7 Non-Binary Designers You Should Know About
For those following along, welcome back to the series of designers you should know about. For those who just came across this blog, hello!
A few months ago, I was asked to name 7 influential designers. After listing off 7 white designers I learned about in a 2017 history book I read in college, I had a harsh reality check of how narrow-minded my view was with the design industry. This series started as a commitment to myself to learn about designers from varying backgrounds and provide a resource to others who are looking to find inspiration outside the Eurocentric textbook’s definition of influential designers.
So get inspired and support these incredible non-binary designers making waves in the creative industry.
If you want to read up more on designers you should know about, here is a list of other blogs in the series so far:
Based in London, Aries Moross is a designer, illustrator and artist. In 2012 they founded Studio Moross and is currently managing the firm as the creative director. They are known for their colorful designs, hand drawn typography, working on music videos and creating stage tour visuals. If that’s not impressive enough, in 2007 they even launched an independent record label called Isomorph Records. In an interview with It’s Nice That, Moross states“I’m interested in a world from that perspective: looking at design and design interaction through the eyes of different genders.
Al Sandimirova is an trans indigenous refugee and activist who is shaping the way society views jewelry. Sandimirova is a jewelry designer and the founder/CEO of Automic Gold. Automic Gold was launched in 2017 and prioritizes positive body image by not photoshopping models, in addition to hiring size-inclusive, non-cis and non-white models year round(not just for awareness months). Sandimirova states“When I created this brand, it’s not for men, it’s not for women, it’s just for everyone. You don’t need a category.”
Poppy Marriot (aka, Poppy the Witch) is a graphic designer and photographer based in Norwich, United Kingdom. Marriot is focused on documenting non-gender-confirming and queer communities in the art world. They have an impressive client list that includes Getty, Sony, Dr. Martens, and Refinery 29 to name a few! Their bright, dreamy photography and grungy, textured designs are one of a kind. Poppy sells some of their work on their Etsy page that you can find here.
You may have heard of Daniel Quasar before, if not you have definitely seen their work. Daniel is the designer behind the Progress Pride Flag, that is a more LBGTQ+ inclusive variation to the rainbow pride flag. Residing in Portland, Quasar specializes in graphic design, film + video, motion graphics, animation, digital illustration, photography and even an electronic music maker. In an interview with Creative Boom, Qusar says, "Through my design work, I always strive to include a message. No design is complete without its message, as it is an integral part of the process. What do my designs say? How do they make me feel? What discourse arises from within the viewer?”
Jinkx Monsoon's Tour Intro
Daniel Quasar - transmit
Zanele Muholi is a visual activist and photographer based in South Africa. Muholi’s work is centered around tellings stories of Black LGBTQIA+ lives on a local and global scale. They are known for their high-contrast black and white portraiture on gelatin silver prints. In addition to photography, Zanele paints portraits with acrylics. They have been featured in exhibitions across the world, including the Tate Modern in London, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Fotografiska in Stockholm, and a noteworthy list of others. In Zanele’s artist bio, it is stated that they are focused on challenging the country's accepted rhetoric that homosexuality is un-African.
A Finnish fashion designer, Ella Boucht created their London-based fashion label back in 2020.
Boucht says “[I see] clothes as a gateway to a world where femininity is not determined by the male gaze, where queer masculinity is free from the toxic heritage of the patriarchy, and where gender is endlessly fluid and shapeshifting.”
Based in Guatemala, Jonathan Yoc is a designer, illustrator and photographer. They founded the creative agency, Brutal&Co., in 2018 and have since been leading the studio as the creative director. Yoc’s work is community-centric while igniting conversations about inclusivity and acceptance in Latin America.