Maud Lavin approaches design from the broader field of visual culture criticism, asking challenging questions about about who really has a voice in the culture and what unseen influences affect the look of things designers produce.
Maud Lavin was my professor at SAIC and her classes were among my favorite. She was writing this thought-provoking book at the time and generously included me in the acknowledgements. A must read for those interested in visual culture and the graphic designer's role in shaping it.