Design Essays

Black and white photograph of a man with a serious expression, wearing a dark turtleneck and necklaces, framed by concentric black and white circles.

Laini (Sylvia) Abernathy

by Lara Allison

The Chicago Design System

by Jason Kunesh

White spiral design with orange dots on a black background.

Chicago Design Milestones

by Sharon Oiga, Guy Villa Jr, and Daria Tsoupikova

The Container Corporation of America and Graphic Design in Chicago

by Alicja Zelazko

Vintage graphic with radial text listing names and addresses, centering around a large stylized number 27 on a beige background. The text reads "Chicago Designers" below the number.

Selling Design: 27 Chicago Designers 1936–1991

by Lara Allison