Milton Glaser: Lessons Learned

Milton Glaser was so many things—graphic designer, illustrator, author, Push Pin Studio co-founder, New York Magazine co-founder, SVA faculty emeritus, National Medal of the Arts recipient, renowned lunch aficionado, and funnyman extraordinaire, to name just a few. And yet, his greatest legacy may arguably be his perpetual role as benevolent teacher. We don’t just mean his 60 years in the classrooms of SVA... although those count for a lot. But we’re talking about the countless portfolio reviews he gave (formal and informal), the multitude of interview hours he contributed to the collective design conversation, the shelves of books he authored and contributed to, the many lecture and discussion panel stages he sat on, and—above all—the downright masterclass in graphic design that is his thick portfolio. Ok, let’s just say it: Milton Glaser might be the most influential graphic designer in history. So scroll down and start exploring the long shadow of this design legend.

Words by Jeffrey Kurtz & Design by Jeremiah McNair

ilton Glaser forged a seven-decade career in graphic design. That fact alone should reserve a chapter for him in the annals of design history. But Glaser didn’t just sit around. He created countless iconic designs you know and love, including a few you recognize but might not realize come from his portfolio. He perfected a timeless formula of playful experimentation and unflappable giving-a-damn-ness.

Use Color with Purpose

Lesson 1

Distill Your Concept

An enduring symbol of the quintessential American city, and a revised version for the moment it was challenged the most. For the world, Glaser’s designs are as evocative of New York as the Empire State Building or a yellow taxi. For designers, they remind us that a crystal clear concept can transcend usual criticism.

Logic is not as powerful as intuition.

Take a Leap

Certainty is a closing of the mind. To create something new you must have doubt.

The design brief for this project told Glaser to create a logo evoking the long defunct Brooklyn Eagle newspaper. (The original name was Brooklyn Eagle Beer.) Milton famously told them to, “forget the bird” and instead delivered an identity warmly reminiscent of Brooklyn’s long-lost Dodgers. We can all agree, baseball and beer go together better than newspapers and beer. This identity is a reminder that making time to understand your audience is a valuable investment of your time. PS: Speaking of investments, native New Yorker Glaser received a share in the brewery in exchange for his work on this logo. Smart move Mr. Milton!

important than being right.

Design has social meaning. Design has an impact on society, and that impact can be beneficial.

Design With Purpose

Do Your Research

color

Concept

guts

research

purpose

Commissioned by Columbia to promote Dylan’s Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, his first release after his mysterious 1966 motorcycle accident, Glaser set the stage early in his career for his mastery of color and historical reference (in this case, his interpretation of a 1958 Duchamp self-portrait with Islamic colors and forms). Glaser’s portfolio illustrates how color can dictate mood, composition and hierarchy when used with intuition and intention.

Glaser and Clay Felker co-founded New York magazine in 1968. They’d later say that they had much to learn about magazine making in those early days. Even so, Glaser was president and design director until 1977, and even penned a food column for several years. New York lives on as a testament to what designers can achieve with only a gutsy willingness to show up and learn on the job.

Created to shine awareness on government-sponsored brutalities in Darfur, this poster, funded by SVA, was hung large around town and plastered on Subway cars. This poster reminds us that Glaser taught us, again and again, that giving a damn is a crucial ingredient in making enduring and important work.

GLASER ON Intuition

Glaser on Integrity

Solving any problem is more

Logic is not as powerful aS intuition.

powerful as intuition.

Logic is not as

The Lessons:

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Dylan poster, 1966

Detail hair color

Detail silhouette profile

Detail lettering

Self-Portrait in Profile by Marcel Duchamp 1957

Self-Portrait in Profile by Marcel Duchamp color variations

Original concept sketch

New York Magazine, cover July 22, 1968

Brooklyn Dodgers logo

Poster variations, for NYC Subway

Daily News full page printing

I Love New York logo,1976

I Love New York More Than Ever logo (revised), September 2001

Bootleg merchandise

Official merchandise

New York Magazine, cover December 6, 1976

New York Magazine, cover May 3, 1976

New York Magazine, logo 1968

New York Magazine July 21, 1969

New York Magazine, cover December 23, 1968

Brooklyn Lager, cans

Variety pack, packaging

Summer Ale, packaging

Packaging

Brooklyn Brewery identity 1988

Detail, names

Poster in SVA dorm

Poster variation

Detail, image

We Are All African Poster, 2005

The real issue is not talent as an independent element, but talent in relationship to will, desire, and persistence. Talent without these things vanishes and even modest talent with those characteristics grows.

ilton Glaser was so many things—graphic designer, illustrator, author, Push Pin Studio and New York Magazine co-founder, faculty emeritus, National Medal of Arts recipient,

can be beneficial.

on society, and that impact

Design has an impact

Design has social meaning.

Glaser on Personal Legacy

you must have doubt.

the mind. To create something new

Certainty is a closing of

GLASER ON DOUBT

with those characteristics grows.

things vanishes and even modest talent

persistence. Talent without these

relationship to will, desire, and

independent element, but talent in

The real issue is not talent as an

GLASER ON DESIRE

purpose

research

guts

Concept

color

Learned

Lessons

Glaser:

Milton

Milton Glaser: Lessons Learned

Dylan, Poster, 1966

GLASER ON DESIRE

MADE WITH BY

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