THE RACIAL POLITICS OF GRAPHIC DESIGN: A TRANSVERSALIST APPROACH TO ANTI-RACIST LITERACY

Abstract

Historically, racism has been conceptualized primarily as overt discrimination, with recognition of more implicit forms—such as unconscious bias and microaggressions—emerging in recent decades. However, present within the social fabric is a more invisible, or rather “un-visible,” variety: a banal form marked by gross abundance, occupying both commercial and public spaces, subsequently entering our homes, stocking our refrigerators, and lining our shelves. Taking a cue from Ruben Pater’s The Politics of Design, this paper examines how racism is produced and reproduced through packaging and labelling design in food products. The study employs a qualitative, mixed-methods approach that combines autoethnography and purposive sampling, followed by a comprehensive visual analysis informed by racial and ethnic studies. Samples include Pride of Arabia 100% Arabica Whole Bean Coffee, Wong Wing Fried Rice, and Golden Temple Atta No. 1 Fine Durum Atta Flour. Developing an analytical and theoretical approach that supports the identification of racialization, racist typologies are situated within graphic design. Themes derived from the analysis include orientalism, self-orientalism, and cultural appropriation, among others. Adopting an anti-racist framework, this thesis positions transversalism as a more robust modality for decolonial praxis in graphic design.