The Middle (Pitch)
In the Middle of Everything: Graphic design in pursuit of freedom, justice, community, power, hope, and joy.
I’m proposing a design book about working as an independent designer in a place not known for world-class design. And because of this particular place, I’ve been able to create a design career where creativity, collaboration, and partnership work in service of making change possible and exciting.
This is a book about doing good through design, the importance of principles, making projects happen, work/life balance, DIY, and keeping it weird. How you can ultimately make a design career look like whatever you want it to look like. And how you can use design to engage with life on every level — in your community, with the arts, technology, business, civics, politics, education, and so on.
This is a book about practicing design in the middle of everything.
Case Study Samples
This will be a story told through my 15+ years of work with inspiring organizations and people out there mixing it up and doing good. Case studies on a variety of projects large and small. Local projects for a nonprofit arthouse cinema, Mayoral race, and various social justice nonprofits. National projects for President Obama’s re-election campaign, the ACLU, and Eli Pariser’s TED Talk. As well as posters and art shows for various causes—sustainability, the right to vote, racial justice, creativity, inclusive communities, and more.
Additionally, various essays on topics important to designers and collaborators would be included:
Killing the Subservient Chicken (I never wanted to work on Burger King or Nike or Red Bull.)
Nonprofit Branding: Antithetical to Movement Building, Yay or Nay?
Knowing how you work best (honing your process, removing distractions, no pajamas, etc.)
Independence + Collaboration: Building Teams
Budgets and finances and the nature of why we work
Midtown Omaha Coworking
Here’s a quick overview of potential content I’m planning to include in this book:
Big Issues
The Right to Vote, Education for All, Vibrant and Healthy Communities, Sustainability and Climate Change, Progressive Politics, Social Justice, Racial Justice, For the Love of Art, Truth, A Nation of Immigrants.
Design Topics
Distributed Teams, Setting Budgets, Statements of Work, Project Management by Designers, Client Relationships, Writing a Good Case Study, New Business, Community Engagement, Opportunity Costs
Client Profiles
Jane Kleeb and making Nebraska BOLD, Brigitte McQueen on the arts and social justice, Nathan Preheim on making cities better, Kali Baker on community engagement, Megan Hunt on democracy, Andrew Norman on making things loud
Fun/Weird Work Tales
No one knows where Nebraska is so why can’t it be everywhere?
When our design teacher told us this place ain’t very cool so we need to try harder.
When Aaron Draplin told me to not move to Portland.
Make a project --> Get noticed --> Show art in DC, LA, NYC, and again in LA.
When Fox News called and Glenn Beck covered our project, which was terrible.
Dinner talks with Bruce Mau, Majora Carter, Michael Bierut, Ann Willoughby.
Willie Nelson wore my T-shirt design while playing a concert in a corn field.
Coworking with weirdos.
I’ll be working on the book design and content over the next year. I’m hoping to have it completed by early to mid 2020. If you’re interested, I’d love to talk more about making this particular project happen.
Sample Spreads
About the Author
Justin Kemerling is an independent designer, activist, and collaborator living in Omaha, Nebraska focused on making it beautiful, moving people to action, and getting good things done.