Interview with Milton Glaser on Print

Milton Glaser designed the cover of the latest June issue for Print magazine. As the preeminent American designer of the century, his design work requires no introduction. 

I feel incredibly honored that we had a chance to speak briefly over the phone:

The sub-heading for this cover is “who has the power and who’s on their way up.” How did you convey this concept for the cover?

The imagery communicates the transfer of knowledge from one dark form to light. The hands connect through illumination. On the technical side, we had a little trouble convincing the folks at Print to alter the logo to include a transition from dark to light. People get a little apprehensive about tampering with logo treatments, but eventually it worked out well. Developing the ‘concept’ remains one of the most mysterious, metaphysical thought processes you cannot explain. The ‘what’ is easy to answer. It’s the ‘why’ that’s difficult.

The hands are an interesting symbol to illustrate the topic of upcoming designers. With all the digital software, do you think the hand still holds a place in the future of design?

Images representing the figure have been used for many years. We still have hands and no matter how advanced; we still rely on our basic, simplistic means. They are our fundamental tools and drawing will always be important. 

I like to think of newsstands and record stores as galleries for design. Is there a certain joy to knowing your work could be seen by someone who’s never set foot inside an art gallery?

I’m not a fine artist. I’m a designer. What I do has nothing to do with galleries or even getting work seen by the public. Who is the public? Whether it’s the New York Post or the New York Times, you must determine who you are trying to reach. It’s about meeting the demands of an audience and clearly defining an image to effectively communicate an idea.

Do you think magazine covers will survive the transition from print to digital media?

If magazines still exist, the cover will be significant. No matter what form, there will always be a representation of ideas that will be transmitted visually.