Milton Glaser: A Lasting Impact

We lost a good one on June 26, 2020. Milton Glaser was an internationally known graphic designer who died on his 91st birthday. Most news reports of his passing referred to his “I ❤️ NY” logo design or his iconic poster of Bob Dylan with psychedelic hair. But beyond that, he created tens of thousands of logos, posters, illustrations, packages, publications, environments, and other volumes of work. And he inspired generations of young designers, through his teaching at the School of Visual Arts, his workshops and summer courses, and indirectly through his work, writing, and speaking.

In college I remember seeing a flyer for his summer courses every semester. I couldn’t afford to sign up but I made sure to find out who Milton Glaser was. Throughout college he, Herb Lubalin, Seymour Chwast, and the entire Pushpin Group were my design, typography, and illustration heroes, creating the best of exactly what we were studying in school.

When I started out in New York, and later in Indiana, I often began a project with the question, “what would Milton do?” HIs work could be serious or playful. Simple, minimalist graphics or detailed pen and ink illustration. But always artistic and engaging, based on a concept that expanded the sum of its parts.

Late in my career Milton was profiled by The New York Times at 90 years of age, still going to his studio every day, still making and creating. Again, he inspired me to keep going and not let my age slow me down. 

“Art and making things — particularly making things — are essential to our salvation,” he said. “I come to work every day and I sit down and I feel so happy, because I’m capable of taking something that exists in my mind and making it a physical thing.”  —Milton Glaser, The New York Times, July 4, 2019

With his passing, so many that were influenced by Milton have posted remembrances, especially those that studied with him. I was drawn to illustrator John Lee’s tweets (@johnleedraws) where he posted several things that Milton said to his SVA class, including these two:

“Everything is connected and has an effect on the world.”

“Whether you like it or not, your work is ABOUT social responsibility.”

“Every artist should view themselves as citizens, not illustrators or designers…”

Len Small (@lenpsmall), another of Milton’s students, tweeted this:

“Milton Glaser told our class you could tell if a client was good or bad by how you felt at the end of the day. Did you feel drained or energized?”

So even after his death, I’m still learning and getting inspiration from Milton Glaser, to do more, be better, and inspire others. Because in this uncertain age of coronavirus, racial inequality, social unrest, and economic turmoil, I find myself searching for answers. What can I do? How can I help those that want to make a difference? Which leads me back to one more of John Lee’s tweets from Milton’s teachings:

“ALL my work is personal work. The only boundary is how I determine how it’s used.”

If you or someone you know wants to make a difference and needs help with branding, marketing, or just connecting, let me know. I’d love to pay it forward.

Milton Glaser, 1929-2020