45 Symbols—Clay to Code

Posted on by Franziska Müller

With 45 Symbols—Clay to Code, Slanted Publishers presents a publication that brings together artists and designers from around the world who explore visual language as a tool for inquiry. Drawing inspiration from the still-undeciphered, 3,700-year-old Phaistos Disc, the book reflects on how meaning is constructed, disrupted, and reimagined across time, cultures, and media. Through personal narratives and planetary perspectives, 45 Symbols—Clay to Code reveals how distinctive visual grammars emerge—shaped by experimentation, critical thinking, and bold storytelling. The publication highlights a diverse range of approaches that challenge established systems of communication while opening up new spaces for interpretation.

Read more about the book here.

To celebrate the release, we invite you to join an Across–Time Zone Global Book Launch—a distributed virtual event spanning three live sessions. Each session brings together contributing artists and designers in a dynamic format, featuring short presentations followed by moderated conversations and Q&A.

Participation is free and open to all with prior registration.

Session I
Tuesday, April 14 (45 min)
NYC: 11:00 · Berlin: 17:00 · Johannesburg: 18:00 · Bogotá: 11:00 · Taipei: 23:00
Program:
Clay to Code — Introduction I
Aslin (Yu-Heng) Lin — LGBTQIA+ in Taiwan: Linguistic Architecture of Inclusion
Raafia Jessa — /’lo.kwi:/ (loqui): The Synthesis of Urdu, Persian, Arabic, and Latin
→ Registration here

Session II
Thursday, April 16 (45 min)
NYC: 14:00 · Berlin: 20:00 · São Paulo: 16:00 · Mexico City: 13:00 · Nairobi: 22:00
Program:
Clay to Code — Introduction II
Lily Taggart — Dialectic Dancescape: Choreographic Notations for Central Park
Ricardo Vega — Chile Stamp: Marking the Land
Angelina Foos — Slavic Spirits Reimagined
→ Registration here

Session III
Saturday, April 18 (45 min)
NYC: 05:00 · Berlin: 11:00 · Taipei: 18:00 · Kyoto: 19:00 · Sydney: 20:00
Program:
Clay to Code — Introduction III
Farida Foda — Glitched: Digital Objects and the Extinction of Imperfection
Kiara dos Reis — St-uh-teh-rrr: A Visual Lexicon of Voice
Tracy Bassil — Urbic: Urban Studies as Arabic Script and Streets
→ Registration here

Meet the book and us in person
Berlin — A-Z Gallery, CounterSession #7 · April 23, 7pm
San Francisco — ATypI · May 28
Vienna — Design Forum · July 16–30

Find out more information about the events here.

Graphic Poster at DDP Open Curating vol. 34: The Shape of Letters in Sign Languages

Posted on by slanted-api

The Shape of Letters in Sign Languages is an exhibition about a multilingual experiment involving Korean, English, and sign language.
Selected for the Seoul Design Foundation’s DDP Open Curating program and hosted by Gallery MUN at DDP, the exhibition presented research into sign language as a new typographic element, based on typography methods that use layout, color, proportion, and movement within a set system. I created the visual identity, translating manual gestures into graphic motifs.

2025 ARKO DAY

Posted on by slanted-api

2025 ARKO Day, organized for the third time this year by the ARKO Art Museum, is being held under the name ‘The Long Tail.’ The name ‘The Long Tail’ is said to be inspired by the ‘Long Tail Law,’ which states that the majority of the non-mainstream, comprising 80%, create greater value than the minority of the top 20%. Accordingly, this poster was designed using a system where 20% of the page is left blank for characters, and content is filled starting from the bottom, with the long tail.

The Myth of Exnihilo

Posted on by slanted-api

This work aims to raise questions about whether uniqueness is a tangible reality. AI, which generates text, images through learning, closely resembles the way humans create. However, I believe this can be distinguished from humans in that humans selectively choose from these learned images with an editorial intent. Accordingly, I input this narrative into Gemini to generate text, and based on this text and title, I designed a poster where I am influenced when designing.

