Pushing for plurality: imperfect index is deconstructing the outdated graphic design canon

It’s always refreshing to see discussion surrounding graphic design that doesn’t live and die by the disciplines’ – let’s face it – very outdated canon. It’s even more restorative when that research doesn’t claim to be completely watertight or have an authority on things, and instead, presents itself to be an ever-changing amalgamation of insights and opinions with room for tweaks and new turns.

imperfect index, edited by Abbie Vickress and Laura Parke is exactly that: A publication and small talks series that looks at dismantling graphic designs “discriminatory past and present” to work towards creating diverse and inclusive futures in the field – a project that is far from finished, it’s open ended and candidly still in-progress. “The very first thing we tell you about this project is that it’s imperfect”, Abbie tells us, “and this is intentional as to not claim a position of power and complete-ness.” Something she says might seem “somewhat insignificant”, unless, of course, we find a copy of the publication “on a bookshelf next to something that does claim a position of authority”.

Both designers and educators themselves, the project started in September of 2023 when Abbie and Laura organised their first live event in Bristol – a series of talks centered around reimagining and questioning contemporary graphic design practices with a line up of designers, writers and educators working hard to diversify design education and the industry. Following the success of the event the pair put out an open call for their first edition of imperfect index in print last year: a crowd-sourced collaboration with each chapter based on the subjects touched on in the talks.

Published by Sold Out Publishing, the first edition of the index shared a collection of contributions that voice “urgent approaches” to diversify design, platforming voices from “a wide range of lived experiences and specialisms”. Among the index’s amalgamation of projects and essays, topics such as: non-Western scripts, the negative effects of normativity, the Black experience in design, cultural code-switching, intersectional design, and access to design education were all intersected and explored.

In line with its content, the design of the publication creates an index that is completely unhierarchical, turning traditional templates on their head. “Firstly, the indexes are at the front of the publication, as opposed to the back”, says Laura, “secondly there are multiple indexes – people, projects, texts, themes and as mentioned, images – another design decision to invite more people into this reference document.” To make it more inclusive to those for whom English isn’t their first language, the book also makes use of a picture index, to navigate its content “with visual cues, not just textual ones”.

“The chapters are disrupted by ‘see also’ sections at the end of each contribution, enabling you to jump around the publication in a non-linear way. So, although those classifications exist in the books contents page, they are entangled and overlapping to highlight how trivial an organisation/navigation system can be”, adds Abbie. The pair also found a few ways to hammer out hierarchy in some of the publications finer details like their use of Softie Softie designed by Bianca Seidel for their body copy: an “undisciplined, unholy and imperfect” font that offers multiple alternatives for each letter, allowing users to create random amalgamations of its letterforms in each word.

A lot of time spent designing the vessel for imperfect index was actually about “letting go of control or influence”, says Laura, to create a space for readers to roam free – “something we are not always encouraged to do in graphic design or design more broadly”, she says. Not only about navigation, the book’s disorderly design aims to become “a space for complexity, contradictions and possibilities. Just like it’s content, the publications structure is a physical nod to the idea that “there’s not one single answer challenging dominant design ideologies,” ends Abbie.

imperfect index is available at Sold Out and stocked at various books shops such as Antenne Books, Good press, Mag Culture and more. The pair will be launching issue 2 of the index in September of this year, followed by a third open call out for contributors to the projects next issue and their third small talks event, so keep an eye on what’s to come!