I've heard some designers talk about the design process being centred on invention, starting with a blank slate. I admire that and occasionally I'm capable of that, but I have to admit that I really have trouble working with completely open briefs. Michael Bierut More Quotes by Michael Bierut More Quotes From Michael Bierut Not everything is design. But design is about everything. So do yourself a favor: be ready for anything. Michael Bierut ready design favors Good typography, first, makes words readable. At its best, it does something more: it helps express the animating spirit of the ideas behind the words. Michael Bierut doe ideas firsts Simplicity, wit, and good typography. Michael Bierut simplicity creativity design No one loves authenticity like a graphic designer. And no one is quite as good at simulating it. Michael Bierut authenticity one-love designer BE PURPOSEFUL AND THOUGHTFUL IN THE CHOICES YOU MAKE WHEN THE OPTIONS ARE NEARLY INFINITE. Michael Bierut choices-you-make thoughtful choices Most processes leave out the stuff no one wants to talk about: magic, intuition and leaps of faith. Michael Bierut intuition magic business If typography is calling attention to itself, it's taking that attention away from what the words are saying. Michael Bierut consciousness calling attention If you do good work for good clients, it will lead to other good work for other good clients. If you do bad work for bad clients, it will lead to other bad work for other bad clients. Michael Bierut good-work design clients The problem contains the solution. Michael Bierut solutions problem motivational Part of maturing as a designer is discovering what you're good at. Michael Bierut discovering designer mature Graphic design is the fiction that anticipates the fact. Michael Bierut design facts fiction I'm always conscious of the context, the history, the specific environment of anything that I design and what it is going to be operating within. Michael Bierut environment design conscious Every little job counts. Design counts. Michael Bierut design littles jobs It's a cliché, but typefaces are really just ingredients. Michael Bierut typefaces ingredients The Nike swash that cost $30 and was designed by a Portland State University art student was probably worth that when she first showed it to them. At that point it had no equity at all. None of the guys commissioning it particularly liked it, they all wanted the Adidas three stripes and they thought that was a good logo. Michael Bierut nike guy art Target for example, is just a dot with a circle around it, that's all it is, so if you want a logo like Target, you don't need to hire a designer, you barely need to know how to operate a computer program, the logo may as well be anything. Michael Bierut circles example needs If you can announce the Higgs Boson in Comic Sans, clearly anybody can do anything. Michael Bierut comic-sans comic can-do The truth about logos is that they are not that hard to do. Michael Bierut logos hard I have a bunch of calendars I used before I went digital. Every once in a while, I'll open up one from 1991 and look at all the names and appointments and things that, at the time, seemed so important. Meetings that I was really worried about, things that I was getting calls four times a day about, and I wonder, "Where did it all go? Where are they now?" It's so strange, everything has disappeared. The only thing that stays behind is the work. Michael Bierut important names looks I actually don't think that brand new logos are worth that much or mean that much in and of themselves. So why not have a class of third graders compete to design your logo? Michael Bierut class mean thinking
