19 Famous Graphic Designers Who Made the History

Many designers have come across graphics and it is one of the areas that is so widely used in the world of design, so if you get to know the graphic designers who made history, you will understand that their work is useful for all of us. These artists are a starting point who have impressed with their designs and it should be very beneficial to be interested in their work and use their experience to create your own designs. Many of their creations from the last century to now are widely used in the design industry.

These graphic designers are award-winning and you can trust them and their enthusiasm to create any kind of graphic work, as they can not only teach you the true values, but also allow you to use their examples to create modern works that can have the same success as older ones. We invite you to familiarize yourself with them and get started:

Saul Bass

This is the man who literally changed graphic design and he not only distinguished himself as a graphic designer, but also as a filmmaker. Lives in USA and from a child he was enjoying drawing so much. The artist creates recognizable title sequences and film posters and is famous for its abstract ideas and modern creations even in older times.

He can be called an artist with a capital letter, who devoted 40 years of his life to art and creativity, which is a very long period of time. Among his most famous works are the title sequences for such classic films as "The man with the golden arm" and "Psycho".

Saul Bass was responsible for some of the most memorable, recognizable logos in North America, including the Bell Telephone logo (1969) and the successor AT&T globe (1983). Other well-known designs included Continental Airlines (1968), Dixie (1969) and United Airlines (1974). Later, he also produced logos for many Japanese companies.

Veronica Fuerte

A "Hey Studio" founder and the past years got the leader of the graphic design industry. She have been at the forefront of the Barcelona and world design scene since its inception in 2007. She enjoy designs such as illustrations, brand identity and posters. She is active as international speaker too.

More widely Fuerte and her team at "Hey" has been working across art direction, branding, packaging, campaign, illustration, print, typography and digital spheres. They’ve also worked for global brands like Uniqlo and Huawei but also independent smaller Barcelonian brands like Caravelle and Madrid’s Hola Coffee. To top it off, Hey opened a shop in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter in 2019.

Veronica believes in a multidisciplinary and broad approach to design because she likes unlimited creativity, bold language and a forward-looking perspective, which is what she does and creates according to her ideology.

Sheila Levrant de Bretteville

Sheila Levrant de Bretteville is an American graphic designer who has been a pioneer in feminist and socially conscious design. In 1973 In California, she founded the Center for Women's Graphics, which later became the Woman's Building, a feminist art and education center. Her work has been exhibited in museums around the world and she is a professor at Yale University.

The Bretteville's work has mostly focused on editorial, interiors, events, posters and site-specific installations. The already mentioned Woman's Building is her most famous and famous work. Located in Los Angeles, the building was a feminist arts and education center that operated from 1973 to 1991. The exterior of the building featured large murals and sculptures created by female artists, while the interior was designed to be a welcoming and welcoming space specifically for women.

Paul Rand

Paul Rand was the king of corporate logo design in the 20th century and worked with some of the biggest companies in the world, such as IBM, ABC, Morningstar, UPS, NeXT Computer, Yale University and even Enron, which caused a scandal over a specific letter in the logo, according to the value of the shares fell significantly during the year.

And let's reminisce or just discover his famous art direction skills. He didn't just create logos - he also helped create some of the most iconic advertising campaigns of the 20th century. He was a true visionary and his work left a lasting impact on the design industry. Rand devoted his final years to design work and the writing of his memoirs. In 1996, he died of cancer at age 82 in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Herbert Frederick Lubalin

An extremely creative person, graphic designer, typographer and an artist who is truly dedicated to his work. The Herb Lubalin was perhaps most recognized for his work on the magazines published by Ralph Ginzburg. Eros, Fact and Avant Garde. These names gave Lubalin an unprecedented space for typographical experiments.

During a vibrant 40-year career, he became deeply fascinated by the way words look and how typographic design can make them sound. Lubalin understood how, by combining art and typography, graphic designers transform the messages contained in each of the artworks with deep desire and passion. He created many amazing typographic logos and designs, many of which have not changed and are still hot and surprising us today.

