Rethinking with design: Extra Bold
Feminist caught up with the authors and designers behind the new graphic design manual, Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers. Part textbook and part comic book, zine, manifesto, survival guide, and self-help manual, Extra Bold is filled with stories and ideas that don't show up in other career books or design overviews.
We interview the authors Ellen Lupton, Farah Kafei, Jennifer Tobias, Josh A. Halstead, Kaleena Sales, Leslie Xia, Valentina Vergara. Meet the authors behind the book and discover what feminism means to them.
Q: What sparked your interest to create Extra Bold?
ELLEN LUPTON: This book is inspired by the senior project created by Farah Kafei and Valentina Vergara when they graduated from Pratt Institute in New York in 2018. As design students at Pratt, they were frustrated that their faculty rarely talked about design leaders who are women or who come from marginalized communities. They created an exhibition about women designers, and they organized a panel discussion in the school’s historic auditorium. I reached out to them about collaborating on a book. The project snowballed from there. The book has seven co-authors and dozens of contributors.
FARAH KAFEI: There was such a lack of resources and info for a practical and inclusive handbook for marginalized groups trying to work in a heavily white male dominated design industry. As students, Valentina and myself felt that these perspectives were missing from our education as well. We invited Ellen and other women to a panel discussion at Pratt Institute in 2018. Inspired by that night, Ellen Lupton approached us to collaborate on the book. Our thesis project was focused on the gender disparity, but Extra Bold brought on other incredible co-authors to help transform the book into a truly inclusive, expansive resource.
Q: How did you get started in the Design industry?
KALEENA SALES: I began my career as an Art Director at an advertising agency. It was what I thought I would be doing for the entirety of my career. However, agency life proved turbulent, and after just 2 years in the industry, I found myself out of work during a recession. It was 2008, and suddenly no one was hiring, and those that were hiring wanted experience; something I didn’t have a lot of. (I’m sure many of you, whose careers were turned upside down last year, can relate.) It was during this time that I began freelancing as a graphic designer; brushing up on skills and learning about the business of design; something I didn’t have to worry about at an agency. On a whim, I took on an adjunct teaching job for extra income, and soon realized my true passion. Now, several years later, I serve as the Chair of Art & Design, in the same department where I landed my first teaching job. Now, I spend most of my time conducting design research, writing, and doing illustration work on the side. My advice is to be open to redefining yourself throughout your career, and to focus on developing transferable skills that will work no matter the role you find yourself in.
Q: How did you find your voice?
LESLIE: For me, the personal has always been political and at the root of my personal work is a need to provide service. Whenever I pursue personal projects, there is always an endeavor to solve or create a resource that is beneficial to communities I move in. For example, I created a magazine for queer folks about style. As a queer person who loves sartorial style, I grew up exposed only to mens magazines that always hyper-sexualized women and I felt a need for something different. So I took up the task to create something for myself that could teach me about suiting and bespoke terms but also provided essays on queerness and lifestyle sections about food, drink and culture. My design voice came out of a pursuit for resources that I grew up without.
FARAH KAFEI: I’m an outspoken person by nature and have definitely been actively trying to make the space for myself, but often while still feeling quite small. My voice has grown louder and stronger with other women and allies amplifying it—seeing them have faith and trust in me has made me feel so powerful.
VALENTINA VERGARA: I think rather than “finding” my voice, I’ve more so learned how to use it. Time and experiences (both positive and negative) in the industry have made me realize the importance and impact of using my voice not only for the sake of my perspective but to amplify others perspectives who often go unnoticed.
“I think rather than “finding” my voice, I’ve more so learned how to use it.”
Q: Describe your process in creating Extra Bold. (i.e. writing, design, choosing topics, curation of voices represented)
ELLEN LUPTON: The book grew over time as we added interviews, essays, infographics, and biographies of overlooked designers. It has three big sections: Theory, History, and Work. The book features unique illustrations by co-author Jennifer Tobias. These handmade images bring storytelling and humor to every section, making serious subjects fun to explore. The book is part manifesto and part zine, comic book, and user manual.
LESLIE: When it came to ideation of topics for the book, I focused on scenarios that I’ve personally run into and needed guidance for and used my experiences to offer advice. For example, one of my pieces was about how to come out at work, one was about social media etiquette, one was about red flags in problematic mentorships and another was on diversity programs and internships. I wanted my topics to be relevant to issues young people have to face that aren’t openly talked about.
Illustration by Jennifer Tobias
Q: How do you envision the design industry changing for the better?
LESLIE: Based on the advocacy and power that younger millennials and gen z embody in the voices they have and the work that they do, I envision a brighter and better future. In addition to that, there has been a reckoning across media and publishing industries. As more open conversations are discussed around what has to be changed and as more corporations and people are held accountable, the bar for what is acceptable will grow higher. We are building a better future by voicing what we need.
