Being one of the most recognized and famous graphics designers of the 20th century, I wanted to dive deeper into what made Herbert’s reputation so renowned to those in his field as well as outside of it. At 28, after graduating from Cooper Union, Herbert began working as an art director for Sudler & Hennessey’s communications firm. There he held his position for 18 years and, in those years, worked alongside other talented artists and designers, honing his skills and taking inspiration from the creative minds that surrounded him. This talent would not go unnoticed as Herbert was later named Art Director of the Year in 1962 by the National Society of Art Directors. This booming success soon pushed him to further his craft and expand his name by forming his own firm in 1964 to later become founder and art director of his own publication named U&lc (Upper and lower case) that showcased the International Typeface Corporation’s (ITC) typefaces, which he also co-founded. Herber accomplished all this while also teaching at Cooper Union and being color blind. The will power behind his success is something to marvel and be inspired by as well as his mindset of not allowing his misfortune to disable him from creating unique and intriguing works. Instead, he worked around his condition by simplifying the color palette to two- and three-color solutions to bring focus to his letter form and layout. Herbert’s dedication to his craft regardless of the challenges and his willingness to innovate led him to a legacy that brought new age thinking to the table and re-imagined the structure of graphic design as well as being the grandfather of Typographics.
Research Ideas 