Acceptance is a matter of talent. In my work I've never felt like a Negro. Maybe I've been lucky.
Georg Olden, Ebony Magazine, 1963
Black graphic designers have significantly shaped the industry in countless ways. Past and present, they've faced unique challenges all while bringing bold ideas to the table. According to a 2021 AIGA Design POV, only 4.9% of designers are Black. We hope this number continues to increase over the years as the industry diversifies. This list showcases both modern talent and visionaries across history. Read on to discover 15 of the most famous Black graphic designers in the U.S.
- Georg Olden
- Sylvia Harris
- Tom Feelings
- Emory Douglas
- LeRoy Winbush
- Gail Anderson
- Eddie Opara
- Tré Seals
- Laci Jordan
- George McCalman
- Antionette Carroll
- Brandon Breaux
- Darhil Crooks
- Joshua Kissi
- Michelle Washington
Georg Olden (1920–1975)
Perhaps the most famous and influential African American graphic designer of all time, Georg Olden is known for breaking major barriers in the industry.
He was the first Black designer to design a postage stamp, which honored the Emancipation Proclamation.
Olden spent much of his career at CBS, where he was the first Black graphic designer on staff. While there, he crafted the visual identities of shows like I Love Lucy, Lassie, and Gunsmoke.
Georg Olden's postage stamp designs were extremely significant in terms of progress in the graphic design industry. This stamp was designed by Olden in 1967.
Sylvia Harris (1953–2011)
Sylvia Harris was a pioneer in social impact design. Throughout her career, she worked on public information design as well, helping clients like CitiBank and the Central Park Zoo create better user experiences. Harris owned two different firms: Two Twelve Associates, Inc. and Sylvia Harris LLC (which she later renamed Citizen Research and Design as its focus shifted to a design process shaped by public research).
Tom Feelings (1933–2003)
Illustrator and cartoonist Tom Feelings studied at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School in the early 1950s. After some time in the Air Force where he served in the Graphics Division, Feelings continued his studies at the School of Visual Arts. He's most known for his illustrations and comics that celebrate Black identity and educate on Black history. Notable titles include Tommy Traveler In the World of Negro History (1991), To Be a Slave (1968), and The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo (1995).
Feelings worked on many more books outside of his major works.
Emory Douglas (1943-)
Emory Douglas is a revolutionary artist and famous graphic designer who served as the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party. He's known for his newspaper layouts and illustrations that told stories of resistance. At the time, Douglas's work helped promote new, radical ideas and set the aesthetic tone for graphics during the Civil Rights era.
LeRoy Winbush (1915–2007)
LeRoy Winbush began his career as an apprentice to a sign painter. Eventually, Winbush was designing signs, murals, and flyers for the Regal Theater. Later on, Winbush moved from signmaking to art direction, going on to establish his own agency, Winbush Associates. He spent much of his career in the editorial world, art directing for Ebony, Hue, and Negro Digest. After seven years of petitioning the Art Directors Club of Chicago, Winbush was granted entry. He went on to become president—marking a shift in the social environment at the time. In addition to design work, Winbush taught at the college level in Chicago.
Georg Olden, Tom Feelings, LeRoy Winbush, Emory Douglas, and Sylvia Harris are some of the most famous Black graphic designers of the 20th century.
Gail Anderson (1962-)
A partner at Anderson Newton Design, Gail Anderson is a designer, educator, and writer. Anderson's career has taken her through both agency life and magazine desks, as she's creative directed and designed at SpotCo and Rolling Stone Magazine. She is the co-author of several books, including The Typographic Universe, as well as New Modernist Type. Her Broadway posters and type design are particularly noteworthy.
Eddie Opara (1972-)
Eddie Opara is a partner at one of the world-famous agencies, Pentagram, which he joined in 2010. Opara, originally from London, focuses on strategy, design, and technology. In his client work, he's partnered with The New Republic, Cooper Hewitt, and the Smithsonian Design Museum.
Tré Seals (1993-)
Founder of Vocal Type Co., Tré Seals is a research-based designer who blends storytelling with design. In his work at Vocal Type Co., Seals focuses on everything from brand identity to typefaces and editorial spreads. He prioritizes working with "do-gooders," changemakers, and cultural institutions. He is the designer behind the Kamala Harris presidential campaign, Spike Lee x Chronicle Books, and the Black Elevation Map.
Laci Jordan
Identifiable by her vibrant digital artwork, Laci Jordan is an artist, creative director, and designer from Alabama. Currently based in Los Angeles, Jordan approaches her work through the lens of intersectionality and centers the experiences of marginalized people. Her campaigns for HBO, Jordan Brand, Spotify, and REI are among fan favorites. Jordan's artwork was also featured in season four of the HBO series Insecure.
Essence Magazine said of her, "If you try to put Laci in a box, you’ll have an incredibly difficult time."
She's among one of the most famous modern female graphic designers.
George McCalman (1972-)
Co-principal of McCalman.Co, George McCalman is an artist and creative director with a background in editorial and fine art. He is the author of Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen, which won the 2023 NAACP Award for Outstanding Literary Work.
Antionette Carroll
Antionette Carroll approaches design through a multifaceted lens. In addition to being a design pioneer, she works as a social entrepreneur, speaker, coach, educator, and equity and inclusion thought leader.
You may know her from the companies she's founded thus far, including Creative Reaction Lab (CRXLAB), the Institute of Equitable Design and Justice (Institute), Design + Diversity LLC, and &Design LLC. In her work, she centers racial and health equity.
Brandon Breaux (1983-)
Chicago-born, Brooklyn-based Brandon Breaux is an artist and designer with a passion for exploring the impact environment has on identity and worldview.
He is currently the lead Arts Activation Curator for the Chicago nonprofit Emerald South Economic Collaborative. Breaux provided the cover design for John Lewis's posthumous book Carry On. If you're a rap fan, you may also recognize Breaux's work from several Chance the Rapper album covers, including 10 Day, Coloring Book, and Acid Rap.
Darhil Crooks
Former creative director of The Atlantic and current creative director at Apple, Darhil Crooks is known for his award-winning editorial design. Previously, Crooks creative and art directed at Ebony, Men's Journal, and Esquire. Crooks graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2000. He's currently based in San Jose.
Joshua Kissi (1989-)
Joshua Kissi is a designer and photographer known for his rich visuals and for representing diversity in commercial design. His motto is to "tell stories by any medium necessary." Kissi's recent work has included campaigns for Ulta Beauty and Serena Williams's Insider cover shoot. Kissi is Ghanian-American and lives in New York. His journey into the world of design and art began when he first picked up a camera at age 17.
Michele Washington
Researcher and educator Michele Washington is a multi-hyphenate designer who owns a design consultancy by the same name. In her work, she focuses on branding strategy, design, and cross-cultural research. Her research explores several topics, including the significance of natural hair in black culture and cross-cultural interaction between users and products.
Graphic design is an amazing career choice for those who love to be creative and use problem-solving skills. If that's you, getting an education, networking, and building a solid portfolio is everything in this field. Start building your portfolio by learning graphic design skills with an educational program or private tutor.
Feeling inspired by these talented graphic designers from the past and present? Consider working with a private tutor at Superprof to take your graphic design skills to the next level. With Superprof, you can work one-on-one with a tutor to learn key graphic design skills like typography, design thinking, problem solving, color theory, and layout design.
You can schedule your lessons when it's most convenient for you, either in person or online with the tutor of your choosing. There are a plethora of tutors to choose from, too, so you can work with one who matches your learning or design style. Ready to get started? Sign up for graphic design lessons at Superprof today.
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