NOTE FROM THE CEO
When I stepped into the role of CEO and owner at talkStrategy, I knew that I had the huge responsibility to foster a brave space coupled with an inclusive agency culture open to all perspectives. I don’t take this responsibility lightly. I am proud of the team we have built, each person bringing their own perspectives to the work, to the enrichment of the agency and to each other as individuals. Beginning this month, we will embark on a year-long journey to learn more about each other, explore new perspectives, and have candid conversations. As communications professionals, our role is to help brands navigate the modern channel ecosystem. We hope this endeavor will introduce new thinking, making us better communicators, better stewards of the ecosystem, and frankly better humans. To ensure we have diverse perspectives, the exploration will be spearheaded by rotating members of our team of talkStrategists. I hope you join us over the next weeks and months, as well as join in the dialogue.
Let's talk: Gail Anderson
During this Black History Month, we are taking the time to acknowledge and honor Black professionals who have made contributions to the Marketing and Communications industry as a whole, as well as recognizing those who are history in the making. Next, we’re highlighting the dynamic typography and prestigious career of Gail Anderson.
Gail Anderson, New York-based designer, writer, and educator
Gail Anderson (born 1962) is a highly acclaimed designer, writer and educator renowned for her exceptional talent in creating dynamic, expressive typefaces that are perfectly suited for their subject matter. Hailing from New York, Anderson’s passion for design was ignited by the teen magazines she read during her formative years, and it flourished during her studies at the School of Visual Arts in New York, where she developed her unique methodologies and fearless approach to design.
Anderson’s career in design began at The Boston Globe, where she worked with the pioneers of newspaper design in the late 1980s. In 1987, she joined Rolling Stone and worked closely with AIGA medalist Fred Woodward. Together, they explored new and innovative materials and techniques to create the magazine’s eclectic designs, utilizing everything from hot metal to twigs and bottle caps.
After rising through the ranks from associate to senior art director, Anderson left Rolling Stone in 2002 to join SpotCo, where her focus shifted to advertising. At SpotCo, she has designed countless posters for Broadway and off-Broadway productions, including the critically acclaimed Avenue Q and Eve Ensler’s The Good Body.
Anderson is highly regarded as a collaborator, known for her inclusive, expressive, and encouraging approach to working with others. Nonetheless, she acknowledges that much of her “high-octane” designing occurs solo, often late into the night. Whether working collaboratively or on solo projects, Anderson’s designs always emphasize the highest potential of her subjects, be it magazine layouts, theatrical posters, or any other design work she creates.
Gail’s work has won countless awards from design organizations, including the Society of Publication Designers, Type Directors Club, AIGA, Art Directors Club, Graphis, Communication Arts, and Print. You can also find her work in the permanent collections at Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, Library of Congress, and Milton Glaser Design Archives. She has authored/co-authored numerous design books, she teaches at School of Visual Arts, and she serves on advisory boards for Adobe and Society of Publication Designers. In 2008, she received the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Medal from AIGA and the 2009 Richard Gangel art direction award.
FUN FACT
Anderson designed the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation stamp with Antonio Alcala — which sold 50,000,000 copies and became a clue on “Jeopardy!”
Thank you for taking to the time to learn more with us about the impact of Black professionals in the field. Stay tuned throughout the coming months for more moments of reflection and homage. Follow for more talkStrategy storytelling at @wetalkstrategy.