How to be a great designer

When we started AdamsMorioka, the first phone call on that first day came from Saul Bass. He called to congratulate us and offer any help. I asked Saul to only give me some good advice. He answered, “Hire a business person more expensive than you think you can afford,” and. “Never talk to a client about design.” I’ve used both of these for the last 16 years.

The year before Saul died, we spoke at the Aspen Design Conference. One of the speakers before us went over-schedule 30 minutes. This designer was well known for temper tantrums, so the organizers didn’t pull him off stage. By the end of his mini-series length lecture, most of the audience left wearily. This left us and the next speaker, Lorraine Wild, with a very empty theater. Once on stage, I looked out and saw a sea of empty seats, and Saul and Elaine Bass. They sat through the long lecture and stayed to support us. That is the mark of a true hero. You’ll see Saul’s work here often, the color palettes alone are genius. He was a remarkable designer and a true mensch.