Resources for graphic designers who want to learn about critical issues in design. If you have a resource you think we should add, drop us a line.

General

Our FAQ page!

Social Good

  1. Futuress — A queer intersectional feminist platform where feminism, design, and politics intersect.

  2. Eye on Design — A broad graphic design platform with a heavy emphasis on social issues.

  3. BIPOC Design History — Online courses about rarely-discussed design history. See also: Decolonizing Design Reader.

  4. Where are the Black Designers? — The central hub serving black designers and allies. Known for the annual conference.

  5. Queer Design Club — A community celebrating queer contributions to the design industry and visual culture. Check out their annual summit.

Sustainability

  1. Re-nourish — A nonprofit organization that provides tools (like their project calculator, which we use for every print project) and information about sustainable systems thinking. They’ve also written an excellent sustainable design primer.

  2. Sustainable Packaging Coalition — A membership-based, industry-focused organization dedicated to making packaging more sustainable at scale.

  3. Environmental Paper Network — An organization working to change the paper industry for the better, their most significant contribution is their Paper Calculator which, backed by extensive research, helps calculate metrics (i.e., an impact report) when using eco papers.

  4. Waste Not / Goods Index / SPSG — Three databases of sustainable materials ranging from paper stocks to packaging substrates.

  5. Climate Designers — A network of designers committed to using their creative skills for climate action. Also check out their resource page.

  6. Website Carbon Calculator / Beacon / Ecograder — Tools for web designers to assess the carbon impact of a site. For low-impact inspiration, visit Lowwwcarbon.

Contact

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The Office of
Ordinary Things

The Office of Ordinary Things is located on the unceded lands of the Yelamu people. Read our Land Acknowledgement →

© 2010–24 All rights reserved. All of them.

San Francisco, California

FYI

Cast Iron Design is now The Office of Ordinary Things. We relocated from Boulder to San Francisco, but otherwise we’re pretty much the same people doing the same things, just a bit more hardcore.