Lester Beall
Designer
Articles & interviews3
- Span rebrands Illinois Human Rights with equal-sign logo
Chicago studio Span has rebranded the Illinois Department of Human Rights to make its public-rights mission more visible, understandable and usable. The identity uses bold HEX Franklin typography and a layout that forms an equal sign, referencing civil-rights placards, flag stripes and the work of Lester Beall. The system extends across rapid-response social communications and public-event materials used at Juneteenth, the Illinois State Fair and Chicago Pride.
- Memorial Day Revisits Thomas Maitland Cleland’s Sharp Design Critique
Steven Heller revisits Thomas Maitland Cleland’s 1940 essay 'Harsh Words,' a sharp critique of modernist design and functionalism delivered at an AIGA event. The article contextualizes Cleland’s neo-classical stance against the rise of modernism and industrial design, highlighting his defense of craftsmanship and typographic tradition. Heller reflects on how Cleland’s arguments still resonate in today’s debates about originality and technology in design.
- Thomas Maitland Cleland’s Harsh Design Critique Still Resonates Today
Steven Heller revisits Thomas Maitland Cleland’s 1940 essay 'Harsh Words,' a scathing critique of modernist design and functionalism delivered at an AIGA event. The piece highlights Cleland’s defense of craftsmanship and ornamentation against the rise of industrial and modernist aesthetics, showing how his arguments still resonate in today’s debates about technology and design standards.