open ears: your experiences

When working against racism, sexism, ableism, and other systems of domination, graphic design educators are often called upon to challenge dominant norms, including how history itself is told. But what does this process look like in practice? Frequently, it involves dismantling prevailing narratives, building alternative archives, and designing new, experimental, and critical strategies in the classroom. These endeavors are ambitious and challenging, which is why we must seek to collectivize our efforts.

Against the Grain: A Graphic Design Histories Workbook is a practical and thought-provoking resource for design educators, students, and practitioners to move past and decenter the white, male, heteronormative and hero-driven Eurocentric canon.

Edited by Dina Benbrahim, Alan Caballero LaZare, and Lisa Maione and published by Bikini Books, the publication compiles pedagogies, exercises, and prompts to guide classrooms through the necessary but often discomforting work of disrupting entrenched narratives. Through the lens of first-hand experiences, this book offers an in-depth reflection on the micropolitics and emotional toll of pursuing such work.

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