Graphic design plays an essential role in shaping how we interact with the world. From brand identity to cultural commentary, design speaks to people across media and boundaries. In today’s visually saturated society, standing out requires more than just technical skill; it demands vision, innovation, and purpose. This article begins a four-part series featuring 20 of the most influential graphic designers currently leading the field. These professionals have each contributed groundbreaking work, shaped major visual movements, and inspired countless others through their unique approach to design. In this first installment, we profile five designers whose impact is felt across disciplines, borders, and generations.
Jessica Walsh
Jessica Walsh is widely recognized for her expressive, emotionally driven design work that combines bold visual aesthetics with personal storytelling. As the founder of &Walsh, she is one of the few women leading a major creative agency in the United States. Her style is fearless and contemporary, incorporating surreal imagery, complex compositions, and vibrant color schemes that draw viewers in and make them feel. Her work challenges norms and reflects a broader cultural consciousness, often dealing with themes like identity, vulnerability, and equality.
Early in her career, Walsh became known for her collaboration with Stefan Sagmeister, producing work that was both experimental and commercially successful. Eventually, she carved out her own space with a voice that merges strategy with art. She has led campaigns for major brands, art-directed major publications, and spoken at global conferences about the evolving role of design in communication. Beyond client work, she is dedicated to mentorship and education. Her initiative, which promotes leadership among women and non-binary creatives, provides support for underrepresented voices in the design industry.
Walsh’s impact is not limited to aesthetics. She is changing the conversation around what it means to be a designer today, emphasizing authenticity, inclusivity, and emotional resonance as central pillars of modern design.
David Carson
David Carson revolutionized graphic design by rejecting traditional rules and introducing a raw, expressive aesthetic that felt deeply personal and unconventional. Known for his work on Ray Gun magazine in the 1990s, Carson’s style was disruptive and controversial. He embraced irregular layouts, distorted type, and layered imagery in ways that had never been widely accepted in professional design until he made them mainstream. His work blurred the lines between chaos and clarity, ultimately influencing generations of designers to push boundaries and explore form as a mode of feeling rather than rigid communication.
Carson’s intuitive design process prioritizes emotional impact over legibility, creating pieces that invite interpretation and personal connection. This philosophy set the foundation for what many now recognize as postmodern design. While his work often challenges readability, it captures attention through its unpredictability and depth. For Carson, design is a visual language that should be as nuanced and expressive as spoken word or music.
Today, his influence remains strong. He continues to lecture worldwide, judge international competitions, and produce work for clients ranging from surf brands to global corporations. Carson’s enduring appeal lies in his refusal to conform, proving that graphic design can be a powerful vehicle for artistic expression and cultural commentary.
Paula Scher
Paula Scher is one of the most celebrated graphic designers of the last four decades, known for her authoritative use of typography and her ability to transform brands into icons. As a principal at Pentagram, she has created lasting visual identities for major institutions including The Public Theater, Citibank, and Microsoft. Scher’s work combines intuitive artistry with strategic thinking, producing solutions that are both visually compelling and conceptually robust.
Her approach to typography is particularly influential. She treats type as an image, using it to convey tone, rhythm, and structure. The typographic systems she creates are not only readable but also memorable and dynamic, often filling entire spaces or acting as the core design element. Her design for The Public Theater is a prime example, where layered type and vibrant color brought new energy to a traditional institution.
Scher is also a passionate educator and public speaker. She has mentored countless students, contributed to design theory, and advocated for the role of design in public life. Her maps series, composed of intricate, hand-painted typographic renderings, reflects her fascination with information, geography, and visual complexity. Through client work, fine art, and education, she has shaped the way designers think about the intersection of design, identity, and place.
Stefan Sagmeister
Stefan Sagmeister is renowned for his conceptual, philosophical approach to design that blends art with deep human questions. Over the years, he has worked with musicians, museums, and corporations, always bringing a unique perspective to each project. His work often challenges the viewer not only visually but also emotionally and intellectually, making him one of the most compelling voices in contemporary design.
Sagmeister’s projects are immersive experiences. He uses both digital and physical media to explore topics like happiness, beauty, and self-reflection. His exhibitions, including "The Happy Show" and "Beauty," invite audiences to engage with design as more than surface—it becomes a way to examine life itself. His collaborative projects with Jessica Walsh also explored vulnerability, connection, and personal storytelling, creating a genre of work that was as intimate as it was visually arresting.
