Graphic design is an art that everyone appreciates because it applies to our daily lives. Design trends change as designers try to find inspiration from other professional designers who have been in the game for long. To celebrate the rich and diverse graphic designs that have always wowed us, we have compiled a list of prominent designers who have played a big role by inspiring upcoming designers with their work. As an upcoming design agency, you can take a leaf and learn one or two things about design from them.
Our list comprises graphic famous graphic designers who have touched the world in diverse ways, from those who specialize in magazine design or typography, through to political posters and album covers. Most of them, through their hard work and sacrifice, have made their contribution felt one way or the other.
That said, here is the list of the best designers who never gave up, despite their numerous mistakes to rise to the top. Read along to get inspiration.
David Carson is a famous designer who has taught us to never be afraid to break the rules. He is nicknamed ‘the Godfather of Grunge’, which came about from his innovative, unique, and unconventional way of expressing himself through design. He came up with this wild but stable idea that incorporated warped, illegible, and sometimes strikingly shredded design layouts, which continues to be a source of inspiration to many novice and upcoming graphic designers. If you have a young design firm, don’t be afraid to break a few rules to make it to the top.
Being one of the best graphic designers in the world, Stefan Sagmeister’s contemporary designs are found in many iconic brands such as Guggenheim, Rolling Stones, and HBO. His signature designs are known to combine sexuality, humor, painstaking, and unorthodox details, for creating modern jarringly designs. This unique approach of graphic designing remains to be an inspiration to the design community.
Saul Bass needs no introduction in the graphic design world. If you are a branding agency, I am sure that you have come across some of his iconic design work and even borrowed some ideas. Bass is a legend whose first design work was witnessed in the 1950s when he designed motion picture title sequences and iconic movie posters for several films. Some of the films he has worked with include The Man with the Golden Arm, North by Northwest, and Psycho. He was also a guru in designing logos. Some of his logo designs averagely last for 35 year. This goes to show how great he was in the art. Some of the logos that Bass and are still present today include Girl Scout, AT&T, and Kleenex.
Known for her design contributions as the first woman to occupy the seat of a principal at Pentagram, Paula Scher was focused on expressing herself through awesome designs. She had an impressive body of design that captured the attention of many design critics. Her work is recognized at the New York City’s Public Theater where she incorporated type as a visual image. She inspired us that type can also be a part of the visual design and not just to pass information, when running a creative agency.
Fetcher revolutionized the design concept in Britain which earned him the ‘father’ of graphic design title. He produced overwhelmingly inspiring designs, expressing himself with bold colors, typography, and strong visual language. He made quite a buzz with his unique designs that got people thinking that design can play a big role in helping businesses thrive, and not just used as a decorative element.
What helped to put Michael Bierut in the limelight is his way of “democratizing design”. He had an ubiquitous and unique approach to graphic design. His design motivation came about when he realized that many people were struggling to make sense of complex content. Through his sharp and direct design, Bierut made complex content enticing and easier to access and consume.
You can’t deny that the iconic I ❤ NY branding is incredible. Glaser is the one who designed this logo. He owns a web design agency and is also recognized for designing awesome logos for JetBlue and Target brands. Milton Glaser is also the brains behind the poster designs for musician Bob Dylan, and the opening title sequence to Mad Men. Most of his designs are powerful and timeless. His design work continues to inspire many who want to build their graphic design careers exclusively.
Venturing into the creative industry such as graphic designing, requires a flexible mind. You have to realize most of the designers mentioned here went out of the way to come up with their own unique designs and that is where you need to draw your inspiration from.
