Design in the News

Over coffee and croissants, Ann Friedman asked if I would contribute a weekly design column to Good Magazine. As the magazine’s executive editor, Ann said something that would change how I wrote about design: “Just make Google News your homepage.”

In 2011, I submitted the first installment of my weekly column, Design in the News, to Good Magazine. On the suggestion of executive editor Ann Friedman, I reviewed trending topics on Google News through a critical design perspective. For instance, a trending story about how Senator McCain insulted the look of President Obama’s campaign bus became the basis of an installment of my column about the history of presidential candidate buses.

My column was always pegged to a topical news story. This  made for a tight editorial schedule. From Thursday through Sunday, I kept an eye on the news. By Monday, I submitted a pitch to my editor. Once the pitch was approved, I wrote and submited my first draft on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, the column went live.

This column was an absolute joy to write, and I hope to revive it someday. I had the pleasure of working with editor Megan Greenwell every step of the way. 

Selections from Design in the News:

• Designing Democracy: How Myanmar's Political Parties (Finally) Created Unique Brands
• Designing Defense: Israel's Iron Dome and the Aesthetics of Conflict
• Why Reality Hasn't Gone Virtual: Google Goggles and the 'Headset Problem'
• Pope on Wheels: The Symbolism of Papal Transport
• Red Scare: How 'Chop Suey' Fonts Sell an Exotic, Fictional China
• Water Wheels: Syria's Symbols of Protest