Michael Bierut

What are the similarities among these logos? Is it their simplicity? Is it the ease with which you can recognize each one of them? Personally, I can identify them because I know they were all designed by Michael Bierut.

Michael Bierut is a graphic designer born in 1957 in Cleveland, Ohio and lived in Garfield Heights. When he was in the first grade a teacher noticed his drawing skills. His parents later gave him encouragement and registered him in classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art. 

By the time he reached junior high school everyone assumed he would be an artist. The turning point was when he was in grade 9 when he was asked to design a poster for his school play called, Wait Until Dark. 

“By accident, I happened to find a book in my high school library by a guy named S. Neil Fujita, it was called Aim for a Job in Graphic Design/Art. I opened the book up, and it was like receiving an instruction manual for my future career: it was all right there.”

After he was done with high school, he attended the University of Cincinnati College of Design Architecture and Art. He later received a Bachelor of Science in graphic design.

After he was done with school he worked for a designer called Massimo Vignelli who is a designer known for designing the New York City subway signage. He learned that every single opportunity has the potential to be something that might have some impact on people's daily lives for years to come. 

After spending a decade working for Massimo Vignelli, Michael Bierutt transitioned to Pentagram, well-known as the largest leading design consultancy, in 1990. He has been there since. He has contributed to notable brands such as Mastercard, Slack, and MIT Media Labs, among others. Additionally, he has authored a book titled. How To, providing insights into his life and career, and sharing his ongoing design practices.