February 15, 2024

My favorite graphic designer and most profound influence on my design career is Kit Hinrichs, former partner at Pentagram, and now — in his 80s — still working at his own studio in San Francisco. Kit has received every design award and recognition there is, and deservedly so. He’s truly one of the masters.

I met Kit a couple of times at talks he gave in D.C.; he’s remarkably easy going and very approachable. His work, which he describes as “narrative design,” is distinguished by a flawless attention to detail and craft. Every time I’ve held one of his printed pieces in my hand, his brilliance is reaffirmed: the perfect imagery, wonderfully balanced white space, color and typography; and artfully applied production touches like contrasting varnishes, embosses, de-bosses, foil stamping, and folding. His pieces just feel great. Most importantly, every design element is calibrated to help better tell his client’s story. There is a purposefulness to his work that goes far beyond fashion, let alone trendiness.

I recently got Kit’s monograph, a signed, limited edition published by Graphis: Narrative Design: A Fifty-Year Perspective. I’m sharing a few spreads from the book because it displays a creative sensibility that, unfortunately, there’s too little of in the design world today. Enjoy.

https://www.studio-hinrichs.com/

Photos below: Copyright ©Kit Hinrichs and Graphis 2024