appropriates Culture,” was written after the idea caught traction on Twitter. This is part of a continuing conversation with graphic designers everywhere: the inherent value of black graphic designers to the industry. We often frame this as the right thing to do. But this is not for the people who are “woke.” This for the bottom-line, what’s-in-it-for-me types.

Video: Valuing diversity in design and tech with Inneract Project

1. Black graphic designers are here, you just have to find them.

Blog posts or whole panel discussions exist about the supposed non-existent black graphic designer/creative/art director. If one extends their imagination, that is not true. Desires to create, and practical communication tools are everywhere. People of African descent are also everywhere. Therefore black graphic designers are everywhere. It’s a myth that pools of black talent — and our ability to articulate our work — is limited. For over 20 years, The Organization of Black Designers has been attracting talent, and maintaining a presence. With that said…

2. We don’t have enough diverse black leadership.

I’m concerned that only a few black art/creative directors, partners, and CEOs at public or private companies represent the industry.  In my position as a senior designer, I cannot remember meeting senior black women working as art directors or partners at design events. Most of them are in academia or own businesses. The only hero that comes close has passed away.

Instead of congratulating ourselves for honoring one or two black faces, we need to be more outraged our industry has low numbers of black art directors and creative leads coming forward and feeling welcome, especially if they are women. As the Women Lead Initiative continues to take shape, I encourage it to intersect this work more often, refrain from describing our value as “a unique perspective,” and get really serious about the implications of companies being nice when we show up, but do not hire. Or offer one or two an internship, and don’t keep us on. Or put us on a project team, but don’t put our names on the briefs. Or hire us as freelancers, excluding us from company benefits and retirement funds.

Hiring, retaining, developing, paying, and promoting black talent matters too.

3. If we find a talented black designer, let’s find more and not wear them out.

We can’t afford to assume only a handful of people from the African diaspora are capable of operating at the highest levels. Many designers by our nature are interior people, and black designers are no exception. But when we do find them, we exhaust the few who are outspoken.

When our industry elevates more black designers, some of us will refocus our energy on making excellent design for communities, consumers, and individuals.

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If recruiters are willing to go to a design school in Rhode Island to find talent, they can also go to a military base in Montana, or a rural church community in Alabama.

4. Finding talented black designers means broadening the regions and sectors in which we look for talent.

When we look for the best black talent we still tend to look in top design schools, design studios, and ad agencies. But talented black designers are found in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), arts colleges at public universities, community colleges, nonprofit and government agencies, in-house design departments, religious communities, and military bases. If recruiters are willing to go to a design school in Rhode Island to find talent, they can also go to a military base in Montana, or a rural church community in Alabama.

5. This industry has historically discriminated design tastes and standards based on Western philosophies and traditions.

This has got to change. It’s a disservice to our collective communication only relying on a few design rules to live by. These rules are likely to be broken by those who come from a culture in which detail marks distinction, not distraction. In which color is beautiful, not busy. In which pattern signifies culture, not crassness or primitivity.

6. Thought leaders in design need to be intellectually curious about other cultures.

Graphic design historian Steven Heller could be more observant of Missy Elliott’s cultural contribution, or capture the zeitgeist of Mattel producing an Ava DuVernay doll that sold out within minutes.

7. Black people create culture and are increasingly taking ownership and leadership.

However, black culture changes with every generation. Newer voices modernize our industry, and truly relevant design is revealed. Right now, AIGA is playing catch up with the design of black culture, and — speaking as a member — we are aging ourselves. No diss, but we should be less concerned with what Spike Lee has done, and more concerned with what Kanye West is doing now. Eventually, what I think is cool will become irrelevant; that’s fine. If we want to protect culture, we’ve got to let others take the throne.

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No diss, but we should be less concerned with what Spike Lee has done, and more concerned with what Kanye West is doing now.

A primary directive of our job as creatives is to imagine a world others have yet to create. We have the capacity to imagine, but we have yet to execute when it comes to this issue. Do not confuse a lack of awareness with a lack of existence. Black designers exist, and are ready to contribute to industry in meaningful, long-lasting ways.