Aggie Toppins

Aggie Toppins is a graphic designer, collagist, and writer who explores where graphics come from, what they do, and how they change over time.

Her first book, “Thinking Through Graphic Design History: Challenging the Canon,” (Bloomsbury, 2025) surveys the terrain where historical research and visual communication meet. The project challenges traditional understandings of graphic design history, offering ways for designers to shape socially engaged, critical practices. Toppins has written for leading design journals including Design and Culture, Design Issues, Journal of Illustration, and Eye. She has contributed to several books, including “Guiding Principles for Inclusive Design Values,” edited by Anne H. Berry, Meaghan Dee, and Rebecca Tegtmeyer (2026); “Feminist Designer,” edited by Alison Place (2023); and “Baseline Shift: Untold Stories of Women in Graphic Design History,” edited by Briar Levit (2021).

Toppins’ studio work has been recognized with numerous national design awards as well as solo and group exhibitions. She designs publications and exhibitions, while maintaining a collage practice grounded in archival research. Toppins collaborates with Shreyas R Krishnan to curate and maintain the TL;DR Zine Archive, a collection of zines that make critical inquiries in graphic design and illustration held in WashU Special Collections.

An award-winning educator, Toppins teaches courses in communication design. She served as chair of undergraduate design at WashU’s Sam Fox School from 2020 to 2025. Toppins earned a Bachelor of Science in graphic design from the University of Cincinnati in 2003 and a Master of Fine Arts in graphic design from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2012.