In the 1960s, Glaser made his career by being a counterculture troublemaker. Nowadays, this is perhaps more problematic than it has ever been. The work of a designer can make you want to exercise or smoke cigarettes. Design can manipulate minds and be persuasive in ways both good and bad. In short, design matters because designers know a great deal about the tools of communication. So the question becomes, where is your line? What level of misrepresentation would you refuse to participate in? What lies won’t you tell to sell an idea or a product? Or, maybe the product is created using child labor or harmful in other ways – or even potentially deadly when used wrong.
Maybe the product promises results that you know are completely bogus. Maybe they’re intended to make the product look bigger on the shelf or that they’re healthier than they actually are. And, as we all know, some of these designs are made to intentionally misrepresent. Everything from a carton of milk to a presidential campaign contains elements of design that were thought out by someone. Why? Well, it comes down to the simple fact that a designer is communicating with the public. These are such important decisions that Glaser considers each one either a step toward or out of hell.
In it, Glaser lists many of the tough decisions designers have to consider during the course of their careers. In fact, he wrote an influential article titled “12 Steps on the Designer’s Road to Hell.” Another part of what makes Glaser such a legendary figure is that he’s also spent a lot of time thinking about why design matters. Glaser is indeed one of the legends of the business, having cofounded New York magazine and designed some of the most iconic images of the sixties and seventies, including the “I Love New York” logo. If you know anything about the history of graphic design, you’re probably familiar with the name Milton Glaser.
Anyone interested in the creative process.You can overcome problems by doing the work and asking the right questions.Ĭreativity can come from a mix of confidence, doubt, and staying true to your beliefs.Īrts, Photography, Graphic Design, Business of Art Reference, Commercial Graphic Design, Creativity, Art Finance, Graphic Design, Management, Leadership, Motivation, Personal Development, Advice On Careers & Achieving Success, Popular Psychology, Assertiveness, Motivation & Self-esteem, Memory Improvement & Thinking Techniques Who is it for? Some artists are hard at work trying to speak truth to power and make positive social change.Ĭreativity can benefit from structure and limitations. The legends of design talk about the importance of persistence and continuing to learn. What’s in it for me? Get inspired by the words and wisdom of America’s creative giants.ĭesign matters because design is a powerful tool for communication. These talks not only explain why design matters, they also show how the principles of design extend to creativity in general and the ways in which we communicate and express ourselves. It collects over 50 interviews from over 15 years’ worth of conversations. Why Design Matters (2022) is a collection of some of the best interviews from Debbie Millman’s long-running podcast of the same name.