The Daily Heller: The Protagonist of This Novel Wants to Destroy All Pictorial Representation
‘The Absence’ is a brick of a book that has yet to be published as a book.
Humility is the First Step to Clarity
After losing his CEO role, a leader discovers that his urge to chase another corner office was the voice of ego—hungry for titles, control, and velvet-rope comforts—rather than the quieter truth of what he actually wanted.
Design Matters: Chris Duffy
Chris Duffy—comedian, writer, and host of the TED podcast How to Be a Better Human—joins Debbie to discuss how humor shaped his path from teaching and improv to podcasting and television. Together, they explore why laughing more isn’t about being funny, but about attention, vulnerability, and connection, and how humor helps us stay human.
The Daily Heller: Mixed Messages of American Patriotism
Joshua Cochran unfurls the flag.
The 2026 PRINT Awards: Your Brand System’s MVP Moment
The Branding Identities category in this year’s PRINT Awards matters—it’s the place to celebrate designers who can take a concept and make it stick across environments, wearables, packaging, accessories, and whatever else you can imagine tossing into a football fan’s hands (or onto a foam finger).
The Daily Heller: Melania, the Talkie
As Brent Terhune wrote, “Can’t believe they released the Epstein files to cover up for the Melania movie.”
Built From Giggles and Big Ideas: “Chairs for Kids” Celebrates Children’s Imagination
Learn more about this inspiring project from Combodian designer Taekhan Yun.
The Daily Heller: Arthur Szyk and FDR’s Four Freedoms Revisited
With democracy at the crossroads, Szyk is back in print.
Checking in on PRINT Award Winner Erin Grandmaison of Bruce Power
Revisiting graphic designer Erin Grandmaison of the nuclear energy company Bruce Power in Ontario, who’s a multi-year PRINT Award winner.
Frames That Force Us to Look
Susan Milligan argues that certain still photographs of individuals caught in political violence — past and present — cut through public numbness in a way video often cannot, crystallizing moral outrage and marking turning points in how history is understood.
Frama—Geometry After the Space Age
With the clarity of Futura and the expressive geometry of Avant Garde, Frama is a geometric sans by Pangram Pangram Foundry.
The Daily Heller: The Mystery of the Abstract Caduceus
Paul Rand and a medical design riddle.
Design Matters: Ruth Ann Harnisch
Ruth Ann Harnisch is an investor, philanthropist, social activist, media producer, and founder of Harnisch Foundation, which supports work that breaks down barriers to equality and opportunity. She joins CreativeMornings live to reflect on her path from teen broadcaster to first female anchor, and how finding her voice in inequitable newsrooms shaped everything that followed.
The PRINT Awards Are Open for Entry!
Events
https://www.creativeworks.co/west
We’re coming back to Seattle April 30–May 2, 2026 for a 3-day summit for creative professionals and commercial artists serious about craft.
Soul Over Scale is about choosing depth over reach, people over metrics, and real work over endless content. We’re gathering to talk honestly about what the work costs, why it matters, and how we keep going.
This year you will hear from:
Jennifer Kinon, Co-Founder at Champions Design
Rob Sheridan, Creative Director, Artist & Writer
Stevie Shao, Illustrator & Muralist
Jeremy & Jordan Coon, Bretheren
Julie Solvstrom, Illustrator & Lettering Artist
Erwin Hines, Creative Director & Founder at Future Is Color
Francisco Reyes Jr., Never Made
Aneesh Bhoopathy & Phil Ditzler, Forge
Neri Rivas, Creative Director
Josh Horton, Founder at Creative Workers Union
…with more to come. Each one is in the trenches, doing the work, and willing to talk honestly about what it costs and why it’s worth it. Workshops will be announced by February 1.
You can expect:
• Candid presentations that skip the portfolio walkthroughs and go straight into real, raw stories—vulnerability, conviction, and why the work actually matters to people, communities, and businesses
• Hands-on workshops that sharpen your skills and give you tools you can use immediately
• Insightful demos focused on how creatives actually use tools and workflows
• Nightly dinners, hangs, and a pop-up market that make space for real conversation and connection
Tickets are live and intentionally accessible:
• $399 for individuals
• $199 for students
• $149 for a workshop seat (2 possible)
• Union membership included with every pass
• Hotel group rates from $149/night near the venue
Learn more & grab your pass → https://www.creativeworks.co/west
Book Club Recap: Branding as a Cultural Force with Robin Landa
The Daily Heller: Bringing the Old(est) Slavic Alphabet to Virtual Life
The Daily Heller: STRIKE! TODAY! And All Days Going Forward
Redefining Matcha: Inside Saint-Urbain’s Vision for Yoshi
Jana Frost Unlocks Handmade Worlds Through Collage
Sharing Food Culture With Cynthia Duran of Xinca Foods
The Daily Heller: Name That Designer
From Consuming the Product to Becoming the Product
Design that Takes Shape: The Power of Packaging Design
The Technicolor Surrealism of Enda Burke’s Photographic Worlds
Design Matters
Design Matters: Chris Duffy
Chris Duffy—comedian, writer, and host of the TED podcast How to Be a Better Human—joins Debbie to discuss how humor shaped his path from teaching and improv to podcasting and television. Together, they explore why laughing more isn’t about being funny, but about attention, vulnerability, and connection, and how humor helps us stay human.
