For over ten years, designers have gathered on a small island in Maine—Vinalhaven—to explore timely and critical topics identified by a smaller group of participants known as "the framers." This annual gathering by the group known as DesignInquiry emerged from a community of engaged graphic designers but has traditionally sought to be interdisciplinary, inviting participants with a range of creative and intellectual pursuits. Each annual edition takes place with rotating slate of framers and participants; the summer meetings, which have occurred on-island and off-, are intended to prompt discussion, thinking, and making in response to a provocative theme.

In 2015, "No Quo" explored quid pro quo and status quo to dive into uneven forms of give and take. As documented in this publication, participants ultimately found No Quo a rich expression, suggesting that instead of doing what is expected, design could be an act of going overboard and producing an excess of what's required... or eliminating the thing all together.

This volume, beautifully produced in a small edition, brings together instructions, exercises, interviews, reflections, and a selection of written and visual responses to the 2015 gathering.

Contributors include Zachary Kaiser, Steve Bowden, Rachele Riley, Peter Evonuk, Molly Renda, Maia Wright, Jonathan Novak, Emily Luce, Christopher Fox, Benjamin Van Dyke, Anita Cooney, Alice Lee, Tricia Treacy, Rebecca Tegtmeyer, Pouya Jahanshahi, Neil Patel, Margo Halverson, Joshua Unikel, Gail Swanlund, Denise Gonzales Crisp, Chalres Melcher, Arzu Ozkal, Amanda Thomas, Adam Taylor, and Peter Hall.

Designed and produced by Denise Gonzales Crisp, Gail Swanlund, Tricia Treacy and Steve Bowden

Published by DesignInquiry, 2015

Softcover, [168 p.], with a screen and letterpress-printed cover, hand-sewn binding with pink thread, 3-color Risograph, 6 × 9 inches

Produced in a limited edition of 40 copies