The Gravity of Typography 타이포그래피의 중력

Posted on by slanted-api

I am a Korean designer based in Germany, working between two writing systems that were never meant to align. My graduation project, The Gravity of Typography, explores typography as a way of thinking between languages. The publication brings together essays and conversations set in pairings of Korean and Latin typefaces, where meaning shifts through translation and visual form. Rather than seeking clarity, it embraces ambiguity as part of design process, where meaning is renegotiated.

What was design? Launch & Apéro

Posted on by Franziska Müller

What was design, really? A discipline, a tool, a promise—or simply a remarkably persistent buzzword of modernity? Few terms have been invoked as often, interpreted as differently, and debated as passionately over the past century as “design.” A good reason to pause and look back.

On April 9, 2026, open.form invites you to the launch of What was design?—Declarations and definitions from a century of creative quest. The publication brings together 87 historical one-sentence answers to the discipline’s most familiar question: What is design? Voices from practice, theory, and philosophy enter into a polyphonic dialogue—concise, contradictory, and surprisingly relevant.

The collection is accompanied by an essay by editor Florian Walzel, who explores the persistent conceptual ambiguity of design. Why does design continue to resist clear definition? And what does that reveal about its role in society, economy, and culture?

The book is designed by Paul Jürgens and editorially supported by Jurek Werth. It is published by Slanted Publishers.

The launch offers not only first insights into the project, but above all a space for exchange: over an aperó, friends, colleagues, and the curious are invited to come together and discuss design—and perhaps its very ambiguity.

More informations can be found here.

When?

Thursday, April 9, 2026
Start: 7:00 PM

Where?
open.form
Rundeturmstr. 16
64283 Darmstadt

The event language will be German.

Anfachen Award X

Posted on by Franziska Müller

Featuring the topic of Justice/Gerechtigkeit, the tenth edition of the yearly Anfachen Award invites designers and artists to engage with one of the most pressing societal questions of our time. Since 2016, the award has recognized posters that combine aesthetic excellence with political engagement, offering a platform for works that resonate globally.

Submissions are welcome in any approach—photographic, painterly, graphic, or typographic—and from any perspective, whether personal, political, formal, or aesthetic. Participants are encouraged to critically explore how justice is perceived and experienced, creating posters that provoke thought, discussion, and reflection.

As always, a prestigious international jury will select 25 winning designs from the submissions. The large-format posters will first be displayed throughout Hamburg in prominent public spaces starting June 3, 2026, bringing the works directly into the urban landscape and fostering public dialogue around the nuances of justice.

The patron of the Anfachen Award is once again Klaus Staeck, renowned in Germany for his political poster art. The jury for Anfachen Award X includes Helena Cing Deih Sian (GER/MMR), Lapiz (GER), Rukminee Guhu Thakurta (IND), Eike König (GER), Jo Longhurst (UK), Hanna Poddig (GER), Tine Fetz (GER), Jón Helgi Pálmason (ISL/NL).

Since its launch in 2016, the Anfachen Award has focused each year on socially relevant topics, including Women, Tolerance, Democracy, Privilege, and Energy. With hundreds of international submissions, renowned juries, and a unique presentation—first in Hamburg, then on tour—the award inspires not only participants but also the public, sparking constructive social discourse wherever the posters are displayed.

Submission deadline: April 12, 2026
Jury meeting: April 29, 2026
Exhibition in Hamburg: June 3, 2026

Further information can be found here.

Golt

Posted on by Gallery Type

Golt is a contemporary sans serif, designed for clarity, character, and versatility. Inspired by the visual culture of Berlin’s U-Bahn and street signage, it embodies the functional precision and typographic discipline that define German design.

The typeface combines wide, rounded forms with crisp verticals, creating a balanced texture that works equally well in print and on screen. Distinctive details—like the open G, angled t, and characteristic y—give Golt subtle personality without compromising readability. Contextual alternates, including the German ß, pay deliberate homage to Berlin’s street sign typefaces from the early 20th century as well as Andreas Frohloff’s redesign in the 1990s. Golt is made for brands that value typographic integrity and want a sans serif that feels contemporary yet considered. Whether in headlines, body text, or wayfinding, Golt delivers a confident, cohesive presence.