The Daily Heller
The Daily Heller: For the Love of Illustration
Steven Heller revisits some of his favorite ‘New York Times Book Review’ covers.
The Daily Heller: Art That Fits the Anxiety of the Moment
‘DEAD FINGERS TRACE’ is an unnerving monograph of anxiety-infused drawings and collages.
The Daily Heller: Posting Posters About Fellini
‘Posters for Fellini’ began in 2020 as an international invitational design project.
The Daily Heller: The Gods are Restless for the Original Fantasy Lit of Lord Dunsany
Dustin Holland is bringing Dunsany’s kaleidoscopic cosmic fancies to life like never before.
The Daily Heller: The Cloud That Kills
The most terrifying image of the mid- to late-20th century was not a monster but a cloud.
The Daily Heller: A Paean to Life, Love and Art
Patti Smith’s ‘Bread of Angels’ is a journey of love and loss, ambition and discovery, memory and analysis.
The Daily Heller: An Unofficial Canon of African Design
In ‘Okuwangaala,’ David Stairs assembles functional objects as a chronicle of Africa’s widespread design cultures.
The Daily Heller: Banning the Right to Read in Chicago (a Novel)
‘Wake Now in the Fire’ is an inspiring portrayal of student activists taking on one of the most urgent issues of our time.
Latest FEATURED
Andrew Anderson Has Compiled an Online Archive of the Detroit Legend Ron Signs
Checking in With PRINT Award Winners Sunday Afternoon
Fourth Cone Restoration on their Process of Restoring Vintage Posters
Makeup Artist Emerald Vysions Uses Her Own Face as a Canvas for “Playful Absurdity”
Purpose That Sticks: For Creative Leaders Who Want Their Work to Mean Something
BRANDING & IDENTITY DESIGN
CityCenterDC Gets Whimsical With a Fantastical New Mural by Design Army
Washington, DC gets a burst of color with a new mural at CityCenterDC, designed by Design Army. The monumental work blends Renaissance-inspired surrealism with iconic local imagery, offering a joyful counterpoint to the city’s often serious tone.
Bruce Mau Design Reimagines the McMichael for a Changing Canada
Bruce Mau Design’s new identity for the McMichael Canadian Art Collection is a thoughtful recalibration of how one of Canada’s most significant art institutions presents itself to the public today.
The Power of the Overlap: When Great Ideas Become a Venn Diagram
If Your Collab Pushed Boundaries and Created Buzz, Enter the Branding Collaborations Category in the 2026 PRINT Awards
How Brands Can Make a Home Fit For Gen Z
By blending heightened aesthetics, ever-changing experiences, and a genuine sense of community, brands can create spaces that not only attract visitors, but ignite cultural movements.
A Typeface for a Toy Universe: MATTY & BELLE MATTEL® by GERTRUDE
Mattel’s new bespoke sans serif typefaces MATTY & BELLE Mattel®, designed by GERTRUDE pairs confident, sturdy forms with warm, friendly details. It’s a custom typeface that’s expressive without becoming a caricature, energetic without losing legibility.
Your Logo Works Hard. How About Your Motion?
Motion designer Andrew Vucko on how to build a strategic, impactful motion system that scales with your brand.
Revisiting Past PRINT Awards Winner, One Design
We checked in with David Sieren of One Design to learn about their recent work, including a new brand system for Watermelon Pictures.
2025 Year in Review: Craft, Conflict, and Cultural Weight
2025 reminded us that design is not neutral, frictionless, or purely visual. It is emotional. Political. Physical. Human.
Guerilla Suit, 2025 PRINT Award Winner, Reflects on Its Next Chapter
We check in on what Austin agency Guerilla Suit has been up to since winning the 2025 PRINT Awards Branding Campaign category.
See Your Work in PRINT
