2021 AIGA Medalist: Cheryl D. Miller

In the late 1990s, Miller placed her business on hiatus to focus on parenting, which led to new opportunities, including teaching, preaching, and focusing on fine art. And while she has never ceased to be a designer, her most profound impact these last two decades has been as a mentor and cultural critic. “Cheryl is the industry mentor I never imagined I'd have,” says Kaleena Sales, the chair and assistant professor of Tennessee State University’s graphic design department. “I'm motivated by her robust research, writing, and genuine desire to make a positive impact in this industry. Mostly, I'm inspired by her honesty. She is a trailblazer, and someone who is undoubtedly paving the way for the next generation to follow.” 

Since the beginning of her career, Miller built and maintained a comprehensive archive of the work she created under Cheryl D. Miller Design Inc. In 2018, Stanford Libraries acquired the extensive archive of her personal and professional work for The Cheryl D. Miller Collection at Stanford University. Currently, Miller is working with Stanford Libraries and various design colleagues to curate the open source database The History of Black Graphic Design in North America.
 
Miller’s design work can be read in the context of graphic design history, but is best understood in the context of broader sociopolitical dynamics. She often encourages people to look at the timeline of history to engage in a more honest discourse around how the graphic design industry intersects with the social movements of each era. Miller believes it’s intersections, collisions, and often negations that inform the narrative of the graphic design industry. “Cheryl's work and her viewpoints have had an immense impact not just on how I think about Revision Path, but also in how I can continue the conversation about the presence of Black designers in this industry,” says Maurice Cherry, creator of the podcast Revision Path. “We should all be thankful not just for her recollections of the past, but also for the wisdom she imparts about where we should go for the future.”

Miller continues to write, teach, and build an archive of Black design history. Following her groundbreaking graduate thesis, she wrote the 1990 essay “Embracing Cultural Diversity in Design.” In 2013, she published her memoir, Black Coral: A Daughter’s Apology to her Asian Island Mother. In 2016, she updated her original Print article with the piece, “Black Designers: Still Missing in Action?” and continued the narrative in 2020 with “Black Designers: Forward In Action,” which explores the history of the Black designer and showcases the considerable cadre of Black designers across the United States. 

In February 2021, Miller was awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters from Vermont College of Fine Arts. And in recent years, Miller has held positions as designer in residence, and is currently a distinguished senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin School of Design and Creative Technologies; Doty Fellowship recipient. She has been an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University and is a Maryland Institute College of Art 2021 William O. Steinmetz designer in residence. She was an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University’s College of Art and Design and is currently an adjunct professor at Howard University.

As Miller continues her dedication to decolonizing graphic design pedagogies and practices, a new generation of Black and BIPOC graphic designers are bringing their voices to bear, many of whom claim Miller as their guide. When asked about her legacy, Miller joyfully states that it comes down to a mantra she’s lived since the early days of her career: “Success is when opportunity meets the prepared.” Miller continues to define success by advocating, teaching, and sharing stories of graphic design history while leading a path forward for diversity and inclusion.