Gallery Type is an independent type foundry based in Berlin, built by designers for designers. They make font licensing simple and fair: All-in-One licenses are based only on company size and location. One license, all uses, forever.

Learn more about Gallery Type here.

Golt

Design: Daniel Perraudin, Alexander Roth
Engineer: Noe Blanco
Visuals: Marie Dokter
Release: 2025
File Formats: OTF, WOFF2, TTF (on request)
Fully functional trial fonts available

BUY

Shan Hai Jing

Posted on by slanted-api

Using the two most intelligent and symbolic mythical beasts in the Classic of Mountains and Seas – Baize and Xuangui – as the core carriers, breaking the dimensional barrier between ancient mythology and modern aesthetics. Extracting the cultural symbol gene from the mythical animal prototype, combined with contemporary minimalism, China-Chic aesthetics and digital art techniques, it not only retains the mysterious atmosphere of “the world is dark and yellow, the universe is wild” in the origina

2025 Golden Pin Design Award Exhibition

Posted on by lars

We visited the Golden Pin Design Award Exhibition at the Taiwan Design Museum, located within the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei. The exhibition presented over a hundred award-winning projects and explored contemporary design through the theme “The Spectrum of Scale.” By focusing on aspects such as innovation, functionality, aesthetics, and communication, it offered insight into how design is evaluated and how different works relate to one another across various dimensions like weight, presence, and tempo.

Beyond the exhibition, we also had the opportunity to visit the park’s library, which is uniquely housed in a former women’s bathhouse. This space stands out for its atmospheric combination of historical architecture and modern cultural use, creating a quiet and inspiring environment for reading and reflection.

The entire area itself has a rich history: originally built as a tobacco factory in the 1930s, it has since been transformed into a creative hub with galleries, studios, shops, and cafés. The preserved industrial structures, together with new cultural functions, make the site a compelling example of how heritage and contemporary design can coexist.

2025 Golden Pin Design Award Exhibition

Date: 2025.11.25 (Tue.) – 2026.04.26 (Sun.) (Closed on Mondays)
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 18:00
Venue: Hall 01, 02 & 04, Taiwan Design Museum
Organizer: Industrial Development Administration (IDA), MOEA
Execution: Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI)
Curation: hidden-domain studio
Visual Design: Path & Landform

Check also the Global Call for Entries for the 2026 Golden Pin Design Award, open now till June 15.

Hä? Magazine–The Complete Collection

Posted on by Marcus Kraft

The health magazine without taboos was developed for a young readership aged 16 and up. Each issue focused on a single topic related to the human body. While the editorial content was carefully researched, the visual language drew heavily from a raw, punk-inspired aesthetic.

Studio Marcus Kraft was responsible for the art direction and design of the magazine over a period of 12 years, working in close collaboration with editor Rainer Brenner. During this time, they collaborated with a wide range of international photographers, illustrators, and artists, shaping the publication’s distinctive visual identity.

The magazine was published and distributed by Rotpunkt Apotheken in Switzerland from 2012 to 2024. In 2025, a strictly limited edition book was released, bringing together all 52 issues in a comprehensive 1,000+ page hardcover volume, reframing the publication as both archive and time capsule.

The list of contributors reflects this broad and deliberately diverse network, bringing together emerging talents and internationally recognised voices. Among them were Heji Shin, Ryan McGinley, such as Simon Trüb, Yves Suter, Randy Tischler, Peter Hauser, Anne Morgenstern, Eva Kurz, Fabian Unternährer, Ornella Cacace, Jamie Warren, Svenja Plaas, Marlon Ilg, Lina Müller, and many more. Their contributions ranged from documentary photography and illustration to experimental visual essays, collectively defining the magazine’s outspoken and visually uncompromising character.

Over the years, the magazine received multiple awards, including a Gold distinction from the Art Directors Club of Switzerland.

