No Designer is an Island

HOW has a new book out, focusing on women designers: Women Of Design: Influence And Inspiration From The Original Trailblazers To The New Groundbreakers. From the blurb:

More than half of the graphic designers in the U.S. are women, yet they are less likely to be invited to speak at conferences or to offer expert opinions to the media. Their award-winning work is seen everywhere, but with few exceptions, they are not celebrated in the same way as their male counterparts. Women of Design explores this contradiction while at the same time shining a light on the work of women designers, both industry veterans and influential newcomers. By asking the handful of female design stars to identify other talented women, then asking those women to suggest more still, Women of Design creates a web of influence and excellence that proves these women are worthy of attention.

Talk about a productive book! It takes a swing at the "great man" mythos in the design (and larger art) world - both the "great" and the "man" aspects.

In design school too often we're shown designs and designers removed from their social and historical contexts: legendary men (and the occasional reference to Paula Scher) floating out in space, creating these distinct designs. When we look at the IBM logo, we don't see it as the culmination of thousands of previous collaborations, conversations, back-and-forths and critiques, all of which Paul Rand drew from when creating it. All we see is the final logo, and (forgive the pun) a Randian Rand.

The authors (both involved in the superlative UnderConsideration) have a page up about the book, which includes sample spreads and this gem:

It's a chart showing the women profiled in the book running along the middle, with lines connecting each with three women they have been influenced or inspired by. It's a testament to women designers seeking each other out for support in a male-dominated field, and a tribute to the ultimately social nature of the work we produce.