Incomplet Design History

Queer Symbols

Throughout history, LGBTQ+ communities have used a wide range of icons, colors, badges, and symbols to communicate identity, resistance, and belonging, often under condit

Saving Languages

Graphic design is not merely decorative but operates as a powerful form of cultural and linguistic activism in the fight against language extinction. The relationship bet

Medical Design

Medical design and illustration is a relatively new field, but medical practices and documentation have roots in ancient civilizations, such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, India,

Matchbook design

Matchbooks and matchboxes became influential artifacts in design and visual culture, beginning with early fire-starting tools in sixth-century China, all the way through

The Hobo Code

The Hobo Code was a shared visual language used by itinerant workers, okies, bohemians, and some famous blues artists in America. In the late 1800s, people (usually men)

Elizabeth Friedlander

Elizabeth Friedlander (1903–1984) was a pioneering German-Jewish graphic designer, calligrapher, and typographer best known as the first woman to have a published typefac

The Mimeo Revolution

This episode examines the often-overlooked role of the mimeograph in the intertwined histories of print technology, graphic design, and social change. Emerging in the lat

Medieval Heraldry

Medieval heraldry, originally developed in 12th-century Europe, functioned as a complex system of visual identity. Initially created to distinguish individuals—particular

Cuban Posters

Cuban graphic design emerges as a vibrant and politically charged art form, reflecting the resilience and creativity of designers amidst challenging circumstances. Throug

Underground Newspapers

Underground newspapers of the 1960s and ’70s were central to the New Left and broader countercultural movements, serving as both platforms for dissent and vehicles of rad

Drummer Magazine

In the aftermath of the Stonewall riots and amidst widespread societal hostility toward LGBTQ+ individuals, Drummer magazine emerged in 1975 as a bold act of resistance a

Willi Smith & WilliWear

Willi Smith (1948–1987) was a trailblazing Black fashion designer celebrated for redefining casual fashion through his visionary "Street Couture." Born in Philadelphia, S

Women In Magazines

This podcast episode delves into the critical role women have played in shaping the magazine industry through design, editorial leadership, and cultural influence. While

Prostitutes, Penitents, Printers (guest host - Ela Egidy)

Between 1557 and 1561, a group of women at the convent Santa Maria Maddalena alla Giudecca, known as The Convertite on Giudecca island in Venice ran one of the earliest f

Kustom Kulture

Kustom Kulture is the name for a subcultural movement from the 1950s and 60s in America. This movement included souping up cars to create hot rods and customizing cars in

Jackie Ormes

Jackie Ormes, an African-American cartoonist from Pennsylvania, was born on August 1st, 1911. Her father, William Winfield Jackson, owned and operated a printing business

Tove Jansson

Tove Jansson (1914–2001) was a pioneering Finnish artist whose multifaceted career spanned painting, illustration, cartooning, and literature. Best known internationally

Halloween Special! Part 1

REFERENCES Tucker, I. (Ed.)(2018). FF DOT: The pixel art of final fantasy. Dark Horse Books.  Hendrix, G. (2017). Paperbacks from hell: The twisted history of ‘70s and

Brummett Echohawk

Brummett Echohawk was a war hero, an artist, a writer, and a public speaker, and he was also a member of the Pawnee tribe, born in Oklahoma in 1922. Though he is well kno

Prehistoric Cave Paintings

REFERENCES White, R. (2003). Prehistoric Art: The Symbolic Journey of Humankind. Harry N. Abrams Inc.  Clottes, J. (2008). Cave Art. Phaidon Press Limited. 978071484592