Further information can be found here.

Blaze Type 3.0

Posted on by Samira Niedermayer

Blaze Type has relaunched its website—not out of ambition, but out of necessity. The old platform had become slow, navigation was cumbersome, and with a constantly growing catalog, finding the right typefaces was increasingly difficult.

Over a year ago, Founder Matthieu Salvaggio and his team decided to start from scratch: design, development, art direction, and content were completely rethought. Together with longtime collaborators at UXO × Nuuk Agency, they built a platform that is fast, intuitive, and easy to navigate. The site also revives the original color principles as a foundation and introduces a long-awaited type pairing tool, allowing users to experiment and combine fonts directly online.

We spoke with Matthieu Salvaggio, Founder of Blaze Type, about how the type foundry’s redesigned website and new tools bring its mission to life, make typography more accessible, and offer a seamless experience for a growing community of type enthusiasts and designers.

The catalog is now easy to navigate—browsable, fast, and designed so users can find what they’re looking for quicker, smoother and more efficiently. How did you manage to combine this level of usability with maintaining Blaze Type’s distinctive identity?

Matthieu: Our catalogue has indeed quite developed, over the years we went from a dozen type families to over a hundred. And the navigation, the whole experience of the website as been the center of my mind for many years. It’s been something that I’ve wanted to fix for a long time. In full honesty I’m not sure there is a “best” solution to navigate that many fonts and promote them all to the same level—even though we try our best to do that—but the solution we found is quite satisfying compared to what we had before.
We worked with the team of designers at UXO / Nuuk Agency in a very scientific way of doing things: we analyzed the data of the website. How people were interacting with the different pages, fonts, how they were looking at the case studies, reading the articles etc. Based on those information we’ve made changes accordingly. So we’re really looking at a balance between design aesthetics that we wanted to bring on (more colors, animations etc.) and the calmness and stability of a clear navigation so you can access information in the most enjoyable way.

The rebuild was handled by a small, close-knit team. How did working so closely together shape the design process and influence the final experience for users?

I’ve known the people at UXO / Nuuk agency for years. Will and Sebastien, the founders, have been close friends of mine for nearly a decade as well. So they’ve always kind of gravitated around what Blaze Type was doing. And we know each other well so it was really a smooth discussion. Xiao, who worked on the design, was also a great addition to work with. She really understood the aim we had—design wise, and managed to bring forward the vision I had.

I don’t know if the users can feel it, but in my experience whenever you have fun creating something, it shows. I hope they people can witness how much fun we had working together to bring Blaze Type 3.0 up.

With the new type pairing tool and the expanded catalog, what do you hope users will discover, experiment with, or enjoy most on the site?

I hope people will try the pairing tools and enjoy it, I’ve got more ideas to implement into it (like generating semi specimen would be cool, and other cool features). What I want most is simply people to enjoy navigating the different areas. We write a lot of articles about design, type design, interviews etc. We try to create a quality content as best as we can. We’ve got a weekly newsletter with a monthly “Bulletin” bringing news about the type world—everything regarding it not only our stuff. So in a way we tried to create a type content related place, not just a type foundry. I hope people will get to discover our designers and enjoy their work.

Take some time to explore the website, try things out, and discover what resonates most.

 

Striped Bento

Posted on by slanted-api

Centered on the historical trauma of Auschwitz, this work employs Oriental ink-wash aesthetics to reinterpret iconic symbols of the Holocaust. It creates a surreal fusion of the black-and-white striped prisoner uniform and a fork.The striped uniform represents the Nazi deprivation of individual identity and the violence of genocide. The fork metaphorizes human lives treated as disposable “bento” to be arbitrarily consumed and objectified by power. Splattered ink visually accuses the complete era

KOREAAN SHIRTS

Posted on by slanted-api

This project reconstructs everyday objects from Korean life into graphic patterns. Instead of traditional symbols of “Koreanness,” it uses contemporary elements such as apartment landscaping, stainless steel tableware, urban birds, and holiday fruit sets.
These patterns are applied to Hawaiian shirts, creating a deliberate sense of dissonance within Korea’s dense urban context. By combining familiar imagery with an unfamiliar format, the project redefines a contemporary visual language of Korea

TypeParis Now26

Posted on by Franziska Müller

On May 30, 2026, the TypeParis Now26 Conference will bring designers, typographers, and creatives from around the world to Paris for a day dedicated entirely to typography. The one-day conference is part of TypeParis’s international program, which has been organizing workshops, courses, and events focused on type design and typography since 2015.

