March 20, 2026
AI vs the graphic designer
The key shift is not that machines can make things. It is that they are beginning to shape the range of choices before you make them.
Before a designer has fully defined the problem, the software is already nudging him toward certain styles, tones, layouts, and visual solutions. That may be efficient. It may even be useful. But it also means the machine is beginning to influence judgment, not just production.
That raises the value of anything that comes from outside that range—whether that is a stubbornly independent design decision, a locally grounded visual language, or a physical artifact that carries context the system does not yet understand.
Protecting that space is not nostalgic. It is increasingly practical.
Chuck
March 17, 2026
What can AI do for an experienced designer?
The future probably does not belong either to pure handcraft or to frictionless AI production. More likely, it belongs to people who can move among many tools and approaches without surrendering the basics of successful design: honesty, clarity, and style.
That is why this thoughtful piece on the craft of sign painting in Richmond, Virginia, feels timely. It is a reminder that tools change, but judgment, skill, and a respect for the work still matter.
Painters bring old-school artistry to modern storefronts…
Chuck
February 23, 2026
Attention font nerds (and designers):
Marcin Wichary—designer, writer, typographer, and Design Architect at Figma—wrote a terrific deep-dive on a workhorse typeface you’ve probably seen without ever noticing.
I love the depth of his interest.
The hardest working font in Manhattan…
Chuck
February 13, 2026
Crate & Barrel’s early catalogs reveal a design system built on white space, classic typography, and disciplined restraint. Here’s a new article looking at how Tom Shortlidge helped establish a product-first visual language that has remained remarkably intact—and why that kind of clarity still feels modern more than half a century later.
The design system that refused to age…
Chuck
February 9, 2026
Here’s some good news: John McWade’s work from Before & After Magazine has found a new home at CreativePro.com.
CreativePro Editor in Chief Mike Rankin explains the rollout here:
The Before & After Collection…
CreativePro has already added roughly 100 Before & After pieces to the site. Some are quick, practical tips that are free to anyone. Others are full articles offered as downloadable PDFs for CreativePro members.
If you were a long-time Before & After reader, you’re probably aware that John McWade left us in 2024. That’s what makes this especially meaningful. I’m grateful to see his work treated as preservation, not nostalgia. John’s teaching was never about a “look” or a tool; it was about seeing, deciding, and communicating. Placing his work where working creatives already spend time is a genuine act of stewardship.
If you’ve never spent time with CreativePro, it’s a solid, working-pro resource—practical, skill-building, and production-aware. Mike Rankin is one of the reasons it stays grounded. He brings decades of publishing, production, and teaching experience to the role, and it shows.
The link below points to my personal remembrance of John and my view on the substantial contribution he and his wife Gaye made to our profession:
John McWade: A Pioneer of Desktop Publishing…
If you only click one link today, browse the new Before & After collection and grab a few of the free tips. In a world full of noise, John still teaches with great clarity.
Be well,
Chuck
Chuck Green is a contributor to numerous magazines and websites, and the author of books published by Random House, Peachpit Press, and Rockport Publishers. All rights reserved. Copyright 2007-2026 Chuck Green. Contact.
Thoughts?