Gail Anderson (graphic designer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gail Anderson
Illustration of Gail Anderson by Creative Repute LLC
Born	1962 (age 62–63) Bronx, New York, United States
Education	School of Visual Arts (BFA 1984)
Awards	AIGA medal (2008)

Gail Anderson (born in 1962) is a super talented American graphic designer, writer, and educator. She's famous for her amazing skills with type (that's how letters and words look), her cool hand-lettering, and her eye-catching poster designs.

Gail Anderson's Story

Early Life and Learning

Gail Anderson's family moved to the Bronx, New York from Jamaica. She was the first person in her family born in America. She was also the first to go to college.

When she was young, Gail loved making pretend magazines. She made them about her favorite music groups like the Jackson 5. As she got older, she started thinking about "commercial art" as a possible job. This is art used for things like advertising.

She went to the School of Visual Arts and graduated in 1984. There, she learned from a famous designer named Paula Scher. Later, Gail herself became a teacher at the School of Visual Arts. She taught design to college students and even high schoolers. She also helps guide groups like the Type Directors Club. She is even on a committee that helps choose designs for US postage stamps!

Her Amazing Career

After college, Gail worked as a designer at Vintage Books. Then, from 1985 to 1987, she worked at The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine.

Her big break came at Rolling Stone magazine. She worked there for 15 years, from 1987 to 2002. She started as a designer and became a senior art director.

In 2002, she became the creative director at SpotCo. This company makes ads for plays and shows. Her first project there was a subway poster for a play called Harlem Song. She also managed all the different typefaces (fonts) used at SpotCo.

Today, Gail is a partner at Anderson Newton Design. She works with Joe Newton.

Gail Anderson in 2012

Gail is especially good at creating ads for Broadway shows. Her work has won many awards. It is even kept in famous places like the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Her designs are also in the Library of Congress.

In 2013, Gail designed a special US postage stamp. It celebrated the Emancipation Proclamation.

For over 20 years, Gail has also written books with Steven Heller. These books are about graphic design. Some titles include New Modernist Type and New Vintage Type. She also writes for magazines like Imprint.

Gail believes that designing with type should be fun. She says you need to be ready to try new things.

She continues to teach at the School of Visual Arts. She is also the creative director for the school's own design studio. She is still a partner at Anderson Newton Design. She helps lead the Type Directors Club. She is also part of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee for the US Postal Service.

Gail's career has covered many areas. She has designed magazines, taught students, created theater ads, and designed packaging. She has also written books. Her work has won many top awards from major design groups. Her designs are in the permanent collections of important museums. These include the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum. In 2018, Gail Anderson received a special Lifetime Achievement Award. This was from the National Design Awards. It was a big moment for women of color in design.

Her Design Style

Gail Anderson has always loved type. She is always looking for ways to make her skills even better. She uses many different kinds of type in her work. This includes old-fashioned wood type and even objects she finds.

Gail has developed her own unique style. She uses ideas from old ads, vintage signs, and antique type books. All these things inspire her love for type. Now, she focuses on creating art and campaigns for Broadway theater. She also specializes in hand-lettering and designing packaging. She even wrote a book about hand-drawn packaging. This book shows off her amazing talent and design skills. It won an award for its beautiful illustrations.

Cool Works by Gail Anderson

Gail Anderson has worked on many different types of graphic design projects. Some of her most famous works are the posters she made for entertainment. These include projects for the School of Visual Arts, Rolling Stone, and many theater groups.

Theater Posters

Broadway Shows

• Avenue Q
• Man of La Mancha

Guthrie Theater

• Peer Gynt

Magazine Designs

Rolling Stone Magazine

• Alicia Keys
• Axl Rose

Other Posters

School of Visual Arts

• SVA Subway Poster

Type Directors Club

• Wanted

Books She Has Written

Gail Anderson has written many books about design. She often works with Steven Heller on these books.

Awards and Honors

• 2008: She received the AIGA Lifetime Achievement Medal. This is a very high honor in graphic design.
• 2009: She won the Richard Gangel Art Director Award.
• 2018: She was honored with the Cooper Hewitt National Design Awards’ Lifetime Achievement award.