Martha Stewart's Graphic Design for Living

Authors

Melanie McNaughton, Bridgewater State UniversityFollow

Abstract

A living brand or a force of darkness, Martha Stewart is an indomitable figure in 20thcentury domestic life and her place in North American domestic history is tied to the success of Martha Stewart Living, the flagship publication of the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) empire. The success of Living is tied to its graphic design. Living typographically enacts the values it argues for by fusing traditional elements with modern edges to present a vision of homemaking that is soft and appealing yet also a statement of skilled precision and quality. Tacking between broad, more theoretical analysis and close textual analysis of specific MSLO texts, this project thus collectively ties theory on design to particular practices of design.

Note on the Author

Melanie McNaughton is Assistant Professor of Communication Studies.

Recommended Citation

McNaughton, Melanie (2010). Martha Stewart's Graphic Design for Living. Bridgewater Review, 29(2), 19-23.
Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/br_rev/vol29/iss2/9