Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers

by Ellen Lupton, Jennifer Tobias

Extra Bold is the inclusive, practical, and informative (design) career guide for everyone!Part textbook and part comic book, zine, manifesto, survival guide, and self-help manual, Extra Bold is filled with stories and ideas that don't show up in other career books or design overviews.• Both pragmatic and inquisitive, the book explores power structures in the workplace and how to navigate them.• Interviews showcase people at different stages of their careers.• Biographical sketches explore individuals marginalized by sexism, racism, and ableism.• Practical guides cover everything from starting out, to wage gaps, coming out at work, cover letters, mentoring, and more.A new take on the design canon.• Opens with critical essays that rethink design principles and practices through theories of feminism, anti-racism, inclusion, and nonbinary thinking.• Features interviews, essays, typefaces, and projects from dozens of contributors with a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, abilities, gender identities, and positions of economic and social privilege.• Adds new voices to the dominant design canon.Written collaboratively by a diverse team of authors, with original, handcrafted illustrations by Jennifer Tobias that bring warmth, happiness, humor, and narrative depth to the book. Extra Bold is written by Ellen Lupton (Thinking with Type), Farah Kafei, Jennifer Tobias, Josh A. Halstead, Kaleena Sales, Leslie Xia, and Valentina Vergara.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Feminism, Art, Queer, Art Design, Essays

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2021

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extra Bold is a book for our times: not limited to the predisposition of design heritage or industry standard in a world that is no longer standard, nor limited to a singular graphic design history. Described as "a feminist inclusive anti-racist non binary field guide for graphic designers," it's a unique design manual filled with personal stories and ideas that don't show up in other design guidebooks or overviews. For emphasis, this is NOT a trash white male designers book at all (even though I admit nodding or grimacing at certain relatable points, which arguably men may never understand having never having to endure these experiences). It's also more than an older sister-designer-mentor-advice in a book. It's about including those beyond that category...and there are many.

Divided up and presented in order of theory, history & work, it covers education, life experiences and observations from a variety of creative voices (spurred on by co-author & design champion, Ellen Lupton). Discussions, debates and considerations that aren't easy apply in traditional design settings are explored. It's about gender issues, it's about understanding who holds power, it points out inequality and imbalance in where or how we work, how to navigate getting work as a young person...and so much more. Not light reading per se, but reading that becomes more engrossing the further along one goes.

How does graphic design play a role in all this? The voices are designers navigating through their world, their work and their personal worth to be more inclusive in their workplaces. Design is used to express some of their experiences, identity, ideas and ways to communicate with others, on a more level playing ground (especially hard when you're just starting out and trying to find your voice in a world of much louder, bigger ones).

Like similar books to create awareness for those who haven't clued in, didn't realize what they were missing or want to truly understand and navigate the broader world we live in, this is equally vital for the demographics it speaks to, and for. While the narrative can feel a bit fractured at times with so many contributors and areas of focus, there's a necessity in hearing so many different experiences falling under the same umbrella of being held back. In other words, it's complicated—which is why the delivery IS not and CAN not be a straight line. It has to begin with much background context in order to bring true meaningful discourse and meaningful change in how to be a working designer in our current world. It's the smart, brave and timely book we truly needed more than ever, that encourages repeat readings or sharing (already in its 4th reading after the initial May 2021 release).

[Rewon · Rating 5 out of 5]

clever, helpful, well-designed (of course) guide for all things graphic design work

some takeaways:
• the "modern" design standard holds hierarchical Eurocentrism as the norm and expectation; breaking away from that mold allows queer, BIPOC aesthetics to be represented
• history is a form of power — whose narrative is validated, what experiences are viewed as foundational/relevant
• make a lot of work! and share it! put it out there!
• collaborate and find mentorship
• "Instead of just shouting messages at people, we need to learn how to be facilitators of dialogue and communication." - Elaine Lopez, pg. 137
• "Graphic design is a visual performance of speech. Visualizing language creates new meaning." - Shira Inbon, pg. 146

[Kacie Sommers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so fucking much. It sounds dramatic but this book changed my life & my outlook on so many things and I’m so grateful for that. The content is obviously geared towards designers but I think it could be useful for anybody and everybody to read.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Extra Bold! As someone who's passionate about graphic design and accessibility, this book was a joy to read! It's a colourfully designed, funny, and insightful collection of stories and illustrations packed with practical advice on how to make your work more inclusive, anti-racist, and nonbinary. I was able to discuss this book with other designers as part of a virtual book club and was excited to have authors Ellen Lupton and Kaleena Sales give background information on how this project came together! Whether you read this book for fun or keep it around for reference, Extra Bold will give you the tools you need to create designs that represent all people. Highly recommend!

[Martin Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cool collection of short essays and interviews from a number of graphic designers on inclusion issues. Although I'm not a graphic designer (just interested in design), a lot of what they talk about is relevant to students and young professionals in all fields. Really just a lot of practical workplace advice and encouragement. My only criticism is that a chunk of the book is very US-specific. But I won't hold that against them.

