“We rely too much on technology. I am not against it, but a pencil is one with my brain, an extension of my hand.”
Located near the famous Flatiron Building in downtown Manhattan is the headquarters of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), of which I’ve been a proud member since 1990. Inside AIGA’s humble three-story building is a gallery featuring the work of Spanish designer Manual Estrada. I’d never heard of him. An architect turned graphic designer (an admirable decision), Estrada’s beautiful work is accompanied by dozens of amazing sketch books—what he calls “visual diaries”—that reveal his design process and conceptual thinking. The show features his logo, book cover, magazine, and poster designs. It’s no wonder that Estrada is the first non-American to exhibit his work at AIGA NY. I now have a new design hero and a new sketch book.
by Linda Anderson