A zine about my biggest inspiration in the last two years

1. P A U L A
SCHER
P A U L A
P A U L A
P A U L A

2. COURSE
DESIGNER
DATE
History of Graphic Design Spring 2019
Boston University School of Visual Arts
Angela Lian
April 29, 2019

3. October 6, 1948 marked an important
date in design history-- the birth of one
of the most influential graphic designers
in the world. Paula Scher is one with the
American vernacular, her iconic works
drawing lines between pop culture and
fine art. Existing as an illustrator, painter,
graphic designer, and art director, Scher’s
foundation started with a BFA from the
Tyler School of Art in 1970. Since then,
she has developed several iconic identity
and branding systems, received many
honors and awards in her industry, and
been a celebrated first female member of
Pentagram since 1991.
P A U L A
SCHER
P A U L A
P A U L A
P A U L A
PAULA
PAULA
PAULA
PAULA
32

4. Since watching her episode on the
Netflix series, Abstract: The Art of
Design two years ago, I have fallen
in love with her unique approach
to typography as well as her basic
philosophies of intuition, play, and
motivation. It was from this episode
that I discovered the quote that
would drive me as a graphic designer:
This philosophy really shows in
Scher’s work. Every project I’ve seen
from her has been treated as if her
peak was close, but never reached.
This has allowed her to create such
iconic works that continually raise
the bar. Most notable and inspiring
to me are her identity systems for
The Public Theater, the Museum of
Modern Art, and her map paintings.
“I’m driven by the hope
that I haven’t made my
best work yet.”
Angela Lian
Paula Scher Poster, 2018
4 5

5. Typography is painting with words. That’s my biggest high. It’s my
c r a c k .
You have to be in a state of play to design. If you’re not in a state of
p l a y , you can’t make anything.
Design needs to take h u m a n b e h a v i o r into account.
The design of the logo is never really the hard part of the job. It’s
p e r s u a d i n g a million people to use it.
I notice it more and more as I get older: how important the a c t
o f m a k i n g stuff is to me.
There’s a moment and it’s in every job. It’s like this incredible
e l a t i o n and high. It’s like you made m a g i c for a
moment.
I’m d r i v e n by the hope that I haven’t made my best work yet.
Making stuff is the h e a r t of everything.
That drive n e v e r goes away. What can I make next?
paula scher quotes
i admire
6 7

6. Perhaps Scher’s most well-known work is the
visual identity for the Public Theater in New
York. When interviewed about the success of
this system, she attributed it to “a complete
visual language for an institution beyond
just a logo. It has always been extremely
recognizable. It also became very connected
to the loud bold spirit of New York City.” Her
25-years-and-counting relationship with the
Public Theater has allowed her to experiment
with countless design solutions, failures, and
successes, which is why she calls it her lab.
Her lively posters for tap rap musical “Bring
in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk” achieved a
recognizable but also easily imitable style of
loud and animated typography with an acti-
vated figure. San serif type of various weights
and sizes fill the poster space with diagonal,
vertical, and horizontal typography all living in
harmony. Beyond the chaos, order is created
with a grounding figure weaving beyond type
along with lines sectioning off information and
leading the eye around the composition.
the public theater
Paula Scher
Select posters for The Public Theater
8 9

7. In a sense, the Public Theater had an identity
crisis for some time because of Scher’s
continuous exploration of creating graphics
that didn’t allow the individual events or
productions to overpower an institution
if their success became greater than the
understanding of the institution. Despite
this, the identity continued to evolve for the
better, welcoming a year of more simplified,
moody, and well-received production post-
ers, then settling on a new structure in 2008
due to the appointment of a new artistic
director. A consistent style of black and
white with one other strong color and the
new horizontal logo reading, “Public” was
implemented. Everything Scher has created
for the Public Theater uses dynamic space,
interesting grids, clear hierarchy, and strong
typographic exploration. It complements
New York City all too well.
Paula Scher
Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk
Paula Scher
Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk
10 11

