Our South Region Associate Rep Terrence Moline was featured this month in Voyage Austin. The publication seeks to spotlight “hidden gems,” and we couldn’t agree more that Moline meets that description. As the founder of African American Graphic Designers (AAGD), he brings needed perspective and knowledge to the Graphic Artists Guild’s community. We were delighted to see him recognized in his home city.

The article in Voyage Austin, “Meet Terrence Moline of AAGD.co,” covers Moline’s journey to create AAGD and the unique mission of the organization. AAGD is the manifestation of a vision Moline had as a college student in the 1990s when he recognized that a safe space for African American designers did not exist in the White-male dominated design world. The organization was founded as a resource and a community connecting Black and African American designers. Eventually, as the skills and talent of the community became known, AAGD developed into an agency working collectively on projects such as the NAACP.

The evolution of AAGD was fraught – as he was building the organization, Moline had to evacuate from his home in New Orleans, losing everything. But that experience seems to have added to the organization’s ethos of community and service.  It’s a commitment that is carried through in the execution of the projects the AAGD designers work on. As Moline notes: “We listen. We paraphrase. We collaborate. We’re never adamant about our way. We want to work together with you in the most equitable manner for both parties.”

To read the full interview of Terrence Moline, visit Voyage Austin’s article. You can read more about AAGD on their website and support the organization through  Patreon. For links to great resources and articles, follow AAGD on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Featured photograph © Andre Larrow. Illustration © Chuck Scott. Images used with permission.