Special section editorial

This special thematic issue of Image & Text focuses on storytelling and how selective aspects manifest in the domain of communication design. It is noteworthy that this particular special issue has arisen as a result of the landmark Stories Worth Telling retrospective exhibition1 curated by the Information Design division of the University of Pretoria's School of the Arts in June of 2023 at the Javett-UP Student Gallery, showcasing 218 book designs by final year Information Design students. Following the exhibition, this special edition of Image & Text invited scholars, educators, writers, design practitioners, curators, and critics alike to submit articles specifically on the art of storytelling through an image/text interplay that dances upon the editorial stage or other spaces. In this editorial, we highlight eight original peer-reviewed research contributions that offer unique perspectives on the role of storytelling in design, design education, and illustration as depicted in a multitude of media that run the gamut from poster design to creative writing, picture books, postcards, comics, wayfinding, and place naming. Moreover, we also provide an overview of academic contributions that discuss aspects related directly to the exhibition itself, an exhibition review, and a book review that comments on the importance of writing as a directorial storytelling tool.