David Hillman (born 12 February 1943) is a British graphic designer. He was a partner at design firm Pentagram between 1978 and 2006.
Contents
Early life
Hillman was born 12 February 1943 in Oxford, England. His father worked at Pathé News and supplied newsreels to cinemas. Hillman attended Aristotle Central School in London. He later moved to The London School of Printing and Graphic Arts and studied from 1959 to 1962 under Tom Eckersley.
Career
David Hillman began his career in graphic design at the age of 19, shortly after completing his education at the LSP. His first professional role was with the newly established The Sunday Times Magazine under editor Mark Boxer. Alongside the daily work at the magazine, Mark and David also worked together with David Bailey to produce David Bailey's box of pin-ups. In 1965 he left to join the editorial team at London Life as art editor. He later returned to The Sunday Times, where he contributed to the design direction of both the newspaper as well as its magazine supplement.
Hillman moved onto Nova magazine in 1968, overseeing art direction while also serving as deputy editor. Following the closure of Nova in 1975, he launched an independent studio, where one of his notable commissions was an overhaul of the French daily Le Matin de Paris, the first computerised daily newspaper.
During this period Hillman was elected to the Alliance Graphique Internationale (1977). An organisation of which he would later take on two leadership roles – serving as its UK President from 1996 to 2000 and as International President between 2000 and 2003.
Hillman became a partner at Pentagram Design in 1978 and remained with the firm until 2006. As a Pentagram partner – along jobs including the Phaidon identity, Tate Identity and Il Sole 24 Ore redesign – he undertook "one of the most influential redesigns of a national newspaper in the modern era" – The Guardian.
During his time at Pentagram Design, Hillman also authored several books on visual puzzles, starting with Puzzlegrams in 1989.
Hillman established his own studio, Studio David Hillman, after leaving the design consultancy. Over the course of his career, he has received several honours: in 1997, he was appointed a Royal Designer for Industry, and in 2004, he was named a Senior Fellow of the Royal College of Art. In 2012, he was recognised by D&AD as its Most Awarded Designer.
Work
Editorial designs
The Guardian
Il Sole 24 Ore
De Volkskrant 1993
Le Matin de Paris
Sunday Express Colour Magazine
Nova (magazine)
IRM
Building
Design (Design Council) 1990
Big Paper (Design Council)
People (magazine)
Times Higher Education
Classic FM Magazine
New Statesman
National Trust
Nursing Times
Business
City Limits (London magazine) 1989
David Bailey Box of Pin-Ups
Terence Donovan The Photographs
Terence Donovan Fashion
Terence Donovan Portraits
Terence Donovan 100 Fashion Photos
Terence Donovan 100 Faces
Nova 1965–1975
The English Sunrise
Century Makers
Brand identity designs
Royal College of Nursing
Ideal Standard
Editorial Intelligence
Bocconi, Milan
IDI
World Advertising Research Centre (WARC)
Sekonda
The Wing, Hong Kong
Liverpool Biennial, 2006
Skandia
Arup
Building
Marja Kurki
Dragonfly Tea
Dragonfly Cloud Tea
Wave
Obongo
Mark Borkowski
Ez'ech
Trevi
World Advertising Research Centre (WARC)
Sekonda
Spaghetti Records
Cedric Lisney Associates
Royal College of Nursing
Golden Grove
Scottish Trade Centre
Stratos
Viscom
Packaging
Ideal-Standard
Dragonfly Tea
Tick Tock
Calendars
Ideal-Standard
Wakefield Fortune
Signage
Canary Wharf, London
Stockley Park, Middlesex
National Maritime Museum, London
Bull Ring, Birmingham
Chiswick Park, London
Tate Modern
Tate Milbank
Tate Liverpool
Tate St. Ives
Liverpool Biennial 2006
Angel Building, London
Selfridges, Manchester
Exhibition designs
The Colorado International Invitation Poster Exhibition 1983
Modernism, V&A
Liverpool Biennial 2006
Hillman in Print. The Hub, Sleaford, 2009
Posters
The Turner Prize 1991, The Tate Gallery
One Classic Ground 1990, The Tate Gallery
Modernism V&A
Kenneth Grange V&A
Design Magazine
IDI
Liverpool Biennial
Fondazione Napoli Novantanove
Stamps
The Royal Diamond Jubilee Wedding
Freedom Stamp
Millennium 2000 (48)
Retail
Wakefield Fortune Travel
Honours
1972 D&AD Silver Editorial Design
1972 D&AD Silver Art direction
1973 D&AD Gold Most outstanding piece of Design
1973 D&AD Silver Book Design
1973 D&AD Silver Editorial Design
1975 D&AD Silver Editorial Design
1983 D&AD Silver Retail Design
1984 D&AD Silver Editorial Design
1988 D&AD Silver Newspaper Design
1993 D&AD Silver Poster Design
2000 D&AD Silver Stamp Design
1997 Royal Designer to Industry
2004 Senior Fellow Royal College of Art
1989 New York Art Directs club Silver Book design
2012 D&AD Most Awarded designer
The Art Director's 6th International Exhibition Silver Award for Book Design, USA
1989 Society of Newspaper Designers – The Guardian Re-design Silver Award, USA
1999 Sign Design Awards Grandprix for the Most Outstanding Entry