He is known for taking sabbaticals, during which he steps away from commercial work to recharge and explore personal interests. These breaks have fueled some of his most innovative ideas and have influenced others to reconsider the role of rest in the creative process. Sagmeister’s legacy is built not just on beautiful visuals but on a belief that design has the power to influence how we live, think, and feel.
Aaron Draplin
Aaron Draplin has cultivated a brand of design that is bold, honest, and distinctly American. Founder of Draplin Design Co., he’s worked on a wide range of projects, from logos and posters to merchandise and book covers. His style is rooted in classic design principles: strong geometry, simplified forms, and a utilitarian approach that focuses on clarity and impact. He draws inspiration from industrial design, vintage signage, and functional ephemera like shipping labels and manufacturing catalogs.
Draplin is a champion of accessible design. He emphasizes process, durability, and usefulness over trendiness or complexity. His Field Notes brand, co-created with Jim Coudal, exemplifies this ethos—a simple, well-designed notebook inspired by agricultural memo books from the early 20th century that has become a cult favorite among designers and creatives.
What sets Draplin apart is his commitment to teaching and community. He travels extensively, speaking at conferences and hosting workshops that encourage young designers to focus on craft, consistency, and authenticity. His presentations are as inspiring as they are practical, filled with humor and heartfelt advice drawn from years of experience. Draplin’s voice in the industry reminds designers that integrity, hard work, and a passion for the fundamentals are just as important as innovation.
Top 20 Influential Graphic Designers Shaping the Industry Today
In Part 1 of this series, we explored five iconic figures who are redefining what graphic design means in the contemporary world. From emotional branding to experimental typography, these designers are expanding the possibilities of visual communication. As we continue, Part 2 highlights another five creative minds whose contributions have helped shape everything from digital interfaces to global campaigns. Each of these designers brings a distinct vision and voice, proving that graphic design remains an evolving, diverse, and deeply impactful field.
In this installment, we focus on Neville Brody, Debbie Millman, Michael Bierut, Mike Perry, and Ellen Lupton—five professionals who continue to influence design with their work, teaching, and thought leadership.
Neville Brody
Neville Brody is a legendary figure in graphic design known for pushing the boundaries of typography and visual experimentation. Rising to prominence in the 1980s, his work on The Face magazine gave voice to a new generation of designers eager to break free from rigid grids and formal constraints. His style often fuses punk aesthetics, experimental type, and postmodern principles, creating visuals that are challenging, layered, and conceptually rich.
Brody’s influence is far-reaching. He co-founded Research Studios (now Brody Associates), a design consultancy that has worked with clients ranging from Nike and BBC to Samsung and Coca-Cola. His approach emphasizes the relationship between visual language and cultural context, making each project a reflection of broader social dynamics.
In addition to client work, Brody is a dedicated educator and academic. As Dean of the School of Communication at the Royal College of Art in London, he has influenced generations of emerging designers. His typographic innovation and fearless attitude continue to inspire those who view design as both a cultural tool and an artistic practice.
Debbie Millman
Debbie Millman is one of the most prominent voices in branding, design writing, and creative education. As the host of Design Matters, one of the world’s first and longest-running podcasts about design and creativity, Millman has interviewed hundreds of influential figures, giving voice to the stories behind the work. Her ability to connect deeply with creative thinkers has made her an essential figure in documenting and shaping the modern design conversation.
Millman has worked extensively in branding and strategy, helping to define the identities of major corporations and organizations. She served as President of Design at Sterling Brands, where she led projects for clients such as Burger King, Tropicana, and 7UP. Her philosophy balances business strategy with storytelling, encouraging designers to find the emotional core of every brand.
Beyond client work, Millman is a powerful advocate for creativity as a force for personal and cultural transformation. She has authored several books, including collections of interviews and essays on design, vulnerability, and self-expression. As co-founder of the Master's in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York, she has mentored students to become thoughtful, impactful designers. Her contributions remind us that graphic design is not just about visuals—it’s about meaning, purpose, and human connection.
