Milton Glaser (b.1929) is among the most celebrated graphic designer in the United States. He has had the distinction of one-man-shows at the Museum of Modern Art and the Georges Pompidou Center. In 2004 he was selected for the lifetime achievement award of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum. As a Fulbright scholar, Glaser studied with the painter, Giorgio Morandi in Bologna, and is an articulate spokesman for the ethical practice of design. He opened Milton Glaser, Inc. in 1974, and continues to produce an astounding amount of work in many fields of design to this day. (read more).

MG: I don’t get excited by many designers that I see around me, partially because my references have more often come out of other sources (anthropology, art history, etc.).

 I hate change, except in the work itself.

FYD: And for the young, does persistence still pay off?

MG: Persistence is certainly one of the components and perhaps the most significant one for success and personal development. In the absence of talent, persistence may not accomplish its objectives. But without it, a life in design is virtually impossible.

FYD: Any New Years resolutions?

MG: To make it through the year!

I still work at my desk in the same way as I’ve done for the last 60 years.

(Photo 1: Inspiration Wall Above Milton’s Desk by Molly Kromhout, 2009. Photo 2: Milton Glaser by Gaetano Kazuo Maida, 2009. Image 3: Milton Glaser Photos 9 thru 15 of Milton’s space: courtesy of the photographer Pascal Bejean who graciously granted permission to From The Desk Of…)

Follow Milton Glaser on Twitter @TheMiltonglaser