Paula Scher: Pentagram legend on design, persuasion & embracing mistakes

Aarron first met Paula Scher as a grad student in Philadelphia. He worked at the Temple University gallery and was hanging an exhibition of her posters when they first spoke about her work. He didn’t know at the time how significant her influence on graphic design was, but her work made an impression on him.
Paula’s work and kinetic typography sits in the canon of graphic design history. Described as the “master conjurer of the instantly familiar,” Scher straddles the line between pop culture and fine art in her work.
She’s been a partner at Pentagram since 1991 where she has led the redesign of numerous major brands including Citi and Tiffany & Co.
One other fun story from the show…we learn the real backstory behind the Citibank logo that Paula created, and the story isn’t the same one you’ll find if you Google it.
This is the second episode of our series on design history, to be followed by interviews with legendary designers like Jonathan Hoefler, design curators like Paola Antonelli, and design historians like Barry Katz.
After the interview, stay tuned for another special conversation with Heath Ceramics, which was founded by Edith Heath in the 1940s and played a major role in defining the mid-century modern aesthetic.
Learn about the origins of Heath Ceramics and bring the history home with a special discount that we'll share at the end of the conversation.
Heath Ceramics is one of our sponsors for this series on design history. Bring Heath home and take 15% off your online order using code “DesignBetter” between now and October 31st.Heath Ceramics is one of our sponsors for this series on design history. Bring Heath home and take 15% off your online order using code “DesignBetter” between now and October 31st.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
Heath Ceramics: We love Heath Ceramics. They're the types of objects you pass on from generation to generation, the kind of gift you bring to a wedding, or the dishes that you'd want to put on a beautiful Thanksgiving table. You can support our show, bring Heath home and take 15% off your online order using code “DesignBetter” between now and October 31st: dbtr.co/heathceramics
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓 : https://methodicalcoffee.com (use code "designbetter" for 10% off of your order).
Brain.fm: Music scientifically proven to increase focus. We use it to focus on important work, tap into our creativity, and wind down at night when we need to rest. As a Design Better subscriber, you can take 30% off of your subscription: https://www.brain.fm/designbetter
Freehand by InVision: The intelligent whiteboard that's half the price of Miro and Mural: https://freehandapp.com
***
Help us make the show even better by taking a short survey: www.dbtr.co/survey
If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please contact us at: [email protected]
If you'd like to submit a guest idea, please contact us at: [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aarron first met Paula Scher as a grad student in Philadelphia. He worked at the Temple University gallery and was hanging an exhibition of her posters when they first spoke about her work. He didn’t know at the time how significant her influence on graphic design was, but her work made an impression on him.

Paula’s work and kinetic typography sits in the canon of graphic design history. Described as the “master conjurer of the instantly familiar,” Scher straddles the line between pop culture and fine art in her work.

She’s been a partner at Pentagram since 1991 where she has led the redesign of numerous major brands including Citi and Tiffany & Co.

One other fun story from the show…we learn the real backstory behind the Citibank logo that Paula created, and the story isn’t the same one you’ll find if you Google it.

This is the second episode of our series on design history, to be followed by interviews with legendary designers like Jonathan Hoefler, design curators like Paola Antonelli, and design historians like Barry Katz.

After the interview, stay tuned for another special conversation with Heath Ceramics, which was founded by Edith Heath in the 1940s and played a major role in defining the mid-century modern aesthetic.

Learn about the origins of Heath Ceramics and bring the history home with a special discount that we'll share at the end of the conversation.

Heath Ceramics is one of our sponsors for this series on design history. Bring Heath home and take 15% off your online order using code “DesignBetter” between now and October 31st.Heath Ceramics is one of our sponsors for this series on design history. Bring Heath home and take 15% off your online order using code “DesignBetter” between now and October 31st.

***

Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:

Heath Ceramics: We love Heath Ceramics. They're the types of objects you pass on from generation to generation, the kind of gift you bring to a wedding, or the dishes that you'd want to put on a beautiful Thanksgiving table. You can support our show, bring Heath home and take 15% off your online order using code “DesignBetter” between now and October 31st: dbtr.co/heathceramics

American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant

Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓 : https://methodicalcoffee.com (use code "designbetter" for 10% off of your order).

Brain.fm: Music scientifically proven to increase focus. We use it to focus on important work, tap into our creativity, and wind down at night when we need to rest. As a Design Better subscriber, you can take 30% off of your subscription: https://www.brain.fm/designbetter

Freehand by InVision: The intelligent whiteboard that's half the price of Miro and Mural: https://freehandapp.com

***

Help us make the show even better by taking a short survey: www.dbtr.co/survey

If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please contact us at: [email protected]

If you'd like to submit a guest idea, please contact us at: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices