Top Graphic Designs for #BlackLivesMatter & George Floyd Protests
As designers, we’ve always known the power of visuals. An illustration drawn with the right icon, the deliberate use of colors, impactful typefaces…they all help tell a story. The same is even truer for pictures taken from real life. One such picture surfaced on the Internet recently. A cop in LA with his knee on the neck of George Floyd who kept saying that he couldn’t breathe, until he died.
This senseless, brutal, and indifferent killing of Floyd is the latest in the series of hundreds and thousands of Black murders at the hands of police officers. But this killing is different than perhaps all others. It has sparked a sense of such utter and unending rage in Black communities everywhere that America is effectively going through a decisive resolution.
And as always, graphic design and arts have emerged as resounding and powerful allies of the movement. Since almost always, graphic designers have contributed to adding in the voices of the voiceless. Whether it’s the Black Panther propaganda posters or the most recent ‘I Can’t Breathe’ poster created by Greg Bunbury, the history of the fight against racism includes stories of encouragement, representation, and communication through graphic design.
So here is a small tribute from our whole team, in honor of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others who have lost lives at the hands of police brutality and systematic racism. As a graphic design company, we bring to you a selection of designs, arts, and moments from the revolution that Floyd’s murder has sparked. Some of it is healing, some of it challenging, while there may be some that are downright rough. But as socially-focused graphic designer Greg Bunbury puts it, “If I can put three words and make people visibly uncomfortable then I’m doing my job”.
Using Social Media to Populate Messages of Unity and Power
Social media is a thriving place where designers are coming together in support of #BlackLivesMatter. This support has been in the form of opening doors for African American artists as well as designing pieces that share the raw emotion being felt due to what’s happening.
They have created works that challenge us, stir us, inform us, encourage us, and heal us. With graphic design no longer a mere visual communication tool, thanks to social media, these works of art are shaping to help and mobilize a cause.
Igniting the Instagram:
Greg Bunbury:
Bunbury, a London-based designer, first gained widespread fame in 2014 when he designed a creative and simple graphic to honor the brutal killing of Eric Garner who died at the hands of a policeman who had grabbed him in a fatal chokehold with Garner repeatedly pleading ‘I can’t breathe’. He said it 11 times and eventually died.
Bunbury used these powerful and emotional last words, and on a dark red background repeated them 11 times. The last line in the graphic fades in the end, suggesting the end of life.
He recently updated his graphic in honor of George Floyd who also died saying ‘I can’t breathe’.
Such powerful and emotionally raw graphics make you wonder: how many Black people will have to say it before the pressure around their necks and existences is lifted?
Koa.i.la
Hippy Movement
“Use the momentum!”
Coffee Table Coven Magazine
“Talk about racism. Talk about how it is real, how it exists, and how it is the reason behind all this.”
Sole Prints
”Together we can make a change, now is the time to.”
Nanny Kimbo
Dilly Gill
“Allyship is not just a week of sharing and posting on Instagram. It’s a lifetime commitment to educating yourself, understanding criticism, and doing your research and listening.”
Every Two Minutes
“Black trans lives matter.”
Philip Slein
“Trumpism is racism.”
Aisha Branch
“My daddy changed the world!”
Just Don’t Stop!
Image: Behance
From the Ashes We Will Rise
Image: Behance
Face Them Off
Image: Behance
Threaten it Even More!
Image: Behance
MLK vs. Trump
Image: Pinterest
Because Your Race Gives You That Privilege
Image: Pinterest
No Justice? No Peace.
Image: Tumblr
People Can Learn to Love
Image: Dribbble
The Language of Riot
Image: Dribbble
Skin Color is Not a Threat
Image: Dribbble
Add Your Voice:
As a designer, your role is not of a mere drawing artist anymore. This is a time to reflect, become inspired, and express. Let your art and skill become a tool for the allies in this crucial time in history. While the #BlackLivesMatter movement needs to be led by those who have been impacted by the lack of it the most, as a visual artist, it is your responsibility to add your voice to the chants, break the chain of systematic brutality targeting certain races, inspire policy changes, and change America forever.
Reviewed by: Zaheer Dodhia
CEO and Founder LogoDesign.net