Five LGBTQ+ Designers I Admire
As a graphic designer for good, it’s important to me that I not only collaborate with companies and people who are doing work for the benefit of their communities, but also that I do my part to shine a light on underrepresented groups. In honor of Pride Month, I’m spotlighting five LGBTQ+ designers whom I admire. Before we dive in, though, I want to ask a favor: While these “awareness months” can be great for, well, raising awareness, it’s important to not limit our support of marginalized groups to just a certain month or day. So if you see me doing that, call me out. I always want to give love, but I know I have work to do. Thanks so much. Let’s dive in.
Adam J. Kurtz
active early 2010s – present
The first example of their work I remember seeing: I’ve interacted with his work a lot online, so it’s hard to remember exactly where it all started. I may have learned about him through the Tattly (awesome temporary tattoos by awesome creatives) community.
What they are most famous for: Kurtz’s early tumblr-design-made-t-shirt called “What Is This?” has gotten the most media attention to my knowledge. I’ve also seen his piece that reads “Mercury is finally out of retrograde. Now everything is our own fault again” show up a lot on friends’ feeds!
Three words to describe their style: Honest, Humorous, Fun
What I most admire about their work: I really admire how much of himself Adam puts into his work. He has said that he got into designing novelty goods because there were things he wanted to make for himself and had to order in bulk for them to be produced, so he ended up selling what he didn’t keep for himself. His personality and perspective are really clear in his work.
How they influence and inspire me: His work about mental health has influenced the lettering I do about my MS experience for my Human + Kind instagram account. Seeing another designer be vulnerable in sharing their experience online has helped me see that it’s a valuable thing to do.
Avram Finkelstein
Active 1960s – present
The first example of their work I remember seeing: That would be the 1987 Silence=Death poster (you’ll recognize it for its signature pink triangle) designed for the anti-AIDS and anti-homophobia movement of that time. I recently learned from Andy Campbell’s book Queer x Design that Avram designed this poster this collaboration with 5 other artists/activists that make up the Silence=Death Project.
What they are most famous for: His art and activism around AIDS advocacy and gay rights.
Three words to describe their style: Assertive, Purposeful, Bold
What I most admire about their work: Even though Avram primarily identifies as an artist rather than a designer, he uses the familiar language of advertising and graphic design principles to focus his audience on a clear message and get his point across.
How they influence and inspire me: His work encourages me to look at how I can use my design skills towards activism for causes I care about such as advocating for the chronic illness and disability community that I am a part of.
Debbie Millman
Active early 1990s – present
The first example of their work I remember seeing: Likely one of her books such as Brand Thinking or How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer.
What they are most famous for: Her ground-breaking Design Matters podcast which started as a radio show in 2005.
Three words to describe their style: Thoughtful, Celebratory, Influential
What I most admire about their work: I admire how passionate she is about sharing how the great, celebrated designers in our field think about their work. It’s the opposite of gatekeeping, and I have appreciated the perspectives I’ve had access to through her books and interviews.
How they influence and inspire me: I love that she is a practicing designer/illustrator while also analyzing and documenting her field. Not all folks can do both and that inspires me to be multifaceted as well. Also, she is married to Roxane Gay, which I consider to be one of the top 5 accomplishments of the design community in general…
Rebecca Broker
Active early 2010s – present
The first example of their work I remember seeing: I learned about Rebecca when I came across the Queer Design club, a directory / community for LGBTQ+ creatives, which she co-founded along with John Hanawalt.
What they are most famous for: Her Twitter presence as a powerful advocate for queer representation in the graphic design community and communications industry as a whole.
Three words to describe their style: Intentional, Celebratory, Contemporary
What I most admire about their work: I appreciate how uncompromising Rebecca is in standing up for herself and other queer designers and being clear about what actions companies and individuals need to take to truly be supportive.
How they influence and inspire me: Rebecca’s work inspires me to be more aware of how I can engage with, and support, the queer design community.
Richard Bentham
Active early 2010s – present
The first example of their work I remember seeing: I learned about Richard Bentham’s work through the Queer Design Club and was excited about his work in Exhibition Design for the National Museum of the American Indian.
What they are most famous for: Likely his involvement in the DC design community as both the Executive Director of DC Design Week and a board member of AIGA DC.
Three words to describe their style: Engaging, Dynamic, Multifaceted
What I most admire about their work: I admire how involved Richard is in building the local design community in Washington DC and providing resources and support for other designers to be able to succeed in the ways he has.
How they influence and inspire me: Richard is new to my feed but I am excited to learn more about how I can participate in more DC Design Week and AIGA DC events to connect with other designers!
CHANGE MAKER OF THE MONTH
For this month’s change maker of the month, I’m spotlighting and donating to the Queer Design Club, a community where LGBTQ+ designers can celebrate queer contributions to the design industry and visual culture, share their work, and connect with each other. Rebecca Broker, who I mentioned in my post, is the co-founder of this great project!