Q: What is your advice to a person starting out in the design industry today post 2020 quarantine?
FARAH KAFEI: I think everyone realized how little you can truly “plan” after this year disrupted so many of our lives, but be open to exploring unfamiliar territories. Ideally you look for opportunities that align with your values and interests, but remember that your first job in this industry won’t be your last, and it won’t completely define your future. Stay curious and critical. Also, success is something you get to define for yourself!
VALENTINA VERGARA: I think if you’re just starting out it's really important to invest some time and energy into building relationships with people you want to work with. Quarantine has made it easier to connect online, so try to get virtual coffees with as many people as you can. I really think this is the best way to both learn and open doors for yourself. And I know it might sound intimidating to reach out to a stranger but also remember that everyone’s been in your shoes at some point in their life!
Q: What advice would you give an individual looking to make impact in the creative industry?
VALENTINA VERGARA: I think the most important part of making an impact in this industry is believing in yourself and the purpose behind the work you are doing. Obstacles will always present themselves at the worst moments but remembering that you are power will get you through those tough times.
Q: What advice do you have for someone coming out at work?
LESLIE XIA: Before you enter the workplace, it’s important to first assess the context within which your place is set. For example, that could mean location, how conservative your place of work is, and sometimes even the age range of the people that you work with. In the United States gay marriage was legalized in 2015, and in 2020 protections were put in place for LGBTQIA+ people from workplace discrimation. While this is a huge step in the right direction, there is still a lot of work to be done to create a culture of open acceptance everywhere for people who identify as LGBTQIA+. In Extra Bold we present some questions and tips for how to assess your specific situation and approach it.
Q: What does being a feminist mean to you?
ELLEN LUPTON: To me, being a feminist is a learning process. It involves reading texts by authors from different backgrounds and generations. Feminism takes different forms in different parts of the world. Feminism in the U.S. has often been exclusionary, dominated by White women who thought that fighting for the rights of people of color was a distraction from their own goals. Meanwhile, feminists of color created an alternative vocabulary that speaks to racial justice, intersectional identities, and implicit bias. Like any kind of theory, feminism is a set of ideas to study, challenge, and expand.
LESLIE: Feminism is about uplifting folks of all walks of life, not just for womanhood but for all genders along the spectrum. Feminism means prioritizing trans folks, disabled folks and any people who are not given agency to speak up for themselves. Feminism means asking the harder questions and taking a stance when it comes to what is right. Feminism is about metamorphosis and accepting that the world possesses truths that everyone is still on their own journeys to discover. Feminism is about adaptation and putting other’s lives and truths before your own.
FARAH KAFEI: Being a feminist means I’m lucky enough to learn from, learn about, and advocate for some of the world’s coolest, most valuable people. It means challenging the patriarchy, through little things like not shaving my body hair and bigger things like working on this book.
VALENTINA VERGARA: Being a feminist is alloting time and energy into actively advocating for the rights of all femmes, from all types of backgrounds. It’s challenging and combatting systems of oppression and ultimately, it’s fighting for the liberation of all marginalized people.
KALEENA SALES: To me, being a feminist means recognizing the ways in which people are perceived and treated in social and political hierarchies. It means participating as an advocate for the freedom and equity of all people.
the Authors
Farah Kafei is a designer and art director who has led initiatives addressing gender disparity in design education and fostered communities pushing for a more inclusive industry. She's had the pleasure of working for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and studios such as Sagmeister & Walsh and Doubleday & Cartwright.
Ellen Lupton is curator of contemporary design at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City and director of the Graphic Design MFA program at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. An author of numerous books and articles on design, she is a public-minded critic, frequent lecturer, and AIGA Gold Medalist.
Jennifer Tobias is a scholar and illustrator. She holds a PhD in art history from the City University of New York, an MLS from Rutgers University, and a BFA from Cooper Union. She served as a librarian at the Museum of Modern Art and Parsons School of Design.
Valentina Vergara is a multidisciplinary designer and illustrator who uses design as a catalyst for change. Her projects and collaborations address gender disparity in graphic design education and explore ways of dismantling oppressive design thinking and advocating for and uplifting marginalized perspectives.
Leslie Xia is a queer Chinese American art director. They studied graphic design at the Maryland Institute College of Art and have worked for companies like the Foundry at Meredith, Men's Health, VICE News, and Fast Company. Their personal work focuses on race, gender identity, and social justice.
Kaleena Sales is a design professor at Tennessee State University, an HBCU (Historically Black College and University) in Nashville. Her research centers on the intersection of Black culture and aesthetics and investigates the ways in which identities and experiences impact design solutions.
Josh A. Halstead is a design educator and disability studies scholar. A recognized contributor to disability design discourse, he seeks to unsettle power/knowledge in theory and praxis by centering marginalized perspectives.
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