CREDITS (clockwise from top left)

Blueprint cover, March - April 2007
Design Direction by Deb Bishop

More cover, April 2015
Design Direction by Deb Bishop

The New York Times for Kids cover May 30, 2021
Design Direction by Deb Bishop

Garden & Gun cover | Holiday edition
Design Direction by Marshall McKinney

Blueprint cover, September - 2007
Design Direction by Deb Bishop

Blueprint, Perimeter | Yule Clog
Design Direction by Deb Bishop

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Marshall McKinney
Creative Director in Residence,
Metaleap Creative
@sleepydownsouth

Deb Bishop
Design Director,
The New York Times for Kids
@dbishopme

SPD: Who inspires you?
Marshall McKinney: The talent-level brains and braun of the high performers in this industry — among those lucky enough to have two X chromosomes — leaves me utterly stupefied. Where do I even begin? Hmmm, perhaps here: To me, publication design, when boiled down to its very essence, is about commitment to craft and executing a vision at a high taste-level with steadfast consistency and originality. Easy to say, hard to do. You know it when you see it because you feel it. And, we all know you can't bullshit your way through it — trust me, I’ve tried. We ask ourselves is this innovative? Is this material perfectly tailored to this or that brand’s voice? Is it born of truth? Does it represent the brand and not merely some designer’s ego? With all that in mind, Deb Bishop is in rarefied air, perhaps even in a class all her own.

GIANT CHOPS in tiny heels (dare ya to try and fill ‘em), Deb is a master craftsman who displays command over every single facet of the creative process. She sets a standard, not just for women in this industry, but for anyone who dares to pursue excellence in the craft. And that, in itself, is a legacy worth celebrating. Witness: The architect behind Blueprint (a typographic revelation and a delight); MORE, yes please; And finally, NYT Kids. It’s pure eye candy and brings out the inner child in all of us.

Yep, it’s Deb Bishop. A credit to her craft who’s as lovely as she is talented.

CREDITS (clockwise from top left)
Fo Wilson
Cover | Essence
April 1986
Cover | YSB
January 1993
Cover | YSB
March 1994

Lance Pettiford
Cover | BET Weekend
Special Issue
Cover | Fed Tech
Winter

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Lance Pettiford
lancepettiford.net

Fo Wilson
fowilson.com/objects

SPD: Who inspires you?
Lance Pettiford: The female designer who has inspired me the most is Fo Wilson. From graphic design to furniture design, she has truly established herself as a Renaissance woman, constantly evolving within the creative space. At a time when few people who looked like me were represented in publication design, Fo mentored me, offering invaluable guidance. Many others, like myself, have emerged from her time at Essence, her firm Studio W, and her academic journey. I will always be grateful for her encouragement and friendship.

CREDITS (clockwise from top left)

Paloma Rincon
From The Bisections series

Cubikebana
My personal interpretation of the traditional Japanese flower arrangements . A project to celebrate @axt.studio 20 years anniversary.

Class of 78
Personal Project using paper and stationary elements.

Zuania Muñiz-Meléndez
"Puerto Rico Domestic Inset Map"
A photo illustration from my "It's Domestic" project. It visually represents the idea that Puerto Rico is a territory of the USA and is under federal law, making it "domestic". Assisted by @ale.ramri

Untitled
A new artwork about a movement in Spain that promotes culture as a safe place through the hashtag #laculturaessegura. In collaboration with @unminutomadrid
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Zuania Muñiz-Meléndez zuania.com
@zuania.mm

Paloma Rincon palomarincon.com/ @paloma_rincon_

SPD: Who inspires you?
Zuania Muñiz-Meléndez: I find conceptual photography to be a powerful medium for communication, allowing a single image to express complex ideas. As a form of art, it goes beyond mere representation—it is a means of storytelling, symbolism, and emotion. Paloma Rincon, a Mexican photographer based in Madrid, Spain, has been a major inspiration for me. Her work seamlessly blends art, design, craftsmanship, and photography, using them as tools for visual storytelling. When I first encountered her work, I saw myself reflected in her approach.

Paloma’s ability to convey ideas through composition, color, form, textures, and props resonates deeply with me. Conceptual photography, for me, offers full control over visual communication, providing a channel to connect viewers with information, beauty, and awe. It transforms abstract thoughts into tangible visuals, allowing artists to challenge perspectives and evoke emotions.

