Scratching the Surface 34. Ellen Lupton
Jun 28, 2017
Ellen Lupton, co-director of MICA's MFA graphic design program and Senior Curator of Contemporary Design at Cooper Hewitt, shares her journey from art student to influential designer and author. She discusses evolving her writing to be more accessible for emerging designers and dives into the intersection of teaching, curating, and writing. Ellen highlights the need for design discourse to address social issues, emphasizes the importance of experience in design, and names influential thinkers who inspire her work. A captivating blend of theory and practice!
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
How Typography Found Her
- Ellen Lupton discovered design at Cooper Union after intending to be an artist.
- Typography connected writing and visual art and let her claim the literary world she grew up around.
Clarity Over Obscurity
- Lupton learned academic writing but made clarity a core value to reach a broader audience.
- She intentionally moved from obscure critical style toward direct, accessible prose.
Write For The Right Reader
- Write for the actual user: many of Lupton's books target emerging designers and students.
- Tailor tone and depth to audience rather than assuming a single universal reader.