The event brings together renowned designers from various disciplines—ranging from graphic and editorial design to motion design and type design—and showcases how typography is used in a wide variety of contexts. The focus is not only on the design of typefaces themselves, but above all on how typography shapes communication and visual culture.

The conference program features presentations by international designers as well as a concluding panel discussion on publishing in graphic design and typography. Speakers include Tobias Frere-Jones, Astrid Stavro, David Quay, and Özge Güven. During the panel discussion, representatives from various design publications will discuss the role of books, magazines, and independent publishers in the typographic discourse. In the panel discussion, representatives from various design publications will discuss the role of books, magazines, and independent publishers in the typographic discourse. Julia Kahl from Slanted Publishers will also be there to discuss current developments in design publishing alongside other guests.

At the same time, Slanted Publishers will have a stand featuring a selection of books and magazines, allowing visitors to dive directly into the world of independent design publications.

Following the conference, two workshops will take place on May 31, offering practical insights into type design and analog printing techniques.
A workshop with Ulrike Rausch and Georg Seifert will focus on the development of two typefaces, while a second workshop with Megan O’Connell will cover the basics of letterpress printing.
Concurrently, the Type Directors Club’s annual exhibition will be on display during the conference, showcasing the latest international typography work, will also be on display during the conference.

With its international audience and interdisciplinary program, the Now Conference has established itself in recent years as a key gathering place for the typography community. The 2026 edition continues this tradition and promises another inspiring day filled with ideas, discussion, and a passion for typography.

More information about the program and tickets can be found here.

When?
May 30–31, 2026

Where?
Novotel Paris Vaugirard Montparnasse
257 rue de Vaugirard
75015 Paris, France

Call for Entries: Slanted Magazine #48—Seoul

Posted on by Franziska Müller

We are excited to announce an open call for submissions for Slanted Magazine #48 Seoul, dedicated to exploring the vibrant and diverse design scene in Seoul and across South Korea. The issue will highlight the work of creatives from Seoul, other cities in South Korea, as well as those based abroad, showcasing a range of contemporary design practices and perspectives that shape the cultural landscape of South Korea today.

From graphic design, typography, and visual communication to architecture, digital design, and product design, we are looking for exceptional work that reflects the dynamic creative energy of the region. Whether it’s innovative branding projects, experimental design practices, or impactful visual storytelling, we want to see the work that is driving the conversation in South Korea’s design community. We also welcome perspectives that explore the cultural forces shaping contemporary design in Seoul—from music and pop culture, including the global influence of K-pop, to technology, fashion, and urban culture. We encourage submissions from both emerging and established designers.

Graphic designers, illustrators, journalists, authors, and artists are encouraged to submit their work along with a statement or quote explaining their work via the online form. Text submissions in the form of essays and articles on cultural and creative topics related to Seoul are also welcome. Please send an email with your idea to [email protected].

After the submission deadline, all contributions will be carefully reviewed and curated. If your work is selected, we will contact you. Please bear with us as we take the time to thoroughly evaluate each submission and make a thoughtful decision. Selected contributors will receive a discount code by email to order a copy upon release.

📅 Submission Deadline: Sunday, April 26, 2026
📅 Publication: End of October 2026

Very much looking forward to your submissions!

Submit your work here. 

What was design?

