Magazine writing brings me inside studios and agencies. It introduces me to new people and ideas. A well-told story brings thousands of readers inside, too.
Communication Arts
76 features and columns since 1991, including profiles of design firms, ad agencies (including Johannes Leonardo), photographers, and illustrators. Book reviews and essays on topics ranging from greenwashing to the design of cannabis packaging. I’m most proud of being assigned “C.A. @ 60 — Looking Back, Looking Forward” published in the anniversary issue, No. 427 in 2019. Read up to five articles without a subscription:
Column: The Future of Design Organizations
Among the topics I was passionate about and pitched to C.A. were a deep dive into United Airlines’ “Time to Fly” campaign that featured fascinating illustrations by a range of artists; a visit to the Chinese Olympic Design Team in Beijing in action one year before the Games; and a roundup of the design firms doing the work that made Target Stores the big-box discount chain that could truly claim “Design for All” as a slogan.
ETAPES
(France)
Articles on Stefan Sagmeister’s exhibition at Deitch Projects; MAD, the Museum of Arts and Design; and a column on design happenings in New York.
CRITIQUE
If only this beautiful magazine could have managed to stay alive!
I had the pleasure of writing four features, two of which were tongue-in-cheek looks at the frustrations and pleasures of working and living in New York City, with studio tours.
“You’re a genius! You’ve done it again—[the article is] packed with color and detail and crammed with charm. I love it!”
Marty Neumeier
Editor and Founder
Critique
“Ellen is a joy to work with, always delivers on expectations and has a unique perspective on her subjects.”
Nancy Bernard
Managing Editor
Critique
HOW
Another worthwhile magazine that didn’t survive beyond 2017. My articles included profiles of Timothy Goodman, Louise Fili, and Mauro Porcini; and close-ups of design firms in Singapore and in Philadelphia, USA.
The demise of Print Magazine hurt the most. It was the most venerable and serious of design magazines. I became a contributing editor, with 36 articles over 22 years, many on quirky topics pitched by me: from Mumbai taxi art to NY tattoo art; from illustrations in Chinese pictorial dictionaries to bare feet in advertising. My last article, in 2013, “Has Digital Devalued Photography?” was assigned by the editors, who were probably and rightfully worried that the parent company was going to declare bankruptcy, leaving all of us unpaid.
Print came back in 2019 as printmag.com. The assets had been acquired by a small group of industry veterans including Debbie Millman and Steve Heller, “committed to offering the design industry a hub for inspiration, education and community, while remaining committed to Print’s original mission of commenting on, critiquing, discussing and documenting the work, thinking and business of design.”
I’m honored to be able to continue writing for them — 151 articles posted to date.
BLUEPRINT
(UK)
I was especially keen to have been invited to review the “Mixing Messages” graphic design exhibition at New York’s Cooper-Hewitt Museum.
I’ve also written for The AIGA Journal, Graphis, I.D., Garden Design, The Forward, U&lc, the International Journal of Typography, and In Situ (Icograda magazine).
Dear Editors: Thank you for these appreciations:
“Ellen is a consummate professional. She’s an excellent writer and great thinker who brings a breadth of experience to her work. I assigned her many complex articles over the years I was managing editor of CA, and she always delivered above and beyond my expectations.”
Anne Telford
Editor-at-Large
Communication Arts
“Thanks for a fantastic (p)review!”
Michelle Ogundehin
Senior Editor
Blueprint
“Ellen brings an inquisitive nature and a considered opinion to her role as design journalist. I’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with her in various parts of the world and always look forward to the insights she expresses regarding design, communication and visual culture.”
Robert L. Peters (1954-2023)
Past President
International Council of Graphic Design Associations (Icograda, now Ico–D)
“I’ve always admired Ellen’s writing style—fluid, friendly, and down-to-earth. Within two sentences you’re no longer reading, but listening to a trusted colleague telling a fascinating story. It’s the difference between writing and merely publishing. Very few writers have Ellen’s knack of instant intimacy.”
Marty Neumeier
Director of CEO Branding
Liquid Agency