Focus Graphic Designers, the Herb Luballin’s story and the lesson to search your own inspiration without being afraid of becoming an “art steal-er”

Folks! First, please LOOK at this typeface!     

Look familiar? Let me give you a little glue here: this ITC Avant Garde typeface have been used widely on many logos throughout the last two decades by so many different, talented designers, by You, by us. Yes! Now, do me a favor, don’t do any research, answer yourself, just for yourself, who are the creator of this ITC Avant Garde typeface for the magazines!   

  “Usted precisa una buena línea” (“You need a good line”). Geomundo magazine, 1977.   

"Little Beasts" Logo.

That was a cloudy day in Seattle, Washington, when my husband decided to take me to the coffee shop to do some creative work and search for new inspirations. Spending few minutes reading up-to-date news about creative world before starting my branding work as usual, I ran into a short, interesting conversation on the forum for designers.

And it was so interestedly ANNOYING that I decided to do my very-very first blog post in my entire online entrepreneur business life, obviously, in my whole life as well. Now, let’s imagine the conversation between person A and B in which A is the information provider and B is the information receiver and “responder”. The story begins as A shares one of his latest artwork, a beautiful, elegant, and classic typographic logo using the type I mentioned above, the ITC Avant Garde typeface. Lots of forum members showed their interest and admiration to A’s artwork. However, there is a comment so standing-out that it catches my attention immediately; B: “wow, during my 3-year of being a type-designer, this typeface you create is beyond amazing!!!!”. And following with B’s nice comment, there are a few C, D, F, G … seem to agree with his statement! Yes, the story ends here, excuse me!

So this B person, I don’t want to judge anyone, has 3 years of experiments, and he could not tell the font he sees, might use everyday is created by whom? I was angry, I was mad…; we all know that knowledge is like the deep blue sea, and our understanding is just a little tiny sand comparing with that huge ocean, I won’t judge!

So let me rephrase the statement I claimed before: I was angry, I was mad not because of his misunderstanding of who creates the typeface, it is because the name Herb Luballin, the “father” stands behind the famous Avant Garde font and many other contribute for design’s revolution, has been forgotten after decades. Herb Luballin is the man who blew spirit into words, the man who made Type no longer just a medium for setting text, the “father” who turned Type into lively image! He is the one whose revolution has brought new face to Typography. He is the one who break all the society’s standard rules for Type design industry back in the day and inspires typographic style to designers around the world

 Yes, so this is the guy we will talk about in the next blog post! (seriously, with all my respect.)

You, I, we use Herb Luballin’s typeface on a daily basic whenever we design. I believe the fact that we know and learn about people who once spent their life to contribute for their dreams and the next generations’ inspiration will help us have a deeper understanding for the career we are following. As a designer, it is important for one to realize what style that suitable for you: iconic design, typographic logos, or a mix of everything. The next benefit of knowing the network and contributors in design industry is that it will be easy for you to search for your avatar or you can say “Inspiration”.      

  “Whether I went to school or not, I would always study.” - RZA 

It is true! I was once the same person as B. I did design, I talked design, I live and act as a designer but I just know myself and Google! Oh that was terrible time. I did not care who created this font I was using for this design, I did not even waste time bothering who the heck Alan Flecher was! I worked and designed on my own and knew only myself! I know, I felt lost after a while. I was having a hard time searching for my inspiration, my design turned terribly ugly in a way. Suddenly, I realized I was just a creator, a designer but not a “Contributor”. Here, as a contributor, your responsibility and duty is to always remember who has fought to bring new ideas for a death-boring standard; and of course, you need to make sure these men’s revolution will be passed on to the next next generations. I was wrong. 

And guess what, I started searching, learning, asking myself annoying questions that I had to spend time to look for those knowledge. However, it helps enrich my understandings and knowing more and more people. And oh my gosh, there are so many great people all around me and I was too ignorant to realize!  

Back in the day, we have Milton Glaser, the creator of the iconic “I [heart] NY”, who has transformed what it means to create a powerful, timeless design; Alan Fletcher, the British “father” of graphic design and known as a great business man in the industry at that time… and so many more to know!   

So the final question is: “Who fits your style of designing?”. Hey, if I were you, I would not mind to answer any jerks that ask me this question as “I have no idea.” That is so true! You will not know whose style fits you the most until you actually try. By the fact you understanding Herb Luballin’s style of designing, “Oh he is so cool, typographic logos look amazing, I want to be like him!”, oh yes, do not feel ashamed of saying this out loud. I repeat, DO NOT FEEL ASHAMED OF BEING SOMEONE ELSE. 

The reason? The reason is simple! As a designer, a singer, a writer… we all know that no one are born with a style or a voice; no one are born to immediately know who you are to become. No! We all need to learn and pretend to become our heroes. And that you should feel lucky because you have a hero you want to be like. As a kid, you might take Superman as your ideal model, I would not mind. As a designer, it is important and necessary to learn how to steal art.  

  “Start stealing what you love. Stealing stealing stealing stealing. At the end of the stealing, you will find yourself.” – Yohji Yamamoto     

Yesterday, yes, I want to be Herb Luballin, I tried. Today, finding someone new and more interesting, yes, I want to be like him, her, it … but also reflecting on Herb’s typographic style. That is totally FINE! The fact is by copying those heroes and trying to be them, you will soon find your own voice and your own niche and start creating your own style! Oh yes, that is amazing feeling. You need to start gathering branches for your own tree!     

  “I have stolen all of these moves from all these great players. I just try to make them proud, the guys who came before, because I learned so much from the. It’s all in the name of the game. It’s a lot bigger than me” – Kobe Bryant    

 We need to learn to be a Contributor in order to become a great Creator!

My last words: this is my first blog post, written based on my own understanding and perspective about the importance of knowing the innovators that have brought new breath to own-fashioned prejudgments. And that we should not feel ashamed of ourselves as trying to become our heroes. Actually, it is the opposite, it helps designers in finding their own style. I did not mean to judge or force anyone to learn about people’ stories to be a better person. Nope! It is your choice after all. So if you like it, please leave a comment below, or if you don’t like my opinion, I guess … you can also leave a comment below. Humm! Have a nice day for you guys!