When Cheryl D. Miller speaks about the history of graphic design, she doesn’t begin with what’s included — she begins with what’s missing.

For decades, the field has been shaped by a familiar narrative, one that centers a small group of widely recognized designers. It’s a version of history that’s taught in classrooms across the country, often repeated without question. But for Miller, that story has never felt complete.

A pioneering designer and author of Here: Where the Black Designers Are, Miller has spent her career challenging that narrative, both through her professional work and her scholarship. Her book blends memoir and history, placing her own experiences alongside the evolution of the design industry and revealing the gaps that have long existed in how the field is documented. She recently shared her insight as the Department of Design Green Honors Chair.

“My story is unseen, unrecognized and you don’t know it — but everything I’m going to show you is part of that history,” she said.

That reframing is central to Miller’s work. Rather than rejecting traditional design history, she situates her contributions within it, demonstrating that the story has always been broader than what’s typically taught. Her career spans decades of work in corporate communications, publishing and advocacy — experiences that, until recently, were rarely reflected in mainstream design narratives.

For Miller, expanding that narrative is not just about recognition, it’s about responsibility.

“My form of resistance and advocacy is to create scholarship from the oral tradition,” she said.

Long before conversations about equity and inclusion became more visible, Miller was documenting her work, writing and building a body of research that continues to inform the field today. Her early thesis work, which examined barriers facing Black designers, has become foundational in discussions of design equity.

“You can’t write the story of design equity and inclusion without starting with my thesis,” she said.

That legacy continues to resonate with students and educators alike, particularly as design disciplines evolve alongside new technologies and cultural shifts. By connecting past and present, Miller invites audiences to reconsider not only what they’ve learned, but how they’ve learned it.