Process Music: Songs, Stories and Studies of Graphic Culture

Essays on print-media culture from Paul Rand to Barney Bubbles by a leading American design thinker

In Process Music, Virginia-based author Kenneth FitzGerald provides deep readings of print-media artifacts and activities, often through the lens of music. Employing a range of narrative voices, the works combine academic rigor with the accessibility of popular forms such as music journalism. FitzGerald's new book compiles over 40 of his pieces from the last decade--many of which are now inaccessible or behind a paywall--with reprinted works first appearing in outlets such as Emigre, Eye, Print, Idea, Modes of Criticism, Design Observer, Speak Up and Voice: AIGA Journal of Graphic Design. Divided into four thematic sections and a coda, Process Music considers a variety of influential figures working in design and music, including Barney Bubbles, Paul Rand, William Addison Dwiggins and Jacqueline Casey. A prelude composed by AIGA Design medalist and Design Matters host Debbie Millman also features.