Michael Bierut
Michael Bierut is one of the most respected and prolific designers in the industry today. A partner at Pentagram, Bierut has worked across nearly every sector, creating elegant, effective design systems for cultural institutions, corporations, non-profits, and startups. His work is characterized by clarity, logic, and simplicity, often combining smart concepts with clean execution.
Bierut began his career working with the legendary Massimo Vignelli, whose influence can still be seen in his modernist approach. Over the years, he has developed identities for clients such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Verizon, Yale School of Architecture, and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. Each project reflects a deep understanding of narrative, context, and utility.
What distinguishes Bierut is not just his design talent but his role as a communicator of design ideas. He is a gifted writer, lecturer, and educator who regularly publishes essays and speaks at conferences around the world. His book How to offers insight into his process and philosophy, emphasizing that great design emerges from listening, asking questions, and solving real problems.
As a Senior Critic in Graphic Design at Yale School of Art, Bierut has mentored many leading designers. His influence on the field is both aesthetic and intellectual, shaping how design is practiced and understood today.
Mike Perry
Mike Perry brings a burst of color, movement, and joy to contemporary design. Known for his hand-drawn type, vibrant illustrations, and playful animations, Perry occupies a unique space between art and commercial design. He has created work for brands, music videos, book covers, and editorial publications, but his influence is perhaps most widely felt in television through his Emmy-winning work on Broad City, where his animated interstitials helped define the show’s quirky tone.
Perry’s style defies strict categorization. His work is spontaneous, expressive, and rooted in a love for texture and imperfection. He often uses analog techniques like painting and drawing, merging them with digital formats to create work that feels alive and human. This approach has made his visuals widely relatable and emotionally resonant, even when used in large-scale media campaigns.
In addition to client work, Perry is a passionate community builder. His Brooklyn-based studio hosts events, workshops, and exhibitions, fostering a space where creatives can gather and collaborate. He’s also a public speaker and teacher who encourages designers to find their voice and take risks. Perry’s influence is most evident in how he has helped normalize fun, weirdness, and individuality in commercial design without compromising professionalism or polish.
Ellen Lupton
Ellen Lupton is one of the most influential design educators and authors of our time. As a curator at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and a senior faculty member at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Lupton has devoted her career to making design education accessible, inclusive, and inspiring.
Her books, including Thinking with Type, Graphic Design: The New Basics, and Design Is Storytelling, are essential reading for designers and educators alike. These texts break down complex design principles into understandable, engaging language, helping students and professionals develop a strong foundation in design thinking, typography, and narrative.
Lupton is also a skilled curator, having organized exhibitions that explore how design intersects with everyday life, technology, and culture. Her work emphasizes that design is not just decoration but a powerful tool for communication and empowerment.
She continues to champion the idea that good design is for everyone, not just for specialists or elite institutions. Through writing, teaching, and curating, Lupton has helped redefine design education for the 21st century, ensuring it reflects a diverse range of voices, experiences, and media.
Top 20 Influential Graphic Designers Shaping the Industry Today
In the previous parts of this series, we profiled ten designers whose impact on graphic design has been both deep and wide-ranging. These individuals have shaped the language of design through powerful branding, fearless experimentation, and inspiring education. In Part 3, we highlight five more designers who are redefining how visual culture functions in the digital age. These creatives are leading conversations around motion design, user experience, global aesthetics, and the importance of inclusive visual storytelling. Each brings a unique approach that influences not only how things look but also how they work, feel, and connect.
In this installment, we focus on Leta Sobierajski, Timothy Goodman, Zipeng Zhu, Murugiah, and Verena Michelitsch—designers who are expanding the boundaries of modern design in bold, experimental, and joyful ways.
Leta Sobierajski
Leta Sobierajski is known for her multidisciplinary approach that seamlessly combines photography, art direction, branding, and graphic design. Her work is characterized by vivid color palettes, geometric compositions, and surrealist undertones. Whether creating commercial campaigns, editorial layouts, or installations, her visuals are imaginative and striking, reflecting a personal design language that is instantly recognizable.
Sobierajski often blends tactile, handcrafted elements with digital design, creating compositions that feel both playful and highly controlled. Her projects frequently explore themes of human connection, self-expression, and absurdity, celebrating the messy beauty of individuality and emotion. Together with partner Wade Jeffree, she co-runs a creative studio where collaboration, humor, and visual experimentation drive the creative process.
