Designers have a responsibility to service beauty.
The practice had less to do with the output and more with getting myself in a proper frame of mind for the rest of my day.
artists create meaning, designers create solutions
Cooper Black is a perfectly good font, but in my mind it is a fat, happy font associated with the logo for the National Lampoon, the sleeve of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album and discount retailers up and down the US.
In this opinion piece, designer and writer Elizabeth Goodspeed argues that design writing benefits when designers themselves take part in it. She explores how writing helps designers articulate their thinking, connect their creative and analytical practices, and make design discourse more reflective and nuanced. The article highlights examples like Ray Masaki, Michael Bierut, and Steven Heller to illustrate how writing and design can inform each other.
The article covers a Nicer Tuesdays event in New York where Elizabeth Goodspeed interviewed renowned designer Michael Bierut. The conversation reflected on Bierut’s career, his philosophy on beauty in design, and his evolution from theatre posters to major brand identities at Pentagram. It highlights his influence as an educator and role model in the design industry.
Katie Cadwell’s column for If You Could Jobs explores the lack of age diversity in creative teams and the challenges faced by older professionals in the industry. She argues that experienced creatives bring invaluable insight and stability, and that the industry should better support and celebrate them. The piece highlights examples of senior designers still thriving and calls for more inclusive representation across creative workplaces.
It’s Nice That announces the return of Nicer Tuesdays to New York in September 2025, featuring talks from Michael Bierut, Andrew B. Myers, Madeline Montoya, and Tina Tona. The event will cover topics from collage and photography to editorial design, with a Q&A hosted by Elizabeth Goodspeed. Partners include GF Smith, Legion Paper, and Love Corn.
BP&O features Pentagram’s refreshed identity for Yale University’s Windham Campbell Prizes, originally designed by Michael Bierut’s team in 2013 and updated in 2024 by Andrea Trabucco-Campos. The new iteration retains the bracket motif but introduces a vibrant blue palette and motion elements, creating a flexible and dynamic system across print, digital, and environmental applications.
In this reflective essay, Michael Bierut shares insights from his long-running 100 Day Project, a daily drawing exercise that began in 2002 as a personal response to post-9/11 disorientation. The piece explores how routine and discipline can fuel creativity, and how the project evolved into a teaching tool at Yale School of Art, inspiring countless students and creatives worldwide.
The article profiles designer Chantal Jahchan and her intricate editorial collage work for major publications like The New York Times and The Atlantic. It explores her research-heavy process, often sparked by 'Wikipedia rabbit holes', and her transition from Pentagram to freelance editorial design. Jahchan’s collages blend archival imagery and conceptual depth to visually interpret complex stories.
Creative Boom’s 'Hotlist 2025' highlights 25 of the most admired design studios worldwide, as voted by industry peers. The article celebrates leading agencies such as Pentagram, PORTO ROCHA, Ragged Edge, and &Walsh for their innovative branding and design work across sectors from tech to fashion. It aims to inspire creatives by showcasing studios that are shaping contemporary design culture.
Written by Danielle Pender for It’s Nice That, this opinion piece explores how creative rituals can help designers and artists escape the echo chamber of repetitive visual culture. It argues that slowing down, developing personal routines, and reconnecting with one’s own instincts are essential to restoring originality and depth in creative work. The article contrasts the homogenization of global aesthetics and the rise of AI-generated imagery with the grounding power of daily creative practices.
BP&O’s Thomas Barnett reviews Studyhall’s self-initiated conceptual brand ‘Thick Pickle’, a humorous and maximalist identity project that blurs the line between satire and viable product. The article critiques its trend-driven nature and questions the seriousness of its intent while praising its visual exuberance and experimental design approach.
BP&O’s feature by Emily Gosling explores The Collected Works’ rebrand for Expensify, which introduces a playful, illustration- and motion-led identity that challenges conventions in the finance sector. Collaborating with Augenblick Studios, CoType, and Newlyn, the project includes custom typefaces, vibrant colors, and a bold visual system that balances fun with functionality. The article praises the creativity while questioning the necessity of branded merchandise and the green logo’s resemblance to recycling symbols.
The Brand Identity interviews Aron Fay, founder of Brooklyn-based studio FAY, about the studio’s fusion of design and technology. Fay discusses the team’s approach to creating future-forward brand identities and generative tools, highlighting their work for Lobe, a spatial sound studio in Vancouver. The conversation explores how FAY integrates creative technology into branding to produce immersive, evolving experiences.
BP&O’s feature on .Oddity Studio’s self-initiated project, .Oddity Fragrance, explores how the Hong Kong-based collective merges design and scent to create a multi-sensory brand experience. The project, developed with perfumer Mark Buxton, emphasizes craftsmanship, conceptual storytelling, and the intersection of art and design. The article positions the work as an experimental, poetic, and tactile exploration of inspiration and sensory perception.
The Brand Identity interviews designer and coder Talia Cotton about her dual role at Pentagram, her teaching at Parsons, and her philosophy of creating meaningful design through code. Cotton discusses her generative identity for Guilty by Association, her workflow using Javascript and Figma, and her commitment to making coding accessible to designers. The conversation highlights how code can drive inclusive, bias-aware design solutions.
BP&O features Order’s new visual identity for Forward Majority, a political action committee focused on strengthening Democratic influence in U.S. state legislatures. The Brooklyn-based studio created a bold black-and-white identity centered on expressive typography using Original Sans and Graphik, rejecting traditional red/blue political color schemes. The design emphasizes clarity, progress, and a break from conventional political aesthetics.
The Brand Identity interviews New York-based designer and educator Anthony Zukofsky about his multidisciplinary practice that spans design, teaching, and writing. Zukofsky discusses his career path through studios like Pentagram, Google, and Instrument, his teaching role at the School of Visual Arts, and his approach to balancing creative and academic work. The conversation highlights his reflections on leadership, learning, and the evolving nature of design practice.
The Brand Identity interviews French designer Margot Lévêque about her unconventional path from studying biology to becoming a leading independent type designer. She discusses her education, collaborations with studios like Pentagram, &Walsh, and Dinamo, and her self-initiated projects such as 'In House' and 'Our Type Design Guide for Beginners.' The conversation highlights her passion for serif typography, her creative process, and her philosophy on freelancing and self-driven work.
The Brand Identity interviews Jesse Reed, co-founder of Order and Standards Manual, about the evolution of his Brooklyn-based studio, their publishing ventures, and lessons learned from Michael Bierut at Pentagram. Reed discusses the studio’s modular approach to identity design, particularly for MoMA, and the balance between client work, book publishing, and their new digital brand guidelines platform, Standards.
BP&O features Pentagram’s brand identity for On Rye, a Washington DC sandwich shop inspired by the Jewish deli. Designed by Michael Bierut, the identity balances modern urban typography with traditional interior cues and vibrant food photography. The project includes signage, menus, and a website that reflect the deli’s wholesome yet contemporary positioning.