I’ve had a lot on my mind about the state of print and digital design. For some time I’ve been playing with a little phrase — something about how you can’t know when you’re dead. Is it a paradox? I don’t know, but it helps me think about the state of print.

There are claims that print is dying. That print is dead. It’s celebrated even. People who make their living working with print are quoting the concept. I find that absurd. But what I like is that no matter what people say, Print will never know it’s dead. It doesn’t get that knowledge.

More than ever it has to rise up. I got in a mood this afternoon, running around the rainy streets of downtown Seattle. The mood sent me towards the library where I sat down and made this an intentionally black-and-white, sparsely-designed PDF that I call MORA #1,¹ without thinking twice. It took about 30 minutes. It’s a little raw. It’s maybe even a little dark.

I should be clear: I am eternally optimistic. Print doesn’t get to die. Long live print. •