Posted on by Franziska Müller

What was design? is a quick starter to one of modernity’s most contested terms. In its brief but meteoric career, “design” was subject to vast controversy. Celebrated as an engine of change, denounced as a driving force of commercialization, and regularly lamented as overused, design remains a concept whose true meaning is still being sought. While answers to the question “What is design?” are constantly shifting, the time has come for a retrospective. This book looks back, presenting a century of design thinking in its most compact form: a collection of bold quotes.

What was design? pits 87 historical one-sentence answers from practitioners, theorists, and philosophers against one another. The result is a web of radical short-form definitions that remain strikingly contradictory in their references. This selection is accompanied by an essay from Florian Walzel, exploring the deeper reasons behind the conceptual ambiguity of design.

The publication will also be introduced in two upcoming events this April, extending the discussion into a shared, conversational setting. On Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 7 p.m., a book premiere & apéro will take place at open.form in Darmstadt (Rundeturmstr. 16, 64283 Darmstadt). A second presentation follows on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at Kulturraum B25 – Raum für kulturelle Fragen in Frankfurt-Höchst (Brüningstr. 25, 65929 Frankfurt am Main). Both evenings invite guests to engage with the question “What was design?” beyond the page — through exchange, reflection, and drinks.

What was design?

Publisher: Slanted Publishers
Editor: Florian Walzel
Editorial Advisor: Jurek Werth
Design: Paul Jürgens
Release: March 2026
Format: 12 × 19 cm
Volume: 152 pages
Language: English
Printing: offset printing with spot colors
Paper: PEYDUR RECYCLED neuleinen 135 g/sm (Cover), SURBALIN glatt ultraviolett 115 g/sm (Endpaper) by Peyer Cover, Holmen TRND 2.0, 80 g/sm (Interior)
Bookbinding: Hardcover with round spine, thread stitching
ISBN: 978-3-69202-005-1
Price: €26.– (DE)

Buy here

re_CREATION 2026

Posted on by BDG Berufsverband Kommunikationsdesign e.V.

Creative professionals thrive on change—it is both their greatest strength and one of the central challenges of their practice. In an industry defined by constant transformation, the ability to adapt and evolve has become more important than ever. But what does this ongoing shift mean for the future of design businesses? Which opportunities arise, and how can designers actively shape their professional paths within this dynamic landscape?

From May 29 to 31, 2026, re_CREATION invites designers from across Germany to spend an entire weekend exploring precisely these questions. Organized by the BDG Berufsverband Kommunikationsdesign, the workshop event brings together practitioners for a series of hands-on sessions, discussions, and exchanges under the motto “feel it, shift it.” Hosted as an intensive and collaborative gathering, re_CREATION focuses on practical insights, shared experiences, and new perspectives on navigating change in the design profession.

The program features speakers who combine deep industry experience with a strong connection to design practice. Among them are designer, author, and lettering specialist Chris Campe, designer, author and lettering specialist; Irmgard Hesse, founder of Zeichen & Wunder—one of Germany’s top 15 brand agencies; and Tobias Roppelt, founder of Gehirngerecht Digital GmbH, who will speak together with blind AI developer Steve Weidel about inclusive perspectives on digital technology.

“feel it, shift it” is both the motto and the programme: it stands for the courage to change perspectives and for shared growth. re_CREATION offers a space to be inspired by designers from all over Germany and to learn from each other on topics such as: specialisation as a strategy, AI tools in everyday design business, accessible design from the perspective of those affected and sharpening one’s own positioning. Last but not least, re_CREATION is a great place for exchange, enjoyment and a good time together.

More information and tickets are available here.

When?
May 29–31, 2026

Where?
WANNSEEFORUM
Hohenzollernstraße 14,
14109 Berlin

The event language will be German.

at the edge of knowing

Posted on by Julia Kahl

at the edge of knowing will take place on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, from 10 am to 6 pm at LUX Pavillon in Mainz. This fourth edition of the readOn conference, organised by the Master’s programme in Communication Design at Mainz University of Applied Sciences, is dedicated to the unknown: to gaps in knowledge, the limits of understanding and the possibilities that emerge through not knowing.