CREDITS (clockwise from top left)

Corita Kent, with love to the everyday miracle, 1967, serigraph, 23 x 35 in., image courtesy of Corita Art Center, Los Angeles, corita.org

Marc Davila, Beautiful Things, The hand lettering by Samantha Hahn

Marc Davila, The Futurist’s Kitchen, Illustration/collage by Pedro Nekoi

Corita Kent, stop the bombing, 1967, serigraph, 18 x 23 in., image courtesy of Corita Art Center, Los Angeles, corita.org

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Marc Davila
marcdavila.com
@themarcdavila

Corita Art Center
corita.org
@coritaartcenter

SPD: Who inspires you?
Marc Davila: I chose Corita Kent: artist, designer, and educator.
She is an inspiration to me because her work embodies much of what I love about design and being a designer — creative use of typography, impactful illustration, bold color choices, and the juxtaposition of graphic ideas. On a deeper level, she used her work to convey messages of hope and social justice, sharing her spirituality and art in an unconventional way — especially for a nun in the 1960s.

I was introduced to Corita's work through a book given to me as a gift years ago, and her life, art, and message have always resonated with me as a visual creator. As a design student in the late '90s, I was a big fan of resources like Raygun, The Face, Rolling Stone, The Eye, and MTV. Corita, to me, seemed like a prolific precursor to multilayering, rough typography, and screen-printing effects — perhaps even an inspiration to these art directors who came after her.

There are two quotes from Corita that resonate with me:
"The only rule is work."
"Doing and making are acts of hope."

Whether I'm putting together yet another story-package about "what color to paint your bedroom" or assigning an illustration for a thought-provoking feature on the fate of the modern world, her instruction, message, and aesthetic can ring true to me and the work that I do.

CREDITS (clockwise from top left)
Posters | NBA Preseason 2024/25
Client: NBA Canada + Microsoft Canada
Creative Director: Jordan Nelson

Package Design | Portuguese Bend Distillery
Client: Portuguese Bend Distilling
Art Director: Daniel Cady

Portrait | Erica Lord, AARP
Client: The Girlfriend
Art Director: Dian Holton

Editorial | Illustrations of four rising artists and entrepreneurs
Client: Garden & Gun Magazine
Art Director: Julia Knetzer

Cover art for "I Spy: After Hotel Rwanda" podcast of Mr. Paul Rusesabagina
Client: Foreign Policy Magazine
Art Director: Brooks Robinson

Book Illustration | Boundless
Author: Chaunté Lowe
Client: Scholastic Inc.
Art Director: Maeve Norton

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Illustrations by Sam Singh*
samsinghillustration.com
@samsingh_art

SPD: Who inspires you?
San Singh: My earliest inspiration as an illustrator growing up was the manga artist
Naoko Takeuchi, otherwise known as the creator of the widely popular series Sailor Moon. 

Takeuchi had a strong vision to create a story around an empowered female-centric cast, who can hold their own against the bad guys, fight for love and justice, all without sacrificing their femininity. Her determination to produce highly feminine artwork can be seen in her limited pastel color pallet, delicate penmanship, and over-exaggerated female features like hair and eyes. Takeuchi’s work has gone on to inspire countless other female artists in both Japan and the West to actively enter the industry and share our unique design aesthetic as female illustrators and storytellers. 

I love how Takeuchi interprets hair in her work as a whimsical extension of her heroes movement on the page. Her artwork has almost an art nouveau quality to it, and it is something I often aspire to include in my own work. My favorite work of hers is the Sailor Moon manga and anime series, as it was my gateway into illustration and design at a very early age. While my own art style is more focused on portraiture, there is a very present echo from anime, manga, and comic books as they are my biggest inspiration. 

CREDITS (clockwise from top left)

Cipe Pineles
Charm cover, July 1951

Vogue cover, April 1950

Seventeen cover, July 1949

Charm cover, June 1951

Victoria Black
Departures Magazine
Best Foot Forward, November 2023

The Black Arts
Book cover design

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Victoria Black
thevictoriablack.com
@thevictoriablack

SPD: Who inspires you?
Victoria Black: Many moons ago, after a visit to the Metropolitan Musum of Art on a bright spring afternoon, a very young me was rummaging through a street vendors table. One of those "Prints: 2 for $10" souvenir types. After scouting dozens of photos and prints I found it — the one. The print was a black and white Vogue cover replica. It featured a chic woman with an oversized hat and netted veil. It was simple, chic, feminine and powerful. It was the most stunning things I had ever seen, up until then at least.

I begged my museum date (my grandmother) for the print, natrually she obliged. Little did I know, the person who created the art for that cover was Cipe Pineles.

Pineles was one of the first ever female art directors... or was she more than that? I like to think so. Cipe was a triple threat, practicing art direction, graphic design and illustration. Often combinging all three to make explosively creative works of art. But regardless of title, she was above all, a monumentous force. 

Her work is unapologetically feminine and effortlessly cool. She married art and design and spun them into functional and beautiful "commercial art". Often utilizing objects as type and illustration as shapes, Pineles's distinct style and visual flair has unconsciously influenced me ever since I was a little girl, and will continue to do so.