Graphic Design

A selection of ballots from the 1860s shows a variety of the persuasive flourishes then in vogue.

Back in the 19th Century, Your Election Ballot Could Double as a Work of Art

During and after the Civil War, inventive illustrations allowed Democrats and Republicans to turn American ballots into powerful propaganda

The final design is a modified version of a submission by 24-year-old Andrew Prekker.

Minnesota Reveals New State Flag Design

Submitted by a 24-year-old Minnesotan, the updated flag is expected to fly on May 11

The 2024 color of the year is Peach Fuzz.

Peach Fuzz Is Pantone's Color of the Year for 2024

The gentle, pinkish-orange hue was chosen to reflect a collective desire for respite

Flag design finalist submission F2100

See the Top Contenders for the New Minnesota State Flag

Picked from more than 2,600 submissions, the finalists pay homage to the state's motto and nickname

House Between Forest and Field in Dutchess County, New York, was designed by nARCHITECTS, the winner of this year's National Design Award for architecture.

Meet the Innovative Winners of This Year's National Design Awards

Cooper Hewitt recognizes talented trailblazers who are at the forefront of their fields

The current Minnesota flag, which lawmakers hope to soon retire, flies during a snowstorm.

Minnesota Starts Work on a New State Flag

The old flag—often criticized for its poor design and offensive images—is slated to be replaced in May

Dorothy Liebes (standing) had two studios in San Francisco before moving her business to New York City.

How the Mother of Modern Weaving Transformed the World of Design

Dorothy Liebes was committed to making quality textiles available to consumers of all classes

The new logo's font is adapted from the city's subway signs.

The Love-Hate Relationship With New York City's New Logo

Milton Glaser's iconic "I Love NY" design gets an update—and not everybody loves it

At the Paris World's Fair a powerful display of hand-drawn diagrams (above: Income and expenditure of 150 Negro families in Atlanta, Ga.,U.S. designed by W.E.B. Du Bois and his students) called attention to the unrecognized contributions of Black Americans. The fragile posters are being rotatated in and out of an exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum through May 2023.

How W.E.B. Du Bois Disrupted America’s Dominance at the World’s Fair

With bar graphs and pie charts, the sociologist and his Atlanta students demonstrated Black excellence in the face of widespread discrimination

This Du Bois infographic charted the dramatic growth in the value of property held by Black Georgians between 1875 and 1899.

Why W.E.B. Du Bois Remains Such an Inspiration

A new Smithsonian exhibition invites visitors to use his groundbreaking infographics as a lens into Black history

Viva Magenta is Pantone's color of the year for 2023.

What Is Viva Magenta, Pantone's 'Brave' and 'Fearless' Color of the Year?

As 2023 approaches, the bold pinkish-red is supposed to reflect the global zeitgeist

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The Biggest Fails in License Plate History

While vintage plates have grown popular, these older iterations show where officials got it wrong

A soup bowl monster made of yarn, created by DALL-E 2.

What Do WALL-E and Salvador Dalí Have in Common? Meet DALL-E 2

This new and improved A.I. system can produce photorealistic images of anything on demand

Helina Metaferia, Crowning Care 1, 2021

Pioneering Project Explores Motherhood Through the Lens of Design

A new exhibition and book series offers an intimate view of reproductive history

A mural in Munich's former Olympic Village features Otl Aicher's pictograms.

This Graphic Artist's Olympic Pictograms Changed Urban Design Forever

Having lived through Germany's Nazi regime, Otl Aicher went on to pioneer democratic design

A 1996 copy of "Super Mario 64"—rated 9.8, or A++, on the Wata Scale—sold last Sunday for $1.56 million.

'Super Mario 64' Is Now the World's Most Expensive Video Game

A pristine copy of the 1996 game sold at auction for $1.56 million, breaking a record set by "The Legend of Zelda" just two days prior

Maui's Haleakala is the world's largest dormant volcano, and its summit is considered the quietest place on Earth.

Ridiculous Reviews of Some of the Best National Parks

A new book combines illustrations of the parks with laughably bad critiques from disgruntled tourists

Illustration from the graphic novel 'Martina and the Bridge of Time' by Aaron O'Dea and Ian Cooke Tapia.

Time Travel Into Panama's Deep History With This Richly Illustrated New Graphic Novel

'Martina and the Bridge of Time' tells the story of the Isthmus' formation and evolution through the adventures of a young Panamanian girl

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The Surprising Story of the Smithsonian Sunburst

Crimilda Pontes was the Institution’s first official graphic designer and the designer of the iconic sunburst symbol

A "deliberately inconvenient" twin champagne glass created by Athens-based architect Katerina Kamprani

Take a Virtual Tour of Failed Designs, From the DeLorean to Google Glass

An online exhibition showcases 40 creative flops, including a curvy ping-pong table and a doll dubbed Little Miss No-Name

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