This book also provided plenty of examples and illustrations, and introduced me to some cool design projects. So that's cool.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good and interesting even for people not in design!

[Lou_GilSayan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharing insights from history and testimonies, this book brings so much perspective on the inaccessibility in the world of design.
It's not only about graphic design but about exclusions, euro-centered beauty criteria, hiring processes, power structures, mentoring, workplace discrimination and more...
I would highly recommend to anyone to read this and especially if you feel you can't fit in this world. You do.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty solid collection of essays, interviews, and illustrations on how designers can be all the things mentioned in the title. A good starting point with lots of ideas from members of various marginalized communities.

[Neslihan Ramzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Designer or not, this is a recommend! Great intros to many topics.

[Morgan Vaca]

actually can’t believe this isn’t a required text at school in my major!!!!! probably some of the more important stuff i’ve learned is in this lmao

[Sab · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping for a book talking about how I as a designer can make my work more inclusive, feminist, anti-racist, and supportive, and at times the essays in this did just that! Some of the essays did lack any realistic connection to graphics in my opinion, but still offered new perspective on issues of feminism, anti-racism, ableism, inclusivity, and supporting marginalized groups. The work section was the most helpful in a real-life setting IMO, providing legitimate advice, templates, action plans, and even just words of support for designers in different stages of their careers. I'd definitely recommend this for other designers, as I think there were some really strong comments on inherit design bias, and some ideas that I want to bring into my workplace to try and revitalize the work we're doing with these ideas more in mind.

I do think it's interesting though that there's a lot of conversation about ITS and euro centric design, and this book is formatted and designed in a very ITS style

[Madi Boo · Rating 5 out of 5]

very comprehensive guide to approaching design and intersectionality. loved the history portion and insight from designers. again, the advice for new designers column was a necessary read. essentially, keep putting in the work, volunteer your time, don’t stop learning, and reach out.

[Elenasavoldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

di come la diversità sia necessaria anche nel design

[Elisa Decoupigny · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly amazing book, it was such a pleasure to read all along. i have been studying design in a private school for 4 years, and i have never really been taught how to be inclusive in my work (accessibility is taught but it is only one aspect of inclusion)
I think even non-designers should read this book to have the keys to understand systemic racism, patriarchy, and binary structures in how daily life is designed. this book also gives keys to make the workplace a better place for everyone.
The illustrations are very funny and powerful.
I particularly loved the chapters about (man)splaining, anti-stairs club, disability theory, intersectionality and activism

[Quynh Mai Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

good collection of essays that provides valuable insights and plenty of inspiration for designers!

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really interesting, eye-opening, and well-put-together.
It covers a broad variety of subjects regarding inclusivity, whether from a theory perspective, a history-based one, or a more practical one, and all either directly or indirectly tying them back to how they relate to design or being a graphic designer.
One piece that particularly stands out was that it was through this book that I began to learn even a little about the amazing life of Ruth Ellis.
I also learned about the printing press background/etymology of the words stereotype and cliché.
It’s also a beautiful book (of course - made by graphic designers!), wonderfully put together, with beautiful illustrations, and simply lovely to look at.
I definitely recommend reading through at least a great deal of this book (some of it is pretty graphic design-specific, so if you’re not in, or interested in the field, maybe skim through some of it)!

[Wiebke Kuhn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book - a mix of genres with lots of voices that focus on aspects of being different from the mythical norm. Interviews, graphic representations of important concepts, and clear steps to navigate the internship and job market. I think this is a must-read for designers of all sorts and pretty much everyone else.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was amazing. It was funny, direct, and graphically engaging. It made me proud, and, at times, uncomfortable, which is what a good instructional and educational guide book has to do sometimes. It also makes me want to make. I think a collage is in my future.

[My Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reference.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautifully designed book- found myself most interested in the “theory” section and could use a whole book full of those conversations/design!

[Araminta Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Emotional Labor invoice was amazing! Good resource.

[Lexie Doerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for designers. Extremely insightful about design practice and inclusivity. Gave me a lot to think about and reflect on, I will definitely be rereading this!

[Alba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Útil y entretenido. Leer este libro te recuerda la importancia de crear y lo bonito que es hacerlo en comunidad.

[dendo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book felt like a fun and enjoyable journey with many little surprises along the way, yet at the same time being just as insightful and informative. A colorful mix of graphics, illustrations, interviews, life stories, and designers' works doing an incredible job at explaining the theoretical topics and social issues in a clear and coherent way, while simultaneously not taking away any of the significance and urgency of the topics. It's not only a great "social and gender studies" textbook helping one to get further insight into this broad spectrum of social (in)justice issues, but links those topics to typography and graphic design in such a clever and surprising way. Furthermore, it pushes and encourages (young) designers to use their works and "platforms" as a way to (try and) make a change. This book showed me where design comes from, what point it has currently reached and the vast potential it still has ahead of it.
Reading this book as a first-year-design-student, getting a glimpse of what to expect in the “real world”/ job market, and learning how to actually deal with certain situations along the way was incredibly helpful. Especially reading the advice some designers had for their younger selves/ young designers, touched on many things that I also personally struggle with right now and gave me a bit of reassurance and motivation.