What sets her apart is the way she brings personal style into client work without compromising strategic clarity. She has worked with brands like Google, AIGA, The New York Times, and Refinery29, crafting visuals that are distinct yet versatile. Sobierajski is part of a growing wave of designers redefining what professional aesthetics can look like, proving that whimsy and weirdness have a place in even the most polished campaigns.
Timothy Goodman
Timothy Goodman is a designer, illustrator, and author who uses his work to explore topics of identity, vulnerability, politics, and relationships. With a style that merges handwritten typography, narrative illustration, and raw honesty, Goodman’s work has earned him a reputation as one of the most emotionally resonant designers of his generation.
His projects, such as “40 Days of Dating” and “Build Kindness Not Walls,” fuse storytelling with social commentary, often blurring the line between art and design. These projects have received widespread attention not only for their aesthetics but for their message and emotional depth. Goodman’s lettering style is expressive and immediate, often used to highlight quotes, personal reflections, or bold political statements.
Commercially, he has worked with brands like Uniqlo, Target, Airbnb, and Netflix, integrating his distinct voice into mainstream platforms while maintaining authenticity. He is also an advocate for mental health awareness, racial equity, and creative transparency, often addressing these themes head-on in his writing and public talks.
Goodman’s influence lies not only in his visuals but in his courage to show the human side of design. By embracing imperfection and emotion, he makes space for more diverse, truthful voices in the industry.
Zipeng Zhu
Zipeng Zhu brings exuberance and humor to every project he touches. His work is a technicolor explosion of motion graphics, bold typography, and whimsical illustration. With a tagline that declares, “Make it pop,” Zhu celebrates visual overload as an expressive and joyful form of communication. His work feels like a celebration of queerness, color, and fun, often addressing serious themes with a playful visual language.
A native of China and now based in New York, Zhu has worked with a wide range of clients, including Adobe, The New York Times, Dropbox, and MTV. His ability to apply his hyper-saturated, energetic aesthetic to diverse industries shows that expressive design can be both effective and inclusive.
He founded Dazzle Studio, where he leads projects ranging from brand identity to animated campaigns. His work often includes custom typefaces, dynamic illustrations, and kinetic interactions that make even static graphics feel alive. Zhu’s identity is also deeply embedded in his design philosophy. Through his work, he advocates for queer visibility and body positivity, offering an inclusive approach to visual communication.
Zhu’s impact is not just stylistic—it’s cultural. He represents a new era of designers who refuse to separate joy from professionalism, using design to amplify voices that have historically been underrepresented.
Murugiah
Murugiah is a British artist and designer known for his psychedelic, mind-bending style that blends South Asian aesthetics with contemporary digital art. His work is colorful, spiritual, and often surreal, using abstract shapes and patterns to explore themes of mental health, culture, and the cosmic self.
With a background in architecture and film, Murugiah brings a multidisciplinary perspective to design. His visuals draw from traditional motifs found in Indian and Sri Lankan art but are presented through a modern, digital lens. His bold use of color, scale, and symbolism creates immersive visual experiences that feel both ancient and futuristic.
Murugiah’s influence has grown rapidly thanks to social media and collaborations with global brands like Apple, Facebook, Adobe, and Warner Bros. His design language challenges Western-centric standards of design, offering a vibrant alternative that is deeply rooted in heritage, identity, and spirituality.
His work often seeks to heal and inspire. By merging personal introspection with visual storytelling, Murugiah offers a design approach that is not just visually striking but emotionally nourishing. He reminds us that graphic design can be a meditative, inclusive, and culturally expansive practice.
Verena Michelitsch
Verena Michelitsch is a designer and art director whose work exemplifies minimalism with soul. Based in New York but originally from Austria, Michelitsch has built a reputation for sleek, elegant design that balances form and function. Her work often features restrained color palettes, modern typography, and meticulously crafted layouts, making her a go-to voice in luxury branding and editorial design.
Michelitsch has created brand identities for clients such as Apple, Red Bull, and Instagram. Her style is refined without being cold, often incorporating subtle textures, gradients, and motion to create visual interest. Her ability to combine digital sophistication with human warmth sets her apart in an era dominated by trend-driven aesthetics.
