Whether you design occasionally, or you live, breathe, and sleep graphic design, you that mentioning that design to other designers will almost always elicit an enthusiastic response from the other party. Detailed discussions about graphic design and designers will likely follow, and you should try to be prepared with all relevant designer knowledge. Use this list as a starting point for your future discussions; these are the graphic designers that every designer should know.
Michael Bierut
If you know Pentagram, you know Michael Bierut. He’s a powerhouse of a designer, and has been a partner of the renowned design studio, Pentagram NY for 26 years. His work is astounding. He and his team are responsible for the graphics on the NY Times Building, the Citibike maps, Hillary Clinton’s logo, and innumerable other highly recognizable logos and designs. Bierut designs are usually in print work, but he also writes about design and offers valuable critiques. He also has some very interesting thoughts on creativity.
David Carson
Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, David Carson has worked his way up being considered one of the most influential graphic designers of his generation. He mainly works in type design and graphic design and is famed for his creation and usage of interesting typography. Carson worked as a high school teacher and professional surfer before he even thought about pursuing graphic design as a full time career; his life story is incredibly interesting. As he continued to hone his craft, he became involved in numerous huge projects and eventually got to the level where Graphic Design USA magazine listed him as the “most influential graphic designer of the era”
Lotta Nieminen
A graphic designer and illustrator from Finland, Lotta Nieminen has quickly carved out a space for herself in the realm of graphic design. Lotta’s resume is already impressive; she’s worked for Pentagram and Trendi. These days though, she runs her own design studio in NYC and has worked with heavy-hitters like Google, the NY Times, and Hermes. Forbes listed her as one of the elite 30 under 30 in the Art & Style category, and she’s the recipient of the Young Guns award by the Art Director’s club.
This is just a taste of some of the best graphic designers to grace us with their art. Check back soon for a continued list.