Designing while Black

The Black aesthetic evolved from a group initiative to enhance the image of the New Negro. In the mid 1920’s, at the end of the First World War, Blacks were faced with a new sense of hope and promise for the future. Expressions of racial pride encouraged Blacks through their art as a means for discovering and developing a system of African identity in America. As W.E.B. DuBois stated, “the great mission of the New Negro to America and the modern world is the development of art and the appreciation of the beautiful.” The Black dynamic was spawned consciously as a goal for establishing an aesthetic self, existing as a platform for articulating “Négritude,” and for initiating debate about the fate or quality of life for the future of Black existence in American culture.

Harlem Renaissance

Black culture has had a huge impact on the fertility and diversity of American culture. The Black struggle has evolved from the depths of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, to positions of leadership in the forefront of civic, urban and corporate America. Through mass media, Black people have introduced a unique cultural perspective that has cultivated an aesthetic in American society. As a method of communication, graphic design provides Blacks with the opportunity to improve the image of–and perhaps the self-concept of–the community by presenting these perspectives of African American life visually. However, within the history of graphic design to present day, the invisibility of Black designers has contributed to a virtually non-existent Black aesthetic. I argue that there could be a design aesthetic derived from principles and ideals Blacks express in the way they live. As a Black graphic designer, I am presented with a unique opportunity to investigate a Black aesthetic within mainstream graphic design and the mass media of American popular culture. In investigating the Black aesthetic within the discipline of graphic design, I seek to answer the following questions: (1) what is the history of the Black aesthetic–how has art been used to present Black imperatives, (2) what are some of the identifiers that define the Black aesthetic, (3) are there benefits of a cultural identity for Blacks entering graphic design, and (4) is there a Black aesthetic being used by the marketing departments and advertising agencies of major corporations?

Graphic design can be used as an important tool. It can express and document African American imperatives, giving presence to Black people looking to connect dreams of success, equality, and progress in visual form. Design connects these values, and then manifests these ideals into real life application for public consumption. By understanding the aesthetic values of Black culture, graphic designers have the potential for developing a Black aesthetic in graphic design that can be used for advancing the future identity of Blacks.

I think it is important to note that there is a dilemma in searching for the Black aesthetic in graphic design. On one hand, I see the value of identifying and creating a Black presence in graphic design for Black audiences–and especially to youth–in reinforcing positive imagery. However, I am aware that the presence of a Black aesthetic in graphic design can be used to influence youth in a harmful ways: for example, the encouragement of negative spending habits and over- emphasis of the value of consumer culture to those who can’t really afford it.