She also co-founded the design initiative “No Layout,” which highlights digital publishing for creatives, and has led various workshops and talks that emphasize precision, intuition, and originality in design. Michelitsch’s process shows that minimalism doesn't have to be devoid of personality. Instead, it can be an exercise in restraint, clarity, and emotional resonance.
Her influence is particularly strong among younger designers drawn to the intersection of design, technology, and culture. By maintaining a distinct visual voice while adapting to changing media, she illustrates how timeless principles can evolve into future-facing aesthetics.
Throughout the first three parts of this series, we’ve explored the work of fifteen graphic designers who are redefining what it means to be influential in today’s creative industry. From typographic pioneers to emotionally honest illustrators, these designers have shown us the power of visual storytelling in shaping culture, behavior, and identity. In this final part, we spotlight five more individuals whose voices are pushing graphic design into bold and unexpected directions.
These last five creatives are reshaping visual culture across branding, digital design, environmental graphics, and social commentary. As with the others in this series, they use their work not only to design but to communicate, critique, and build communities. Let’s meet Paula Scher, Jessica Walsh, Stefan Sagmeister, Dafi Kühne, and Shawna X.
Paula Scher
Paula Scher is a cornerstone of modern graphic design, known for her prolific career spanning over four decades. As a partner at Pentagram, she has developed iconic identities for some of the world’s most recognizable institutions, including the Public Theater, Citibank, and Microsoft. Her work is defined by a fearless use of typography, bold compositions, and an ability to distill complex concepts into clear visual forms.
Scher’s influence extends well beyond logos and posters. She transformed the way designers think about branding, treating it not just as a logo exercise but as a system of communication across space, time, and medium. Her approach to visual language is often likened to painting with type, using scale, density, and movement to create energy on the page.
Beyond her commercial success, Scher has contributed significantly to design education and advocacy. She has taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York and lectured internationally, influencing countless young designers. Scher’s legacy is defined by both her iconic work and her role as a mentor and thought leader in the design community.
Jessica Walsh
Jessica Walsh is a creative director, designer, and founder of the studio &Walsh. Known for her bold, emotional, and often provocative work, Walsh has become one of the most recognizable and influential figures in contemporary design. Her visual style is unapologetically expressive, frequently combining vivid colors, surreal imagery, and personal storytelling.
Walsh rose to prominence as a partner at Sagmeister & Walsh, where she worked on boundary-pushing projects that merged design with fine art, fashion, and social issues. Since founding &Walsh, she has focused on building a studio that represents the values of inclusion, experimentation, and future-facing design. The studio is known for projects that challenge conventional beauty standards, gender norms, and societal expectations.
What distinguishes Walsh is her willingness to bring emotion into design. Whether working with brands like Snapchat, Levi’s, or Adobe, or through self-initiated projects like “Ladies, Wine & Design,” she uses design as a tool for empowerment and conversation. Her work encourages vulnerability, creativity, and self-expression in a field that too often leans on convention.
Stefan Sagmeister
Stefan Sagmeister is one of the most celebrated and unconventional voices in graphic design. With a career marked by introspection, conceptual experimentation, and visual audacity, Sagmeister has continuously redefined the role of the designer as artist, thinker, and provocateur. His work often explores themes of happiness, beauty, and human psychology.
Sagmeister gained attention for his album cover designs for Lou Reed, Talking Heads, and The Rolling Stones, where he treated packaging as an opportunity for bold artistic expression. His studio, Sagmeister Inc., evolved into a platform for personal explorations as much as client work, leading to high-profile exhibitions and the documentary The Happy Film.
One of his most influential contributions is the “Sagmeister on Beauty” exhibition, which argued for a renewed appreciation of beauty in design, architecture, and culture. He challenges the idea that graphic design must always prioritize utility over aesthetics, advocating for work that is not only functional but emotionally resonant.
Sagmeister’s legacy lies in his ability to provoke critical thinking about design’s deeper purpose. He reminds the industry that beauty, emotion, and curiosity are essential parts of visual communication.
Dafi Kühne
Dafi Kühne is a Swiss designer and letterpress printer who bridges the gap between analog craft and digital design. While much of today’s design is screen-based, Kühne has carved out a unique space by reviving traditional printing techniques in a contemporary context. His posters, often produced using letterpress, woodcut, and other manual processes, are vibrant, tactile, and meticulously constructed.