David Carson

David Carson is an American graphic designer known for his experimental typography and design approach. He was the art director of "Ray Gun" an alternative rock-and-roll magazine in the 90s, and his work influenced the worlds of design and advertising by using an experimental typography, mostly active among graphic design in his progressive time.

The Carson's typographies were unlike anything anyone had ever seen before – they were messy, they were chaotic, and they were brilliant. He was the godfather of "grunge typography", and he used it to shake up the stuffy world of graphic design.

He stated his opinion of what he would like in the others creative life and he replied "Variety, an extremely high level of creativity, originality and attention to the craft of each artist. The line between fine art and graphic design is constantly disappearing. Also, it seems that they still believe in posters power."

Rob Janoff

Rob Janoff an American graphic designer, has captivated the world with his dedication to logos that are still very valuable and influential in a global variety. He created a brand identity for the "Apple" company, whose logo is still used for this giant electronics engine. He later did design work for both IBM and Intel in the background his designer hand touch the company's such as IBM, Kleenex, Diners Club, Kraft, SC Johnson, AT&T, Citibank.

In recent years, he has devoted himself to a digital agency with his Australian business partner, Joel Bohm. Together, they created work for various clients such as Crooz, a game company in Japan, and Pluit City in Indonesia. He also contributed to Dropbox's rebranding in 2017 and Instagram's new logo in 2016, which sparked a long-running debate among designers and casual observers.

While building a life in Chicago, Rob Janoff has traveled extensively building brands in a variety of industries. He is also a speaker, has delivered keynotes and taught design courses for universities and academic institutions, including the Eastern Mediterranean University in Cyprus.

Max Miedinger

Max Miedinger was a Swiss type designer, best known for the creation of the Neue Haas Grotesk typeface in 1957, or better known worldwide as the type name "Helvetica" renamed in 1960. For nearly 50 years, Helvetica has dominated the world of typography and today remains the standard for legibility and simplicity that serves a great purpose in the growth of the Internet and web software. It is believed that this font will still be needed in the future without any doubts.

This font has been used everywhere - from the American Airlines logo to BMW to - well, hundreds of big brands. And even today it’s the choice of designers wanting a clean, legible typeface that’s an expression of modernist perfection.

April Greiman

April Greiman has been one of the leading artists of the digital age, April Greiman was the first to use computer technology as a design tool, developing it in transmedia projects.

Greiman has hinted that the title of graphic designer is too limiting and prefers to call herself a "transmedia artist". Her work inspired designers to use the computer as a design tool and to be curious and searching in their design approach.

Greiman's so cool that she's often credited with bringing the ‘New Wave' design style to the US. Her designs are like a breath of fresh air that fills any room with refreshing energy. It's no wonder she's considered one of the most influential designers of her time.

But Greiman isn't just a design wizard. She's also the director of Made in Space, a design consultancy located in Los Angeles. It's where creative juices never stop flowing, and the coffee machine is always brewing. It's like a magical wonderland where design dreams come true, and Greiman is the queen ruling the kingdom.

Ivan Chermayeff

Ivan Chermayeff - a graphic design legend whose creativity knew no bounds. Born in 1932 in London. Since his whole family were creative people, he also followed in their footsteps and discovered many well-known brands throughout his career.

In the early days of his era, Ivan worked for Alvin Lustig and CBS in the Big Apple, creating various interesting things such as corporate identity, book covers and album covers for various clients. Together, Ivan, Tom and Sagi Haviv have created innovative corporate identity designs for such big names as Pan Am, Mobil Oil, Chase Manhattan Bank, NBC, PBS.

And just when they thought it couldn't get any better, this dynamic trio has won numerous awards and accolades, including the AIGA Gold Medal, the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal, and the Yale Art Medal. Ivan Chermayeff was a force to be reckoned with for a breakthrough in the world of design.

Peter Saville

A very famous British graphic designer of all time. Unknown Pleasures, the Joy Division album designed by Peter Saville, may be one of the most reproduced pieces of graphic design. It was put on t-shirts, beach towels, plates and the entire Raf Simons collection.

