The logo, which features a heart and the city's initials, was created by Glaser in 1977 to serve as the basis for an advertising campaign to promote tourism in the city and, later, to promote New York State as well.
In his famous ten commandments, Milton Glaser essentially laid out the fundamentals of design. Pure synthesis. Pure clarity. Like a logo. Like the New York City logo. Synthesis. Nothing is superfluous; nothing is missing. It is entirely relevant and highly evocative. It can be deciphered in two seconds. How could he have come up with such a simple, clear idea?
Gustavo “Maca” Wojciechowski
Maca, who taught at the School of Design from 1996 to 2020 and also served as Professor of Editorial Design, refers to the book *Milton Glaser: Graphic Design*, a compilation of his work published in 1973, which was later reprinted numerous times.
"In design, what matters is the idea, the concept," Maca argues. "The more precise that idea is, the more beautiful the design. You have to draw not just with your hand, but with your mind."
Marcos Larghero, a former professor of Corporate Identity—who has also been teaching since 1996—agrees: “Synthesis, visual impact, clarity of message, and aesthetic value; an indispensable and undisputed authority, with ideas that are always fresh and universally understood.”
“At the same time, her touch is precise, subtle, delicate, and powerful all at once,” Maca continues. “It reveals a wealth of cultural heritage. And it speaks volumes. It seems effortless. It flows. You can imagine, sense, and see her smile as she draws, and that comes across. The viewer is infected by her smile and smiles too. They enjoy it.”
A few years before creating the legendary “I Love NY” logo, he designed the famous Bob Dylan poster, a symbol of the 1960s. In Maca’s view: “That hair perfectly captures the spirit of the era. It’s the head that’s bursting with color. A new head. The new man. The revolution. Freedom. Entwined in that hair are surrealist imagery, pop art, the hippies, flower power, May 1968 in France, and the miniskirt.”
It is estimated that, in total, he created more than 300 posters. Larghero particularly recalls his posters for Olivetti and the design celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Vespa brand.
All these different facets enriched his prolific body of graphic design work, to which we must add his sense of humor and his passion for fine cuisine. He was, paradoxically in my opinion, a “true-blue” New Yorker—more European than American.
Marcos Larghero
Glaser studied at Cooper Union (United States) and the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna (Italy). Together with Seymour Chwast, he founded Push Pin Studio, and in 1974 he established his own firm, where he focused on editorial design and corporate identity.