Design History Reader – an emerging vision for a new narrative — Kristen Coogan (ed)

‘Design History Reader’ contains a pluralistic approach to teaching and narrating graphic design history by presenting one that actually reflects the diversity in the profession and in the classroom. This book also grapples with the paradox that while historians intentionally craft historical discourse based on collective knowledge, it often remains bound to a singular perspective. Those perspectives multiplied when Boston University History of Graphic Design students embraced a plural design history pedagogy. Students challenged the Western design history canon through written research that targets under-known designers and design movements who they believe deserve representation. The project includes a comprehensive collection of essays that were curated across a range of perspectives and conceptual ecosystems.