Book Launch: "Design History Reader" edited by Kristen Coogan

Please join us Saturday Nov 1st 4PM EST at Artbook @ MoMA PS1 Bookstore to celebrate the launch of the Design History Reader, edited by Kristen Coogan. Coogan will be joined in conversation by designer and educator David Reinfurt to discuss the book’s making and its vision for a more pluralistic design history.

In-person and livestreamed at @artbookps1

Book available in-store and online at artbookstores.com

Design History Reader: An Emerging Vision for a New Narrative, published by ONOMATOPEE, reimagines graphic design history through eight thematic sections that highlight both dominant and marginalized narratives. Moving beyond chronology, the Reader proposes new ways to study design—and new criteria for what counts as “good design” today. Design History Reader was led by Kristen Coogan, Associate Professor of Art and Graphic Design at Boston University, who applies the department’s pluralistic approach to the topic. The case studies featured in this book are real-life examples from her students that demonstrate the practical, ubiquitous applications of design theory. They began as a curricular revision and evolved into a new form of design history pedagogy. Already a part of Boston University’s graphic design curriculum, this student-focused reader is an excellent choice for course adoption, or for the bookshelf of an independent aspiring designer.Contributors include: Annabella Pugliese, Belle Bennet, Charles Li, Dar Saravia, Ellen Johnson, Flora Kerner, Grace Chong, Haya AlMajali, Julia Cheung, Kristina Shumilina, Lauren Had, Leila Garner, Maidha Salman, Natalie Seitz, Rayne Schulman, Rhea Jauhar, Rashina Wang, Sheryl Peng, Sophie Zimbler, Tzu-Hsuan Huang, Winnie Mei, Xiuqi Ran, Yue Luo.

ONOMATOPEE, 2025 | Paperback | 6.75 x 9.5 in | 324 pgs | $35.00

David Reinfurt is 1/2 of Dexter Sinister, 1/4 of The Serving Library, and 1/1 of O-R-G inc. Dexter Sinister began as a workshop on Manhattan's Lower East Side and branched into projects with and for contemporary art institutions. The Serving Library publishes a journal, maintains an artwork collection, and circulates PDFs online. O-R-G is a small software company. Reinfurt was a 2010 USA Rockefeller Fellow and 2017 Rome Prize Fellow in Design. He is Professor of the Practice in Visual Arts at Princeton University.

Kristen Coogan is a designer, educator, and writer whose work bridges graphic design practice and history. She is Associate Professor of Art and Chair of Graduate Graphic Design at Boston University, where she teaches design history, information design, and graduate studio courses. Coogan is the editor of the Design History Reader (Onomatopee, 2025), a thematically organized volume that challenges the traditional design canon by highlighting both dominant and marginalized narratives and proposing new criteria for what counts as “good design.” Her work has been featured in national and international conferences, exhibitions, and publications, and she has played a key role in expanding the conversation around design history and pedagogy.

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