Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight (2008)

-       Form and light

-       New York

-       SVA

-       To inform

-       Civil rights

The Milton Glaser documentary To Inform and Delight features Milton Glaser at 82 years of age discussing his role as a graphic designer and the importance of informing the public in modern times.  Glaser also explains his technique and style, while examining the range of works he has done independently, his fifty years of work for the School of Visual Arts, and other work for programs and businesses.

Glaser is a Jewish-American graphic designer who started drawing at an early age and later went to high school at LaGuardia Arts, which he redesigned the name to and a new logo.  He later went to Italy to study art. In the 60s Glaser and a group of friends started New York magazine, which featured current pressing issues and promoting New York getting the public involved.  As a way to boost morale amongst New Yorkers Glaser designed the “I Love New York” logo, which is seen everywhere today and has been adopted by others to express what else one might love.

Glaser also supported the Gay Rights Movement in the 1960s and 70s.  He has always been a humanitarian and activist of Civil Rights.  In the 60s he designed the upside-down pink triangle to represent Gay Rights.  He adopted it from Nazi Germany who previously used the pink triangle to “mark” who was gay.  His motive was to take this symbol of Gay individuals and turn it into something positive.

Today Glaser is still very active in Civil Rights and wants to inform the public of pressing issues.  With the School of Visual Arts he developed posters to promote awareness of the genocide currently taking place in Darfur, Africa.  His poster reads “We Are All African” which means we as citizens of the world all support Africa and have this common heritage.

Milton Glaser has also been associated with the School of Visual Arts for the past 50 years.  He has been designing posters for the school promoting SVA and other SVA affiliated programs.  Through SVA Glaser has also created posters like the Darfur poster to inform the public and raise awareness of important issues.

Today Glaser runs his own design firm out of New York, Milton Glaser.  There he and his staff create new designs for clients.  Glaser states in the film that he does all his work by hand drawing everything.  He does not own a computer or really supports technology.  The only computer work done is by his staff and he usually just watches and guides their computer work.

Milton on his personal time has created a children’s book with is wife Shirley.  Shirley Glaser is an author who wrote the book The Alphazeds and Milton did the illustrations.

Milton Glaser is one of the most important graphic designers of the past 50 years who has created many iconic posters and styles over his career.  At age 84 now he is still designing very thoughtful and elegant art.  As a designer Glaser recognizes his skill act communicating ideas to the public and realizes how important this skill is.  He calls himself designer-citizen, which to him means using design to inform people to work towards a better future.  It is important to him to be labeled as a citizen, because he believes all designers has a social responsibility to the world to be truth and to inform the public.