Saville did his creative works in a unique environment, working together with the label (Factory Records), The Venue (The Hacienda) and all the band members belonging to the label. He was able to create an aesthetic that followed a holistic approach. By shifting the focus from the usual face or body option to trivial and unimportant images of everyday life, he was able to change the existing design status quo of the time. He used trivial things like Braille, user manuals, aerial photographs and old topographical maps and turned them into true marvels.

Saville was awarded a CBE for services to design by the Prince of Wales on Wednesday during the first investiture ceremony since the national coronavirus lockdown in March 2020.

Milton Glaser

Milton Glaser was the first graphic designer to receive the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2009. By various accounts, he is one of the most famous graphic designers in history. His best work is undoubtedly the logo he created for New York to promote tourism in the city in 1977, which worked 100%. Now, every New Yorker and visitor knows this sign.

During his career, Glaser personally designed and illustrated more than 400 posters. Milton drew heavily from artists of the early 20th century to develop his signature style, which consisted of playful, psychedelic graphics with controlled color shifts, silhouettes and bold geometric outlines. His works are displayed in various museums.

He didn't limit himself to one logo, he worked for Bob Dylan, DC Comics and The Brooklyn Brewery and these are just a few of the logo masterpieces that confirm him as one of the most prominent designers. Among his most famous creations, a true design icon, is the "I Love NY" logo.

Paula Scher

An American native, Pentagram partner and almost certainly the most influential graphic designer alive today. Paula Scher shares interesting insights about creativity, serious play, and how the inevitability of great work becomes celebrated when you succeed.

She has received hundreds of industry awards and honors throughout her career. Paula Scher's branding and identity work for MOMA, New York City Ballet, Microsoft, CNN and NYC Transit are some of the best examples of the genre you'll ever see.

Massimo Vignelli

Give this charming and intelligent graphic designer Massimo Vignelli a warm round of applause. A design master from Italy, this is how he described himself. This guy was a jack of all trades in design, and he did it all with impeccable style and grace.

Worked in a variety of areas including packaging, homeware, furniture, signage and interior design. He co-founded "Vignelli Associates" with his wife Lella. His motto was, "If you can design one thing, you can design anything," and this is reflected in the wide range of his work.

He first studied an art and architecture in Milano, Italy until he came to America in 1957. A passionate admirer of modernism, his work is always very clear, flawless and concise, without clutter or unnecessary materials. He was concerned with the power of elementary geometric designs and the exploitation of minimalism. His influence will remain.

If this person's style is close to you, try to use everything you have to the smallest detail and maybe you will become an Italian mastermind.

Michael Bierut

Michael Bierut studied graphic design at the University of Cincinnati. Since 1990 he is a partner in Pentagram's New York office. He is also the founder of Design Observer. A senior critic in graphic design at Yale School of Art, where he has been lecturing since 1993. In addition, he has written several books on graphic design.

Even as a child, Michael was very talented in the arts, he liked to draw and often went to the Cleveland Museum of Art to look at work that he was impressed for. Drawing was a good thing in him because it helped him to socialize while traveling and meeting people. Instead, he began to admire record jackets, book covers, logos for friends and movie posters. But later he decided he had to soar like a bird and create logos for the larger community.

Today you can see many of his interesting works such as The New York Times, Saks Fifth Avenue, The Robin Hood Foundation, MIT Media Lab, Mastercard, Bobby Flay Bold Foods, Princeton University and many more others. Let's not forget that he was a volunteer designer for Hillary Clinton's communications team, where he designed the “H” logo that made her presidential campaign look as sharp as a brand-new pencil.

Alan Gerard Fletcher

Alan Fletcher - a legendary graphic designer from England, who was already famous in his time, having devoted his childhood to various art schools. After marriage, Fletcher continued his studies as he earned a fellowship at the Yale School of Architecture. There his artistic sense and skills flourished under the supervision of some of the notable graphic designers and artists which include Paul Rand, Herbert Matter, Josef Albers, Alvin Eisenman and Bradbury Thompson. He met many designers because he traveled a lot.

His expressive typography, bold color choices and strong visual language were like nothing the world had seen. He turned graphic design into a superhero of the business world, not just a sidekick.

