Michael Bierut on how to think like a designer

Design Indaba・2 minutes read

The speaker, a graphic designer from Ohio, shares their experiences and projects over 40 years, including work for Saks Fifth Avenue, the New York Times, and the Museum of Arts and Design. They also discuss their involvement in developing city-wide wayfinding programs and redesigning libraries in under-resourced New York schools.

Insights

  • The speaker, a graphic designer from Ohio with 40 years of experience, has worked on diverse projects, including redesigning packaging for a nut company, creating a new logo for Saks Fifth Avenue, and developing a graphic program for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
  • Billings Jackson, a design firm, has been involved in various projects such as a city-wide pedestrian wayfinding program called Walk NYC, product design for a modular system based on modernist New York buildings, and collaborating with the Robin Hood Foundation to redesign libraries in under-resourced New York schools, transforming them into inspiring spaces for students.

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Recent questions

  • What projects has the speaker worked on?

    Various projects, including nut company packaging and logo redesigns.

  • What inspired the speaker to become a graphic designer?

    Childhood experience sparked interest in graphic design.

  • What challenges did the speaker face in logo design?

    Initial challenges with continuous line concept led to redesign.

  • What was the inspiration behind the Walk NYC program?

    Inspired by Massimo Vignelli's subway signage for wayfinding.

  • What notable collaborations did the speaker engage in?

    Collaborations with MIT Media Lab and Robin Hood Foundation.

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Summary

00:00

Experienced Graphic Designer Shares Career Highlights

  • The speaker is honored and nervous to present among other speakers at an event.
  • They mention various speakers they have seen over the years.
  • The speaker introduces themselves as a graphic designer from Ohio.
  • The speaker recalls a childhood experience that sparked their interest in graphic design.
  • They have been a graphic designer for around 40 years.
  • The speaker discusses the pleasure of understanding how things are created.
  • They share examples of projects they have worked on, including a nut company's packaging redesign.
  • The speaker talks about a project with Saks Fifth Avenue involving logo redesign.
  • They mention working on a graphic program for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
  • The speaker shares humorous anecdotes about signage design, including a sign about dog poop.

13:56

"New York Times Tower: Transparency and Tradition"

  • The New York Times was originally located in Times Square, where they printed the paper in the basement and parked trucks on the ground floor.
  • The New York Times moved to a new glass and steel tower near Times Square, designed by architect Renzo Piano, emphasizing transparency in journalism.
  • To adhere to Times Square's rule of having large signs on buildings, the New York Times opted for 900 small teardrop-shaped signs on their building's facade.
  • Inside the building, different signs were created for various rooms, each featuring unique images to reflect the old character of the New York Times.
  • A logo design for the Museum of Arts and Design initially faced challenges due to the continuous line concept, leading to a redesign incorporating squares and circles.
  • The logo redesign for the Museum of Arts and Design, known as A+D, featured a unique typeface called "mad face" that was versatile and used across various applications.
  • A city-wide pedestrian wayfinding program called Walk NYC was developed by the Department of Transportation, aiming to encourage walking in New York City.
  • The Walk NYC program included five test areas in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, along with a bike share program, with a focus on promoting walking for health and economic benefits.
  • The wayfinding program drew inspiration from Massimo Vignelli's New York City subway signage, utilizing a modified version of Helvetica called Helvetica d-o-t with rounded dots over the eyes.
  • The wayfinding program also featured a unique icon system with icons designed to coexist harmoniously with the new typeface, incorporating details like matching elements in the icons to enhance recognition and usability.

26:43

"Billings Jackson: Designing Modernist NYC Innovations"

  • Billings Jackson did the product design for a modular system based on modernist New York buildings.
  • The system is built off-site and installed at night in various locations around New York City.
  • Maps and signs created by Billings Jackson are encountered in Chinatown, Midtown, Brooklyn, Queens, and on city bikes.
  • MIT Media Lab commissioned Billings Jackson to design logos for their research groups.
  • The logos were inspired by the graphic heritage of MIT, particularly by Jacqueline Casey and Muriel Cooper.
  • The Media Lab logo, based on a modular system, allows for personalized variations for each research group.
  • Billings Jackson worked with the Robin Hood Foundation to redesign libraries in under-resourced New York schools.
  • They created the concept of the "reading room" and designed logos and murals for the libraries.
  • The murals, created by various artists, aimed to transform the libraries into inspiring spaces for the students.
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