Since 1975, the international design firm Pentagram has produced a series of signature documents, known as Pentagram Papers, exclusively for clients and colleagues. Each paper explores a different and curious topic that, at one time or another, has caught the interest or sparked the imagination of the Pentagram partners. From the iconic to the obscure, the topics illustrate a huge variety of influences: Chairman Mao buttons, the Savoy lights, mailboxes of rural Australia, and the pop architecture of Wildwood, N.J., have all been featured subjects.

For Pentagram Papers 39, Austin partner DJ Stout wanted to shed light on the universal and growing problem of homelessness. “Signs” features a selection of homeless signs from the personal collection of legendary Texas musician Joe Ely, photographed by Randal Ford, and a series of large-format portraits of homeless people by Michael O’Brien. The photographs paired with a personal essay by Ely, recounting his own homeless experience, reveal a gripping and uncomfortable truth. For the launch of the book, Pentagram organized an event that raised $5,000 to feed the homeless.

Intimate and powerful.