[EstrellaGracia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the book! Tho I’m giving it 4 stars because the pace felt a bit slow at times and the letter size was quite small despite it being all about design for everyone (well, I am a bit short-sighted and didn’t loved that, but well, I guess it helped cut production costs)

Really loved hearing about minorities I am not very used to, because of my white-privileged situation. Also, the book made me feel very happy to live in a country with many equity and gender laws already in place (tho, ofc, there are many more yet to achieve)

The last part of the book was actually my favorite, with actionable steps and advice and more psychological questions. But the history part was super interesting! And the fact that all type in the book is from women and other minorities is a super super cool detail! Also, the illustrations from Thobias are SO COOL I AM TELLING YOU. Well, the whole book is beautifully designed, nothing to argue in this point :)

If you’re a designer or a creative, for sure, give it a go! You’re very likely not to regret your choice 💘

[Les T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find the book interesting, but the contradictions irritating and harmful. For example, the authors and contributors say “every body is worthy” and celebrates the diversity of humans, but then insist that “angling the camera downward creates a flattering view.” (Now the authors are body-shaming?) Also, the book focuses on accessibility, but then does not model this practice. As an example, the book jacket and some of the pages (e.g., p. 4 Aisha Ahmad poster) are unreadable by (some) colour-blind people. A final example: sharing pronouns is a disputed practice that can create an unsafe environment for trans and non-binary employees (e.g., asking co-workers, including trans co-workers, to share pronouns before they are ready can cause stress and/or the need to lie). The disconnect between the book’s messaging and actual content is unsettling. All that said, if you can overlook its discrepancies, it’s a book that can spark conversation and learning.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great insight on the design industry from professionals, including graphic designers, UX designers, design educators, writers, librarians, art historians, and the like. It discusses theory, history, and gives anecdotes on the industry from different people with different backgrounds and experiences, which is extremely valuable for designers. I really Iike how recent this book was published, because all of the information in it is relevant to today’s industry. I think this book could be used in university classrooms in the future to help design students navigate their way around the design world.

My only issue is most of the ppl involved all went to schools like SVA, MICA, RISD, and Yale, so I would’ve liked to hear more voices from ppl who attended state schools.

I read it all the way through, but this could also be used as reference!

[lou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Questo libro mi ha un po’ delusə. Dal titolo e dalla copertina mi aspettavo un “manuale” che potesse dare indicazioni molto più pratiche riguardo il design da un prospettiva transfemminista, il che mi aveva molto emozionatə; quello che mi sono trovatə davanti è stato invece un libro pieno di cose “a caso” che di graphic design non aveva quasi nulla.
Niente contro il fatto che servano anche libri che partano dalle basi delle terminologie che usiamo, ma non capisco il senso di venderlo come un manuale sul graphic design quando di ciò si trova veramente poco.
Se nel titolo vengono scritte parole come “femminista, inclusiva, antirazzista, non binaria” mi aspetto che si parta dal presupposto che chi lo legge una base politica di questo tipo la abbia già (e neanche così radicale per i termini in cui viene trattato).

[Leda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Potenzialmente tutto quello che vorrei in un libro, utilissimo per chi si sta formando nel primo ciclo di studi (scolastici o da autodidatta), ma con alcune grandissime cadute di stile nel contenuto: zero critica all'elefante nella stanza - il sistema capitalista che rende qualsiasi sforzo in direzione di un mondo feminist, inclusive, anti-racist, nonbinary & Co una semplice toppa quando non viene messo in discussione. Il mondo del design è tutti e quattro i cavalieri dell'apocalisse del capitalismo, non si può raccontarsi storielle sul come renderlo più inclusivo e al contempo dire "l'importante è lavorare, dare tutto, fare i passion project all'uscita dal lavoro". No. In generale tutto il tono è molto USA. Lo lancerei comunque su qualsiasi studente/ssa di triennale <3

[Laura Dimová · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toto je prvá kniha, ktorú som kvôli bakalárke prešla celú. Je o inkluzívnom dizajne, teda takom, ktorý je pre každého.

Problematike sa v bežnom živote veľmi nevenujem a preto ma neskutočne zaujala. Nikdy predtým som sa nezamyslela nad tým, ako dokážu farby, fonty či dokonca tvary!! použité (nie len) v grafickom dizajne ovplyvniť to, ako na nás dizajn vplýva - či je ženský/ mužský, drahý/lacný, pre mladých/pre starších či dokonca pre bielych alebo pre ľudí tmavej rasy.

Inkluzívnosť dizajnu je veľmi malo rozšírený pojem a malo by sa to zmeniť. Pretože dizajnéri by mali dizajnovať tak, aby boli ich produkty skutočne pre všetkých.