Design Observer is a website devoted to a broad range of design topics centered on graphic design, communications arts, print, typography and criticism. The content of the site is composed of short essays and articles. These are organized by category.
Four prominent design writers founded the site in October 2003: Rick Poynor had been the founder and first editor of London-based Eye magazine, in addition to being author of many books; Michael Beirut is a partner in the New York office of Pentagram and is a design critic at Yale School of Art; Jessica Helfand is also a critic at Yale and is author of numerous books; William Drenttel is a designer, critic and partner with Jessica Helfand of Winterhouse Studios in Connecticut.
As of October 2007, contributing writers include: Steven Heller, Adrian Shaughnessy, Dmitri Siegel, Alice Twemlow, Tom Vanderbilt and Lorraine Wild.