Authors

Philip B. Meggs

Authored the first edition of A History of Graphic Design in 1983 and two subsequent editions before his death in 2002. A pioneer in the field, he was a designer, educator and author of more than a dozen books and 150 articles and papers on design and typography.

In the 1970's Phil received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for a series of traveling lectures which later became the core of A History of Graphic Design. In a 1983 New York Times review, the book is described as “a significant attempt at a comprehensive history of graphic design. It will be an eye-opener not only for general readers, but for designers who have been unaware of their legacy.”

Alston W. Purvis

Authored the fourth, fifth and sixth editions of Meggs' History of Graphic Design. He is Professor Emeritus of Graphic Design at Boston University, College of Fine Arts and author of numerous books on graphic design history specializing in Dutch and European design and typography.

Sandra Maxa and Mark Sanders

Authored and designed the seventh edition of Meggs' History of Graphic Design. Sandra is the director of the Graphic Design Master of Arts program at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) where she teaches design theory, process and typography. Additionally, she develops collaborative studio projects with artists, illustrators and community partners. Her research investigates the connection between archives, narrative and culture.

Mark has taught typography, systems, and interaction design with research focused on reinventing typographic and digital frameworks to address the expanding roles and mediums of design. He is particularly interested in exploring interaction design as a folk art pursuit, expressing cultural identity by conveying shared community values and aesthetics through digital interface, architecture, and experience.

Mark and Sandra are partners at the multi-disciplinary studio Q Collective and produce work that reflects a deep interest in identity, interactivity, history, play and visual culture.

Previously, they revised and designed two editions of Typographic Design: Form and Communication which was originally authored by Phil Meggs with Rob Carter and Ben Day and first published in 1993.