Before Design was Digital // Analog Processes in Graphic Design

Workshop overview Cost: $55 before March 31 ; $65 after March 31 Ages 18+, limited to 20 participants Analog production methods shaped graphic design for generations, influencing both aesthetics and workflow. This workshop begins with an examination of analog graphic design production, drawing from Briar Levit’s research and her documentary Graphic Means: A History of Graphic Design Production. Participants will explore how mid-century through late twentieth-century processes influenced layout, design, and visual communication. Participants will then engage in a hands-on exploration of these methods, using copy galleys, Letraset, grids, and other analog materials to build a print layout. Briar Levit (PSU Professor of Graphic Design) and Michael Ellsworth (design studio Civilization’s Creative Director and Designer) will guide the process, emphasizing composition, typography, and material awareness. No experience is required. Participants will leave with a completed layout and a practical understanding of analog graphic design techniques. Why join? Ideal for designers, artists, and creatives drawn to print, process, and material-based making, this workshop offers a focused introduction to the craft and discipline of analog graphic design. Join us for a companion screening event at PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater for the film Graphic Means: A History of Graphic Design Production, April 9, 2026 at 7 p.m. A panel discussion with Briar Levit & Michael Ellsworth will follow the film.  register for before design was digital About the teaching artists Briar Levit is a professor of graphic design at Portland State University in Oregon, USA. Levit’s feature-length documentary, Graphic Means: A History of Graphic Design Production, tells the story of how production technologies and workflows informed graphic design from the analog mid-century to the Digital Revolution at the end of the 20th century. She edited Baseline Shift: Untold Stories of W

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