This comment, connected to our 2025 People To Watch and Students To Watch editorial features first appeared in the February 2025 print and digital magazines. Gordon Kaye has been editor and publisher of GDUSA (Graphic Design USA) for more than three decades. He is a graduate of Hamilton College, Princeton University’s SPIA, and Columbia Law School. He is shown here with Website Editor Sasha Kaye-Walsh, herself a Hamilton College graduate with an MFA from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts.
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“Humans bring empathy, intuition, taste, and cultural understanding to the design process …
These qualities require human insight, which no algorithm can replicate.”
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This piercing insight from self-described “seasoned” creative leader Wade Devers summarizes beautifully and comprehensively the message of our 2025 ‘People To Watch’ honorees. Only because we are not allowed to leave the rest of the page blank — and because we will be cancelled by the ‘Club for Editorial Cliches’ if we do not mention AI at least once — we continue.
Every year for six decades our first print edition has highlighting members of the creative community who have something important to say and back up their words with deeds — talent, skill, achievement, leadership, service, newsworthiness.
It is necessarily a subjective selection, and we acknowledge the limitations upfront. But we think you will agree that this group is worthy of those who have come before. You can peruse our entire 62-year roster of legends, near-legends and one hit wonders on our website.
An Elevated Role
While we urge you to read each unique piece, here is the TL;DR.
First, our cohort are optimistic about the present and future of the graphic design discipline because designers have a clear and transcendent reason-to-be in 2025: to add value for business and society by identifying and communicating the essence and truth of an organization, brand, product, service, idea or cause with grace and impact.
Second, they collectively believe that graphic designers are poised for an elevated role, with an unprecedented potential to enhance and shape commerce, culture and causes, and to do so in a way that is authentic, transparent and serves the value of human connection and empathy.
Third, most of the participants recognize that their talents and skills are exquisitely suited to “designing for good” — as they see it — and they are allocating increasing amounts of their vast energies to addressing culturally and politically relevant matters for themselves or on behalf of clients.
Fourth, AI is real, it is here, it presents opportunity and risk, inspires excitement as well as fear. Like other disruptive technologies that have arrived over the past 60 years — from Letraset and DuoStat to UX and UI — our group believes that most designers will survive and thrive, and some may not. (Cliché Club requirement fulfilled!)
Finally, these thought leaders have ample advice for the next generation: focus on creativity, ideas, collaboration, understanding and joy. Technologies and techniques are important, yes, but relishing the fundamentals and the mission of design is the key to success and satisfaction.
Embracing The ‘Soft Skills’
Many of the same themes noted above resonate with our 2025 Students To Watch. This selection of graduate, undergraduate and continuing education students is an annual feature that we prepare with the help and guidance of many leading design schools and programs.
In the recent past, participating students have been enamored with new technologies and techniques; self-assured, maybe cocky, about making an immediate impact on the creative profession; and outspoken about using their design skills to advance social justice.
Although these important themes appear in our interviews this year as well, the main takeaway this time around reflects a gentler tone:
These students are embracing the importance of so-called “soft skills” — collaboration, communication, cooperation, presentation — with the goal of being more engaged, empathetic and expressive designers. And, not incidentally, more desirable job candidates with more meaningful portfolios. Moreover, they universally praise their design schools, teachers, mentors and classmates for encouraging a balanced learning environment and a value-driven education.
In short, these rising stars are as hopeful and positive as their predecessors, but perhaps a bit less edgy and a bit more modest as they get ready to take their place in great and venerable profession.
That is our take — but please read on and see if you agree.
GDK/SKW