8. Paula Scher
Select posters for
The Public Theater
12 13

9. Working with Pentagram, Scher’s work for
the Museum of Modern Art was success-
ful in contemporizing an already mod-
ern institution using the existing iconic
logotype. The strong grid of the compo-
sition is versatile and consistent, with the
logotype always placed vertically similar to
the signage on the museum’s facade. The
images of artworks make up the largest
portion of the structure, with appropriate
scale and careful cropping utilized for
effect. In turn, dynamic scale shifts make
the visual system recognizable and easy to
read. In addition, having the information
and logotype always placed against a white
background also aids in legibility. I find
the balance between the large logotype
and even larger image visually satisfying
and unique. Scher’s work for the Museum
of Modern Art has given the institution a
cohesive and powerful voice.
Installation in the Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street subway station across the
street from the museum.
Print communications designed using the new identity.
museum of modern art
14 15

10. InstallationintheFifthAvenueand53rdStreetsubwaystationacrossthestreetfromthemuseum.
16 17

11. Every artist needs a haven that separates
work from leisure, that helps ground the in-
dividual. For Scher, painting maps in intense
detail gives her the balance she needs. Be-
cause they were never intended to be sold,
she has complete freedom as to the artistic
direction and time frame for completion.
These large-scale maps indicate political
and societal connections between countries
and regional borders using color, a range of
line, and intricate lettering. I interpret them
as her way of documenting and keeping
track of the world in attempts to understand
it. It reminds me of my own documentation
of my life using lists, photos, journals, etc
and inspires me to begin documenting
information beyond myself. I’ve learned that
graphic designers have a social responsi-
bility to convey important social messages
to the public, and Paula agrees, stating
that, “The job of the designer is to make
things understandable, usable, accessible,
enjoyable, and important to a public, that
involves the public.”
map
paintings
Paula Scher
Select map paintings
18 19

12. 20 21

13. 22 23

14. 24 25
Paula has not only provided valuable insight
into my purpose as a graphic designer. She
has also carved a path in the design world
that emphasizes both work and leisure.
Through her, I’ve made an effort to make as
much as I can, no matter if it fails or suc-
ceeds. She says that “making is the heart of
everything” and I couldn’t agree more. The
only way to innovate, achieve, and improve
is to do. Doing means trying everything,
crossing disciplines, and finding the thing
that makes a designer tick. Every project
I’ve endeavored maintains a balance of play
and purpose. Scher’s success of her identity
systems has taught me how design affects
society and how society affects design.
Good design does not simply exist. It is the
role of the designer to persuade millions of
people to use it. This requires perhaps the
most important skill a designer can have:
empathy.
Scher has been my biggest inspiration
in design for more than two years. Her work
for The Public Theater, MoMA, and map
paintings exhibit the power of making, and
her philosophies of play, creation and mo-
tivation give me so much hope. “The drive
never goes away. What can I make next?”
Only time can tell.
Album cover for Wilbert Longmire,
Sunny Side Up. 1978
P A U L A
SCHER
P A U L A
P A U L A
P A U L A
PAULA
SCHER
PAULA
PAULA
PAULA

15. SOURCES
Meggs, Philip B.. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design . Wiley. Kindle Edition.
http://www.artnet.com/artists/paula-scher/
http://www.artnet.com/artists/paula-scher/biography
https://www.pentagram.com/about/paula-scher
https://www.pentagram.com/work/moma/story
Images
https://hurryslowly.co/025-paula-scher/
https://www.pentagram.com/work/the-public-theater/story
https://www.monotype.com/resources/articles/type-mixtape-paula-scher/
https://www.pentagram.com/work/moma/story
https://www.citylab.com/design/2016/02/paula-schers-hand-painted-semi-
accurate-maps-of-america/470832/
http://dafi1637.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-maps-demographics.html