16 May Milton Glaser on using design to make ideas new
From the TED archives: The legendary graphic designer Milton Glaser dives deep into a new painting inspired by Piero della Francesca. From here, he muses on what makes a convincing poster, by breaking down an idea and making it new. TED conferences.
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Why you should listen to him: Milton Glaser’s work is easy to spot in a lineup — it’s simple, direct and clear, while leaping over conceptual boundaries, so that his work connects directly to the viewer like a happy virus. His best-known work may be the I [heart] N Y logo — an image so ubiquitous, it’s hard to believe there was a time when it didn’t exist.
Glaser’s other well-known work includes a cache of posters that defined the style of the ’60s and early ’70s, and numerous logos, including such instantly familiar identities as Barron’s and the Brooklyn Brewery. He is a co-founder of New York magazine and helped set that magazine’s honest and irreverent tone.
Recently he’s been exploring the space where paintings and graphic design meet. A show in 2007 celebrated his explorations of Piero della Francesca’s work. The 2009 film To Inform and Delight: The World of Milton Glaser tells the story of his celebrated career.
“The hallmarks of his work are its simplicity, wit and elegance; it may be commercial art, but with a capital A. ” Stephen Holden, New York Times.