What sets Kühne apart is his dedication to process. Each of his works is designed digitally but executed with physical tools, resulting in printed matter that feels alive and textured. He often constructs his printing tools and mixes his inks by hand, underscoring the value of craftsmanship in a fast-paced digital world.
Kühne’s influence is growing steadily through his workshops, lectures, and educational content. He has become a vocal advocate for slowing down the design process, embracing imperfection, and reconnecting with the physicality of materials. His approach challenges the assumption that digital efficiency should always be the priority, offering a powerful reminder of the richness of analog methods.
Shawna X
Shawna X is a visual artist and creative director whose work lives at the intersection of graphic design, illustration, and digital experience. Known for her fluid forms, bold color palettes, and immersive motion, Shawna X creates visuals that are both dreamlike and emotionally grounded. Her practice spans editorial illustration, public art, branding, and experiential installations.
She has collaborated with clients such as The New Yorker, Nike, Google, and MoMA, bringing a distinct perspective to every project. Shawna X often addresses themes of motherhood, sensuality, identity, and mental wellness in her personal and commercial work. She blends digital tools with organic shapes and dynamic composition to craft experiences that are sensorial and emotionally evocative.
What makes her work particularly impactful is its ability to evoke feelings without relying on overt messaging. She uses abstraction as a form of storytelling, inviting viewers to interpret and connect on their terms. Through this approach, Shawna X champions design that feels intuitive, inclusive, and deeply human.
She also creates space for underrepresented voices through mentorship and public engagement. Her presence in the industry signifies a broader shift toward embracing diverse narratives and visual languages.
With Paula Scher’s typographic mastery, Jessica Walsh’s emotional intelligence, Stefan Sagmeister’s philosophical inquiry, Dafi Kühne’s tactile innovation, and Shawna X’s abstract storytelling, we complete the list of 20 designers who are currently shaping the graphic design industry in profound and diverse ways. Each of these creatives brings a unique lens to their work, challenging norms and expanding the definition of what graphic design can achieve.
These twenty influential figures are not just setting trends—they are changing how we experience visual culture. Their work reminds us that design is never static. It grows, responds, adapts, and leads. Whether by bridging analog and digital, reimagining identity, or reintroducing joy into everyday design, these individuals exemplify creativity with purpose.
Graphic design today is a dynamic, evolving field. It draws strength from variety, thrives on experimentation, and gains meaning through connection. The designers featured in this series represent just a fraction of the talent shaping its future, but they serve as powerful examples of where the industry is headed—and who is leading the way.
Final Thoughts
As we conclude this four-part series on the most influential graphic designers shaping the industry today, a clear theme emerges: modern graphic design is no longer confined to aesthetics alone—it is a powerful tool for storytelling, activism, innovation, and identity. The twenty creatives featured across this series reflect a wide spectrum of voices, styles, and philosophies that are reshaping what design can mean in a global, digital, and socially conscious world.
Some designers, like Paula Scher and Stefan Sagmeister, have laid foundational principles that continue to inspire generations. Others, like Shawna X, Zipeng Zhu, and Murugiah, are introducing vibrant, deeply personal approaches that challenge traditional norms. Whether through hand-drawn typography, motion graphics, immersive installations, or editorial campaigns, each designer is contributing to an ever-expanding definition of creativity.
What unites these diverse talents is their willingness to question, disrupt, and evolve. They aren’t simply following trends—they’re setting them. They’re building studios and platforms that reflect their values. They’re teaching, mentoring, and leading communities. They’re embracing emotion, vulnerability, and experimentation as essential parts of the design process. And they’re ensuring that design remains inclusive, dynamic, and human.
Graphic design today is both more complex and more exciting than ever before. It requires a balance of conceptual clarity and emotional intelligence, digital literacy and hands-on craft, cultural awareness, and personal authenticity. The designers we’ve profiled throughout this series demonstrate that balance and push it further.
Whether you’re a student, a working designer, or someone who simply appreciates the power of visual communication, following the work of these influential creatives offers not just inspiration but direction. They show us where design is going and how we can all be part of shaping its future.
In a time when the world feels increasingly fast, uncertain, and divided, design remains a hopeful force—connecting people, sparking dialogue, and imagining new possibilities. These designers are leading that charge.