Harvard Design Magazine 48: America seeks to reflect, breakdown, and redefine those established norms and conditions that define “America”. This is presented through the criticism of the physical manifestation of design, but also through the critique of the invisible hand of political and social policy that shapes the built landscape. With 2020 galvanizing many to question the established orders and attitudes that make up the United States, this issue seeks to continue that dialogue into their Spring Summer 2021 release.

In this reconsideration of existing frameworks, this release features a new look from the Danish graphic design firm Alexis Mark, and a new editorial direction under Julie Cirelli. For her first issue as editorial director, Cirelli seeks to open up a more decentralized editorial model in order to encourage further critical discourse and outreach to the larger community. This includes inviting guest editors Mark Lee and Florencia Rodriguez who seek to reveal and question how design can manifest and perpetuate those often-invisible structural inequalities and racial prejudices. The design and layout of the magazine follow through with the greater intent of the issue by using custom fonts and photography that both guide readers, but also encourages them to respond to the material presented within. 

From these critiques, this issue also attempts to see where America and design can go from this moment in the country's history. Hopefully, the subsequent reactions and dialogues inspired by this release will help to further illuminate these issues and guide us in the right direction.