Milton Glaser’s 10 Rules for Design and Life

Continuing on the topic of Milton Glaser, I thought it proper to write about the ten rules he lives by as a design professional. These rules encompass his attitude towards work and life, which he picked up during the course of his prolific career as a masterful graphic designer. They can be found in his book Short Talks. As I perused the list I thought of how important these ten rules are. If applied they can have a positive impact on any design career, so here they are.

1. You can only work for people that you like

This is a nice proposition but for some it would seem a bit far-fetched. For those who can afford to work exclusively for people they like, such as Milton Glaser, this is a reality. But the rest of us have to pay the bills and not every client or coworker is a walk in the park. But taking it a step further, there is a profound psychological principle behind this statement. When we work for people and with people that we like, work becomes uplifting and it’s never a drag. Our output improves, and our solutions are more elegant because there are no negative emotions that dilute the process. Ultimately we become more successful and satisfied with our own work, which creates a positive feedback loop. So this first rule is a no-brainer, and if at first you don’t succeed, use it as a general guideline. You’ll be able to apply it later on in your career once it’s more established.

2. If you have a choice, never have a job.

I consider my professional decision to become a web designer a wise one. I would say that all creative professionals work from a place of passion, not from obligation. Creative jobs are fulfilling in their own right because they facilitate creative exploration and expansion. If you wake up every morning and feel dread, you have a job. If you wake up every day energized to get on with the next project that comes your way, you have an exciting life. Ultimately we all have this choice to make and our own happiness depends on this. This is an essential rule for success in life.

3. Some people are toxic; avoid them.

To bring this point home, Glaser provides a simple test to detect if you are around toxic people. He exhorts that if after being around a person “you are more tired, then you have been poisoned. If you have more energy, then you have been nourished.” This test is completely true. I remember dreading interactions with my former employer. Every attempt at creative discourse was interpreted as a blatant attack on his personal ego and it was a noxious experience for all those involved. My work was undermined and never was there any praise. I felt completely drained and motivation to deliver quality work dropped. Now that I no longer work for him my sanity is recovered and I’m much more satisfied with my creative output. Avoid toxic people like the plague.

4. Professionalism is not enough or the good is the enemy of the great

By professionalism Glaser refers to the mechanization of the craft of design, which is devoid of exploration and risk taking. He states that when rigid professionalism is the first aim, experimentation is thwarted and true innovative solutions are silenced. He does not however resort to making professionalism the enemy. A degree of professionalism is always necessary. But doing just enough to appease the client or the professional standard is not what we want. We must strive to surpass our current level of work at every opportunity, and to do this we must push the boundaries and take the risks. This is our ultimate aspiration as designers.

5. Less is not necessarily more

Glaser states “If you look at a Persian rug you cannot state that less is more because you realize that every part of that rug, every change of color, every shift in form is absolutely essential for its aesthetic success.” Agreed. In the world of design less is not always more. There are styles upon styles, and minimalism has its place in the world just like extravagance. This mantra does not work in the dialectics of design, but is more applicable in the world of productivity and efficiency.

6. Style is not to be trusted

Change is constant. Styles come and go. Why be loyal to one style and marry yourself to Russian Constructivism? Economic considerations and the whim of the crowd define what’s hot and what’s not. So style alone should never be a bastion of inspiration for designers. The best approach would be to diversify your stylistic identity. Certain styles work for certain times, but being quick to adapt and understanding the underlying stylistic landscape is a sure way to do great work with longevity.

7. How you live changes your brain

Glaser purports that our environment affects our work and the way we think. He also suggests that drawing affects the way our brain is wired. It makes us develop a certain intelligence that can’t come from anything else. Taking this advice it would benefit all designers to create an environment that fosters creativity and be constantly around inspiring people that will push our boundaries. And like Einstein who often stood on his head to see the world differently, drawing or doing something that will make you look at the world in a different light will trigger new impulses in your synapse. Which can lead to new and exciting directions in your design.

8. Doubt is better than certainty

“Deeply held beliefs of any kind prevent you from being open to experience” says Glaser. Skepticism is necessary and questioning absolutes and the status quo is always a prerequisite for truly groundbreaking work. Creativity flows to the mind that is receptive to the new and the fresh, and this can only come from letting go of familiar notions. As notable psychologist Erich Fromm once stated, “creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.”

9. On getting old

Since Glaser is nearing eighty years of existence, this point is understandable and well received. Any pearl of wisdom that can add years to a lifetime is welcome. So his only word of caution here is “it doesn’t matter.” Getting old or being young, being late or being early, having a bad hair day or no hair day. All these things diminish their relative value in the face of time. So what’s truly important in the end is being presently aware and immersed in the journey, giving little attention to the years that pass you by.

10. Tell the truth

To criticize the advertising establishment Glaser points to ethics. Many times as designers we fudge the argument and message to misrepresent reality in favor of dollars. We should focus not on the bottom line, but on the ultimate significance of our actions, keeping ethics on level. Designers, same as journalists, are communicators. Designers have a great responsibility to tell the truth and keep things honest.

About the Author

Cristian Bosch is a user interface designer and front-end web developer who's passionate about building stunning sites. He runs Maquina Studio and writes about web design. Follow him on twitter: @crisbosch.