One of Fletcher's most important projects is the 1965 logo design for the Reuters news agency. Inspired by teletype machines, dot matrix printers and telegraphs, this sign was intended to represent the company's business theme of being a news agency in the age of telecommunications.

Later, Fletcher started working in his own design company. in 1962 he co-founded Fletcher Forbes Gill with Colin Forbes and Bob Gill. The following year they produced Graphic Design: A Visual Comparison. Some of their major clients included Olivetti, Pirelli, Cunard and Penguin Books.

A few years later, Gill left the firm and was replaced by Theo Crosby. in 1972 the firm evolved into Pentagram when two more partners joined, and some high-profile clients such as Lloyd's of London and Daimler Benz sought their expertise. Some of his major works are still in use today, such as the "IoD" logo for the Institute of Directors and the "V&A" logo for the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Neville Brody

Introducing Neville Brody, a graphic designer whose skills are so impressive that he can turn any design into a true work of art. But don't be fooled by his mastery of one area, Brody is a true jack of all trades, excelling in typography and various other areas of design.

Neville Brody was a lover of fine art and painting. In the 1960s and 1970s, he developed a love for art. He attended Minchenden Grammar School and studied A Level Art in Fine Art. in 1975 Brody completed a foundation course in art at Hornsey College of Art. In autumn 1976, Brody started a three-year B.A. course in graphics at the London College of Printing.

Brody's experimentation with his own sans-serif typography, pop art, and Dada influences attracted the attention of record labels such as Fetish Records and Stiff Records when he graduated from college. His record cover design leads towards a dark and punk scene.

Brody made his name through his groundbreaking job as art director for "The Face" magazine. Brody's talent is not limited to magazine design. He has also created record covers for some of the biggest names in music, including Cabaret Voltaire and Depeche Mode. Its design is so impressive that even the most musically challenged people will want to buy the album just for the cover.

Chip Kidd

Chip Kidd an American graphic designer the comic book-obsessed, a superhero who has taken the book cover world by storm with his awe-inspiring designs. Even if many ignore his work, he is still a top league designer who has made a huge career with his cartoons. He is also a writer.

His book cover designs for Alfred A. Knopf, where Chip Kidd has worked non-stop since 1986, helped revolutionize the art of American book packaging. He is the recipient of the National Design Award for Communications, as well as the International Center of Photography's Use of Photography in Design Award. And a bunch of other things.

Kidd's love of comics fueled his passion for design and led him to write and cover several comics for DC Comics. Kidd's creations are like a superhero costume: bold, colorful and powerful enough to stop you thinking, is this really real?

Kidd's influence on the graphic design industry is undeniable. His work has graced the covers of countless bestsellers and earned him legions of fans around the world. He is a creative force to be reckoned with, inspiring designers everywhere to think outside the box and create visually striking and emotionally engaging designs.

Ruth Ansel

Ruth Ansel is an American graphic designer, art director and lecturer. She has collaborated with some of the biggest houses of photography, illustration, arts and has been doing so for over four decades.

Ruth was one of the first women to break into the top ranks of magazine publishing and boasts an insanely impressive resume. We are talking about such famous magazines in 80s, as The New York Times, House & Garden, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair and Vogue. It seems like she was on a mission to lead each magazine and she did a great job.

Instead, she married the famous designer Bob Gill, who introduced her to a whole new world of graphic design. The marriage did not last, but her legendary career began and grew. After the divorce, Ansel fled to Europe and began creating film titles. When she ran out of money and returned home to New York, working at a magazine was the next best option for filming. And get this, she cold-called the editor of Harper's Bazaar. She was only 24 years old.

Ruth's story is really outstanding. She had to start a lot and change a lot, traveled a lot, but success did not turn away from her. She has won many impressive awards. Most notably, she was awarded The Art Directors Club's highest personal award for her work, the Gold Medal for Design in 1970.

Final Thoughts

We have written a whole bunch of text where you can get to know 19 of the best graphic designers in the world. Maybe you will find your favorite and achieve your goals as your chosen one. Just do something in life because time will pass and you won't have any achievements. So evaluate yourself and do what is more close to your heart.