“If I get up every day with the optimism that I have the capacity for growth, then that’s success for me.”
Paula Scher
Learn about Paula
Origins: Paula Scher was born in Washington D.C. and was raised both there and In Philadelphia (very close to where I'm from!). She grew up surrounded by her parents. Her father was a cartographer and she often attributes a lot of her design style to him because he was the one who taught her about visual representation and design! As she grew up, she fell in love with design and the way that it could impact an audience. She went on to study Graphic Design and Illustration at Tyler School of Art. Like many designers, she then found her start in New York City where she worked for some minor companies before making it big.
Style: Paula Scher has made many amazing works that contribute to her overall style. Her work is most known for its bold, Art Deco style. She works with mainly typography, but also experiments in other various mediums such as painting, illustration, and photography. The dynamism in many of her pieces is truly amazing and an inspiration to various graphic designers today.
To the right is arguably Paula's most esteemed work that she completed for The Public Theater in New York City. Through the use of bold color and typography Paula created a jaw-dropping brand system for The Public theater that can be found here.
Take a look at some of the best works of Paula Scher Below...
Paula Scher is also extremely well-known for her MOMA redesign while at Pentagram. Another design that focuses on typography and the use of color. I think it's important to note her ability to create a brand identity with such simplicity. She knows how to create a flexible system that can be applies almost anywhere. The full info can be found here.
he second work I wanted to mention is Paula's branding identity for Shake Shack. As someone who is very interested in branding, I am thoroughly interested in this design. The design was supposed to feel like a fast food chain, but with cleanliness and simplicity at the forefront. The full story can be found here.
"Im glad I learned to design before the computer; I learned a lot about color that way". I think this quote form Scher herself proves true especially when look at her album cover designs. This cover for a Charles Mingus Album cover stood out to me specifically because of the simplicity, but also messaging that she was able to convey. Read about it here!
Paula scher has shaped the design community forever.
She continues to contribute to the design world every day and I truly look forward to her work in the future.