Contribute Your Story

General Submission Information

Design History Dossier is a quarterly publication dedicated to exploring innovative approaches to teaching graphic design history, with a focus on marginalized voices and underrepresented narratives. We welcome submissions from students and instructors that align with our mission to broaden the understanding of graphic design’s overlooked, forgotten, and ignored histories.

Deadlines

Design History Dossier is published twice a year. 

For Fall publication, submit by May 15th. 

For Spring publication, submit by September 15th.

Review Process

All submissions undergo editorial board review. Authors will be notified of decisions within 2–4 weeks.

Copyright

Authors retain the copyright of their work, including images, but grant Design History Dossier publication rights.

Student Work Submissions

We encourage students to submit their original research, projects, or essays exploring diverse graphic design history perspectives.

Guidelines

Content: Submit work that challenges the Eurocentric focus of design history or highlights underrepresented narratives.

Format: Research papers, essays, case studies, or creative projects (with accompanying explanations).

Length: 1,500–3,000 words for written submissions. For creative projects, include a 500–1,000 word project description.

Images:Include relevant images, properly credited and with permissions secured.

References: Use Chicago Manual of Style for citations.

Submission Format:‍ ‍Send as a PDF or Word document to wacker@csus.edu.

Author Information:‍ ‍Include your name, institution, year of study, and a brief bio (100 words max).


Instructor Submissions

Instructors can submit in two categories: student activity ideas and examples of completed student work.

Student Activity Ideas

Share innovative teaching methods or assignments that encourage students to explore diverse perspectives in design history.

Guidelines

Content: Describe the activity, its objectives, and how it broadens the understanding of design history.

Format:Structured lesson plan or detailed activity description.

Length: 1,000–2,000 words.

Materials:‍ ‍Include any necessary worksheets, prompts, or resources.

Outcomes: Describe expected learning outcomes and assessment methods.

Submission Format: Send as a PDF or Word document to wacker@csus.edu

Completed Student Work

Submit exemplary student projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to studying design history.

Guidelines

Content: Include the original assignment prompt and the completed student work.

Format: Provide context for the work and your analysis of its significance (500-1,000 words).

Student Permission: Obtain and include written permission from the student to publish their work.

Images: Include high-quality images of the student’s work, if applicable.

Submission Format: Send as a PDF to ewacker@csus.edu

For any questions regarding submissions, please contact wacker@csus.edu.