On 
Zines Zines give graphic designers a hand on culture. They offer a sense of anonymity, allowing the designer’s message to circulate freely. They are a small scale, accessible, and easy low-cost distribution method that circumvents censorship.

Designers, as the voices in the process have a critical role in the communication and spread of this culture. They shape organized interests and respond to changes in economic, political, or religious conditions that affect society. Those who create zines become, by definition and process, graphic designers that are important to shaping the cultures and ideas they are contributing to.



This year-long project entailed a detailed investigation into zines, their uses, and their impact on the larger world. It features a series of 7 zines, an online, open and collective archive, and a zine-making workshop that was held with 110 eighth-grade science students at a middle school.  It culminated in it’s display at the 2025 Pratt Shows at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY.








Archive on Zines
An online, open, and collective sourced archive and catalogue of zines. Contributors can send in documentation of their zines to participate. These files will then be posted to the archive in an effort to make sharing zines more accessible. 

Stickers and risograph posters were put up throughout New York City to promote participation in the archive.  





Zine Making Workshop

Eighth-grade students spent a week making magic zines. They made editions of 5, then traded them with their classmates. 

Hosted by Natalie Dziadzio at Warner Middle School in Farmington, Michigan

March 17th - 
March 21st, 2025