Bringing together experts from research, design and culture, the conference offers a day of lectures, discussions and exchange. It creates a space in which certainty begins to dissolve, new perspectives can emerge and the role of uncertainty in creative processes, research and future thinking can be examined.

It focuses on those moments when knowledge becomes fragile, when an open space appears between certainty and conjecture, insight and intuition. In this space, questions matter more than answers, processes carry as much weight as results and uncertainty is recognised as a productive force.

Speakers include Mara Recklies, A204, Aram Bartholl, Simon Wahlers, Tim Rodenbröker and Uwe Holzhammer, who will share perspectives spanning theory, practice and experimentation. Participants will have the opportunity to engage, reflect and connect across disciplines.

Registration is required; participation is free of charge and voluntary donations are welcome. For more information, including the schedule and updates on speakers, visit the readOn conference website: readon-konferenz.de

Unlearned

Posted on by Samira Niedermayer

Unlearned is a new editorial project by Readymag that explores the gap designers and artists often encounter between academic training and professional life.

Unlearned consists of short essays by 13 designers and artists who share lessons that became clear only after completing their studies. Among them are internationally renowned figures like Stefan Sagmeister, Shantell Martin, and Erik Kessels, as well as independent practitioners such as Harriet Richardson, Jipeng Zhu, Raissa Pardini, Jarrett Fuller, and Cherry-Ann Morgan.

Unlearned highlights the diversity of experiences that shape a designer’s career. Some authors reflect on key early career steps—for example, Jipeng Zhu’s rapid transition from university to work at Sagmeister & Walsh, or Sarah Boris’s strategic portfolio restructuring before joining the Barbican Centre in London. Others take a more philosophical approach: Erik Kessels writes about the value of experimentation before work reaches a professional audience, and Shantell Martin reflects on how creative identity can’t simply be “switched off.”

Several essays also address broader issues of identity, ethics, and cultural context in design. Cherry-Ann Morgan discusses how reconnecting with cultural heritage can challenge dominant Western narratives, while Harriet Richardson reflects on maintaining creative integrity within professional practice.

The project embraces contradictions rather than offering a definitive plan of action. The collected reflections show that creative careers rarely follow a linear path, evolving instead through questioning, curiosity, experimentation, and reinvention.

With Unlearned, Readymag contributes to the industry’s broader design conversation, offering points for reflection for design students and recent graduates as well as experienced professionals.

Read the full project HERE.

Producer: Alya Datii
Chief editor: Tatyana Kovalchuk
Editors: Bazhena Gurlenia, Alex Ferapontov
Design: Francisco Pires

A—Z Counter Session #6

Posted on by Franziska Müller

The A–Z Gallery in Berlin invites visitors to a special edition of its Counter Sessions: Play the System. The evening is dedicated to parametric design and explores how rules, systems, and variation shape creative processes in graphic design.

The starting point for the event is the book Play the System. Parametric Approaches in Graphic Design by Heike Grebin, published by Slanted Publishers. In her talk, Grebin reflects on design as a rule-based yet open process—an approach that creates space for variation, experimentation, and unexpected outcomes. As digital tools and algorithmic methods increasingly influence creative practice, the role of designers is shifting: from designing individual artifacts to developing systems within which design can emerge.

Drawing on more than twenty years of teaching and research, Grebin brings a broad perspective to the discussion. Originally trained as an architect, she found her way into graphic design through unconventional paths and later became a professor of communication design at HAW Hamburg. Her work focuses particularly on typographic information systems in the context of social, political, and technological processes.

During the event, several contributors to the project will also share their perspectives. Designers Paulina Mohr and Jens Schnitzler will present their own projects, demonstrating how the interplay of structure and variation has shaped design for centuries—from medieval scriptoria to today’s dynamic systems.

Andreas Trogisch will provide insights into the technical background of the project and explain the automated layout process that connects the web-to-print platform play the system.xyz with the publication. The evening will be moderated by Katharina Wanke, who has accompanied the project editorially.

Play the System connects theory, teaching, and practice, offering an engaging look into the inspiring world of parametric design.

