The seventh edition of the landmark textbook "Meggs' History of Graphic Design" has revolutionized the field's historical canon by dramatically increasing representation of Black graphic designers from three references in previous editions to 25 designers in the new volume. This represents a remarkable 750% increase in visibility for Black designers in what is considered the premier graphic design history textbook.
Dr. Cheryl D. Miller, a prominent graphic design educator and civil rights activist, discovered her inclusion in the new edition when she received an unexpected licensing request for her 1991 poster "Defying Odds, Expanding Opportunities: The African American Challenge," originally designed for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Miller, who teaches "Decolonizing Graphic Design: A Black Perspective" at Howard University School of Fine Arts, found her work positioned alongside Black design history icons including Eugene Winslow, Emory Douglas, Dorothy E. Hayes, Bill Howell, Dorothy Akuburo, William Wacasey, Alex Walker, and Joyce Hopkins.
The new edition has undergone a fundamental structural transformation, abandoning the traditional chronological approach in favor of thematic organization. Co-editor Sandra Maxa explained this strategic shift, stating, "To create a new edition that is relevant to students today, we used a more direct writing style and stronger representation of designers from different backgrounds. We also advocated for restructuring the new edition around themes instead of chronology to avoid implying a hierarchy that comes with presenting something as the 'first.'" This thematic approach includes sections like "Mobilizing for Racial Equality," where Miller's work appears alongside pieces by Herb Lubalin and Corita Kent.
Significantly, the seventh edition has canonized Ebony and Jet magazines in graphic design history for the first time. The authors wrote that "these magazines highlighted the Black experience at a time when most magazines focused on white readers, documenting a range of topics, including the civil rights movement of the 1960s and pop culture." This inclusion represents a major acknowledgment of publications that served underrepresented communities.
The textbook's reformation extends to its treatment of design history's origins. Unlike previous editions that primarily featured the Lascaux Cave paintings from Southern France as the beginning of graphic communication, the new edition presents a more balanced view. The timeline now gives equal representation to African origins, featuring Silcrete flake stones at Blombos Cave, South Africa (circa 75,000 BCE) alongside the Lascaux cave paintings (circa 15,000-10,000 BCE), offering a more inclusive understanding of graphic communication's beginnings.
Miller, who has been a vocal critic of previous Meggs editions and authored her own textbook in response to what she saw as cultural oversights, praised the transformation. "The 7th Edition is a reformation – dismantling the core barriers that have kept many of us from realizing our full potential in this field," she said. "It will make a transformative difference for years to come. The next generation of designers will find themselves in the history of graphic design and propel the industry forward."
Howard University students have expressed enthusiasm about the changes. Undergraduate Jada Jones noted, "Black graphic designers have been hiding in plain sight for centuries. They had no intention of hiding. The design industry simply made little attempt to help them feel seen." MFA student Aditya Gupta added, "The canon is not neutral. It is not simply a record of what happened. It is a selective story that gives power to some voices and silences others."
Despite the positive reception from educators and students, the book faces commercial challenges. At the AIGA Design Conference, Debra Johnson, co-owner of Shop at MATTER, reported that sales were sluggish, with some potential buyers still perceiving the textbook as "too white." This reaction highlights the complex challenge the publishers face in overcoming Meggs' longstanding reputation as a Eurocentric textbook while building awareness of the substantial changes made in the seventh edition.
Co-editors Maxa and Mark Sanders acknowledged extensive consultation with experts in Black graphic design history, including Bobby Martin, Jerome Harris, and Brockett Horne, who are specifically thanked in the book's acknowledgments. Maxa emphasized their comprehensive research approach: "We spent hundreds of hours reading your books, articles, interviews, exhibition catalogs, and papers, and are grateful for and inspired by your work to expand the field of design."
The transformation reflects years of advocacy from the Black graphic design community calling for more equitable representation. As Howard University MFA student Kamel Worgs observed, "This lack of visibility is problematic not only because it disregards the historical context that many people live in, but it also limits the ways in which we can truly communicate with each other."
Miller, who is recognized for her influence in ending marginalization of BIPOC designers through civil rights activism and scholarly work, plans to incorporate the new Meggs edition alongside her own course textbook. She is the author of "HERE: Where the Black Graphic Designers Are" (2024) and the forthcoming "Decolonizing Design from a Black Perspective" (2025). Her optimistic assessment of the seventh edition signals a new chapter for graphic design education: "The 7th Edition of Meggs is a new beginning; it offers hope. Mission accomplished, Meggs team!"
