As designers, we’ve always known the power of visuals. An illustration drawn with the right icon, the deliberate use of colors, impactful typefaces…they all help tell a story. The same is even truer for pictures taken from real life. One such picture surfaced on the Internet recently. A cop in LA with his knee on the neck of George Floyd who kept saying that he couldn’t breathe, until he died.
This senseless, brutal, and indifferent killing of Floyd is the latest in the series of hundreds and thousands of Black murders at the hands of police officers. But this killing is different than perhaps all others. It has sparked a sense of such utter and unending rage in Black communities everywhere that America is effectively going through a decisive resolution.
And as always, graphic design and arts have emerged as resounding and powerful allies of the movement. Since almost always, graphic designers have contributed to adding in the voices of the voiceless. Whether it’s the Black Panther propaganda posters or the most recent ‘I Can’t Breathe’ poster created by Greg Bunbury, the history of the fight against racism includes stories of encouragement, representation, and communication through graphic design.
So here is a small tribute from our whole team, in honor of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others who have lost lives at the hands of police brutality and systematic racism. As a graphic design company, we bring to you a selection of designs, arts, and moments from the revolution that Floyd’s murder has sparked. Some of it is healing, some of it challenging, while there may be some that are downright rough. But as socially-focused graphic designer Greg Bunbury puts it, “If I can put three words and make people visibly uncomfortable then I’m doing my job”.