A—Z Counter Session #6—Play the System with Heike Grebin and Guests

When?
Thursday, March 26, 2026
7:00 pm

Where?
A–Z Gallery Berlin
Torstraße 93
10119 Berlin

The language of the talk will be German.

More information about the talk can be found here.

The Period Uniform

Posted on by Samira Niedermayer

As the new school year kicks off, a groundbreaking initiative is tackling the menstrual inequity that keeps many young girls from attending school consistently. The recent design project by Serviceplan Innovation brings this vision to life with ingenuity and care: in collaboration with Colombian sustainable intimate-care leader Somos Martina and supported by the Vice Minister of Education, period protection has been integrated directly into the official school uniform—helping students stay confident, comfortable, and in class.

Stigma that Causes Absence

Across Latin America, 1 in 4 girls regularly misses school during their period because they don’t have access to period products. This is linked to a deeprooted menstrual stigma: Periods are often not even discussed at home, which makes it difficult for girls to ask for support. Without protection, many girls stay home to avoid leaks and the shame that comes with them. Repeated absence affects education and future opportunities.

A Fundamentally Different Approach

School uniforms, which are mandatory in Colombia, have long been used to promote inclusion and equality in public education. The Period Uniform extends this principle to period protection. Instead of distributing period products through temporary, local programs that require separate logistics, the Period Uniform model builds on the existing school uniform system, making period protection accessible by design.

The Period Uniform

Normalizes Period Protection
Schools add period underwear to their list of required school items. This turns period protection from an extra into the standard.

Avoids Stigma
Because schools communicate the requirement to parents, the burden of initiating the conversation is lifted from the girls.

Works at Scale
Period underwear works with existing school uniform infrastructure and processes. Once established this model works for every school, without additional effort.

Reduces Cost
Period underwear is already more affordable than single-use period products over time. As part of the initiative, Somos Martina provides period underwear to participating schools at a price comparable to regular underwear.

The Path to Nationwide Adoption
Launched at Institución Educativa Mayor de Mosquera in January, the initiative is
now expanding to additional schools. To inspire public discussion and encourage the government to adopt the model, Somos Martina has launched an awareness campaign. It includes a dedicated website with more information and an editorial by New York Times contributing journalist María F. Fitzgerald as well as a short film by award-winning director Claudia Barral.

Why Period Underwear

Experts agree that period underwear is the best choice for young girls. It‘s noninvasive and functions just like the daily underwear they already know. Period underwear is more comfortable and eliminates the skin irritation and health risks associated with pads or tampons. Unlike disposables, it provides up to 12 hours of protection, suitable for long school days. With a lifespan of up to 3 years, period underwear, is significantly more affordable and environmentally sustainable than single-use alternatives.

For Women, by Women

The Period Uniform initiative is powered by a network of influential women and female-led institutions across education, healthcare, media, and the arts, each bringing their unique expertise. From Institución Educativa Mayor de Mosquera, the first school to implement the uniform, to Fundación Poderosas Colombia, supporting engagement with students and families on menstrual health, every partner plays a vital role. Medical guidance comes from gynecologist Dr. Laura Gil, public communication is shaped by journalist María F. Fitzgerald, while filmmakers Claudia Barral Magaz and the women-led production company Demente document the initiative. Photographer Violeta Zambrano captures the lived realities of menstruation and school life, and illustrator Adriana Lozano crafted the distinctive visual language.

Drawing on the aesthetics of a teenage diary and avoiding clinical or commercial cues, the visual identity—complete with custom illustrations, hand-drawn typography, and scribbled data charts—feels relatable and human across print, film, web, and school materials, uniting the project into a truly transformative experience.

Because equal education starts with dignity, and dignity starts with care. 💛 Read more about the project HERE.

Brand: Somos Martina
Campaign: Serviceplan Group
Film Director: Claudia Barral Magaz
Illustrations: Adriana Lozano
Photography: Violeta Zambrano
Website: Daniel Kuhnlein
Typeface: ABC Stefan by Stefan Marx and ABC Dinamo