About
Graphic designer and writer who joined Pentagram in 1990. Since October 2024 he has served in an advisory role, consulting on selected projects and the firm's strategy.
SourceIn their own words
Designers have a responsibility to service beauty.
The practice had less to do with the output and more with getting myself in a proper frame of mind for the rest of my day.
artists create meaning, designers create solutions
Cooper Black is a perfectly good font, but in my mind it is a fat, happy font associated with the logo for the National Lampoon, the sleeve of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album and discount retailers up and down the US.
Articles & interviews20
- Mark Nichols Finds Creative Inspiration on Solo Bike Rides
Amelia Nash reviews Taschen's The Elements of Brand Design, a 496-page survey by Katharina Sussek and Jens Müller covering 110 identity systems. She praises its design, breadth, case studies, and interviews, while arguing that it mistakes visible brand elements for the underlying strategic judgment that creates enduring brands. Nash contends that as AI commoditizes logos, palettes, type pairings, and motion, defensible decisions and point of view become the true source of brand value.
- Elizabeth Goodspeed on why design writing needs designers writing
In this opinion piece, designer and writer Elizabeth Goodspeed argues that design writing benefits when designers themselves take part in it. She explores how writing helps designers articulate their thinking, connect their creative and analytical practices, and make design discourse more reflective and nuanced. The article highlights examples like Ray Masaki, Michael Bierut, and Steven Heller to illustrate how writing and design can inform each other.
- A career retrospective with the graphic design legend, educator and role model, Michael Bierut