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Design Observer

Design Observer, Ellen McGirt, Rachel Paese
Tens of paid subscribers

Welcome to Design Observer, a home for curious minds shaping the world. Find your people and new ideas.

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Substack
PricingFreemiumPublishesWeekly
Issues150Founded6 years agoLast Issue7 days ago
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Latest Issues

If Emmett Till Lived

If Emmett Till Lived, Exhibition Opening, September 10th, 2026.

The image is arresting: a small Black boy, tossed aloft by his father on a perfect Chicago summer beach day. The photo is black and white; the warmth of the other sun wraps th...

7 days ago
1

A Google UX researcher responded to digital fatigue by founding a newspaper

It’s been a tough go for newspapers lately.

Last week, McClatchy, a national local newspaper chain, announced its most severe cuts in years, eliminating more than 90 journalists and gutting newsrooms by up to 40% for 13 papers in eight sta...

14 days ago
4

We're joyfully receiving your feedback. Here's where we're headed:

Credit: Jason Leung via Unsplash

Kenya Hara (原 研哉), the Japanese graphic designer, curator, and writer, has built an exceptional body of work based on his observations on the power of design.

Unlike art, which is an individual expression,...

a month ago
2

Encontrar tu propia voz toma más tiempo que hacerse viral

Encontrar tu propia voz toma más tiempo que hacerse viral, pero merece la pena, afirma el diseñador Guillermo Flores Pacheco.

Guillermo Flores Pacheco tiene un estilo de ilustración inconfundible: colores vivos, aves, plantas exuberantes y...

a month ago
2

“It’s time to take back the baton”

“It’s time to take back the baton.”

This, or some version of this, has been the theme of every convening I’ve attended this spring and summer — from Great Place to Work, various design conferences, to Aspen Institute events, to Essence Fes...

a month ago
3
1

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Authors

The writers behind this newsletter.

  • Design Observer

    Look closer with us, it's all designed.

  • Ellen McGirt

    Editor-in-Chief, Design Observer. I write. I podcast. I draw water drops. I wander.

  • Rachel Paese

    In its various forms, what I love most is giving curious people better access to perspective-changing stories. Now Deputy Editor for Design Observer, I bring readers closer to the people and ideas that are designing a better world.

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