It is a fact that there’s an uptick in writing about the art, practice, function and culture of design—and employing design as the lens through which critiques of lifestyle, society and politics are viewed. The styles come in many varieties, the tones are individual or impersonal. Design writing is necessary to record history, evaluate and compare, advocate and explain. Writing is design and design is writing, to put it simply.
The Education of a Design Writer by Steven Heller and Molly Heintz (Allworth Press / SVA NYC) (out June 24) is an anthology of some exemplary writing that generally fits into very specific categories. It is devised as a textbook for the designer who explores the deep recesses of design’s heritage, and who reflects on the consequence of design’s currency.
