Lessons from the pandemic on slow living, with Gail Anderson
- S3E62
- 51:29
- October 25th 2021
Gail Anderson is an American graphic designer, writer and educator based in New York. Famous for her typographic works, hand-lettering and poster designs, she graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 1984, where one of her teachers was Paula Scher.
She began her career as a designer at Vintage Books (part of Random House) and later The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. She then became senior art director for Rolling Stone, where she worked for 15 years, working her way up the ladder. In 2002, she was creative director at Spot Co, a studio that specialises in advertising for the arts and entertainment sectors. Today, Gail is a co-founder of Anderson Newton Designs, which she runs with Joe Newton.
Gail has won numerous awards for her work over the years – some of which is in the permanent collections of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and the Library of Congress. She's also co-author with Steven Hellar of various design books, including the recent Type Speaks. And she's come full circle, working at the School of Visual Arts in New York where she enjoys teaching the next generation of graphic designers.
Earlier this month, we chatted with Gail between lectures about what she's been up to lately. We hear more about her family, her childhood, and how the pandemic made her realise a few harsh truths. We learn of pumpkins and bears, and the real joy of having a place to call home. This is a warm and inspiring conversation with one of the biggest yet most humble names in graphic design today.
Season Three of The Creative Boom Podcast is kindly sponsored by Capture One.
The Creative Boom Podcast
Host Katy Cowan sits down with designers, illustrators, animators and creative thinkers who’ve been through it all. The highs. The lows. The messy middle. No jargon or guru nonsense. Just warm, honest conversations with people who tell it like it is, and who don't mind having a laugh along the way. Come for the stories. Stay because it feels like someone finally gets it.
Meet the Host
Katy Cowan is the founding editor of Creative Boom, a global platform, podcast, and community that champions creatives and helps them build sustainable, fulfilling careers.
With over 25 years in media, PR, and marketing, she started out in broadcast journalism before co-founding digital consultancy Boomerang in 2007, working with clients including the BBC, TATA Group, and Manchester City Football Club.
In 2009, she launched Creative Boom to support creatives who felt overlooked or unsure of their path. Today, it reaches over a million people each month and has partnered with brands like Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Canon, and Wix.
Now fully focused on Creative Boom, Katy is on a mission to make the creative industry feel more open, honest, and accessible. Through her work, she helps artists and designers feel seen, supported, and a little less alone.