Paula Scher

Photo courtesy of: mockduck.wordpress.com

A New York City designer, Paula Scher has been touted as one of the top designers in the city. Scher has helped create identities for famous companies like NYC Ballet Co., Public Theatre Co., Citi Bank, Tiffany Co. and many more. She draws inspiration from the loud, urban, industrial city of New York. In a short video clip, Scher mentions that she "heavily works on instinct" and rarely works on refining because if her ideas don't come instantly, they almost always don't end up working for her. This aspect of relying heavily on instinct is drawn and inspired by the fast-paced city life in the movement of New Yorks' "hustle-and-bustle" life style. The way she works, her "pass/fail" attitude, is a strong commentary on the way many designers work. So many designers beat their heads trying to figure out what their client's want, when it is the responsibility of the designer to determine what the client really needs. Of course, meeting the clients' expectations is important, however, it shouldn't be at the expense of undermining your design expertise. Scher's work can be appreciated for it's clever and respectful use of simplicity.