:quality(75))
The field of graphic design has never looked better. Every day, artists worldwide create something new and unique, enriching our create something new and unique with their work.
What does a graphic artist do? It's pretty simple. Designers, illustrators, and typographers can all be called artists when they create visually and conceptually exciting images that send a strong message. They use only letters, illustrations, and intelligent use of colors.
Many legendary designers have made a lasting contribution to this industry. Paula Scher, Sir Jonathan Ive, Rob Janoff (the Apple logo creator), and Massimo Vignelli (creator of NY Subway signage) are just some of them.
Much of their art is often confined to offline spaces that aren’t as instantly visible to us. If you’re looking for a micro-analysis of such classic graphic design pieces, you can check out our blog post on the best graphic design books to get for them.
From contemporary designers to typography designers, there is something for everyone, no matter which style of design you prefer.
artsbyemdee
artsbyemdee is the graphic design studio of Indonesian designer Michelle Deborah. She lives and works in Tokyo, Japan.
Some of her notable clients include the Bryce Thompson photography studio in New York, Vetora London, and Indonesian House of Beans.
Her style is characterized by bold, flat colors and retro typography. Her character illustrations are simple and quirky, immediately evoking a feeling of familiarity and joy.
Deborah often does mockups and fictional rebrands of well-known visual identities, putting a new spin on current designs. She keeps her TikTok and Behance accounts stocked with fresh ideas for her followers to enjoy.
Kamkami
Kamkami (Kamila) is a brand designer based in Prague, Czech Republic. She creates thoughtful designs for anything from brand identity to product packaging.
Her illustrations are quirky and easy on the eyes.
What we love most about this designer with an impressive Instagram following is that concept is king in her work. Her designs tell stories and bring brands to life—pasta isn't just food. It's a creative process and a feeling of home.
If you're looking for inspiring designs with a strong narrative and lovable character illustrations, then you should follow Kamkami's account.
Ollie Spicer
Another designer who leans heavily on retro design styles, Ollie Spicer is a UK-based designer who keeps his designs sleek and fuss-free.
He likes to use flat colors, outlines, and other cartoon-inspired elements in his work. You'll often see everyday objects like milk cartons and flowers walk on two legs while giving peace signs.
His motto is "Being nice and making cool stuff."
His earlier work also featured more complex Op Art-inspired monochromatic designs, showing how he's developed in his style and interests as a designer.
Be sure to check out his Linktree on Instagram to access his studio website and shop. You'll also find a link there to his YouTube channel, where he shares design advice and practical tips.
Jack Watson
This up-and-coming brand designer is based in Manchester, UK. Notable brands he's worked with include Zara, Adobe, Jagermeister, and a range of startups. He also occasionally does public speaking where he shared his ideas and insights on design.
His designs are minimal and create strong anchors for new brands to establish themselves. His font choices are always on par to communicate effectively without being boring.
If you're looking for branding inspo, follow Watson's Instagram profile. He often shares stories to reveal his design process and showcase his work in the wild.
Neil Secretario
If you’re the type to get sucked into the deep end with your typography, then Neil Secretario is the right graphic designer to explore.
He's a left-handed lettering artist and graphic designer. Neil has created art for clients all over the world. He has drawn logos, custom letters, and type for Sony Pictures, YouTube Red, Conde Nast, GQ Germany, Intercom, Lionsgate, Mikimoto, Penguin Random House, and Schweppes Europe.
In this visual example, we see the words San Francisco and California on a white background. For both words, this famous graphic designer chose light brown. The focus is shifted to “San Francisco” with a larger, bolder font. The word “California” isn't bolded and written in a script-style handwritten font to give it less authority in the visual hierarchy.
With a profile that’s bursting with sophisticated and elegant type, you’re sure to find some typographical inspiration by following his Instagram profile.
Mike Perry
Here’s a feed that is an absolute explosion of color infused with psychedelic animation that will leave a lasting impression. You might recognize Perry’s graphic style from the title card animation of the popular Comedy Central sitcom “Broad City.”
In this particular illustration, we can see how he has “transformed” the Sun into a human form walking through nature and smiling.
The colors used in this piece work well together. In the background, we can see the green leaves contrasting with the yellow-orange sun in the middle ground. This color play has been done on purpose to bring all the attention to the main character.
“Good morning. Today is another day. I love you. Be well. Stay safe” is written in this Instagram post's description, published during the pandemic.
With his hands in everything from animations to sculptures, graphic novels, books, to public art installations opening up the avenues for his many international exhibitions, this is one to keep tabs on for the future.
Lauren Hom
Lauren Hom is a Detroit-based designer and hand-lettering artist. She started hand-lettering as a hobby and then leveraged it into a thriving freelance business.
Hom is the author of “Daily Dishonesty”and the creator behind some amazingly quirky and colorful typography that fits right into your Instagram feed any day. Among some of her clients are TIME Magazine, Google, Facebook, Airbnb, Microsoft, YouTube, MailChimp, and Starbucks.
All of these brands have had the pleasure to work with this fantastic typography designer and artist, using her typographical wisdom in some of their campaigns.
Another reason why you have to follow this talented graphic designer is the fact that she always shares free resources on her blog. She's happy to share what she's learned through her online courses, too.
Her motto is “Work hard, snack often.” She's always expanding her creative skillset and exploring how culinary arts and graphic arts intersect.
Pavlov Visuals
We at Linearity, as a vector-based software, consider Pavlov Visuals as one of the best graphic designers out there. Behind the art name, Pavlov Visuals is the artist Ryan Dean Sprague.
Pavlov Visuals was started by Ryan and his brother, who are both musicians. The need to have a strong branding and top-notch design for their music pushed this duo to start learning how to design.
Nowadays, Pavlov Visuals helps other artists all over the world to build their identities. Among their clients are Sony Music, Rebook, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, and Coors.
Ready to kit out your drawing toolbox?
Visit our Academy for free drawing and design courses.
The way they combine round shapes with straight lines and curves transmits a feeling of balance and an “organized” mess.
If you’re seeking sleek and modern vector works, this is the account for you. We’ve got nothing but love for vector designs, and this group of designers is a must-follow.
Jumpstart your creative ideas with Linearity Curve and Linearity Move
Sam Larson
This outstanding graphic design artist is based in Utah, USA, which is pretty obvious in most of his designs. Even when he does not spell out the name UTAH in his works, you can clearly see the elements inspired by this special place.
You see the mountains, the sunrise, the plants, and the Utah State University logos, which are also called Utah State Aggies.
His attitude toward design rarely changes. The use of animals in his designs is almost always present.
In most of his designs, you will notice a plain and simple background and several small illustrations “placed” in an organized way, making them look like stickers.
This graphic design artist takes his inspiration from the American West, pizza, and road trips. So, for that all-American nostalgia-inspired artwork, this is the profile you want to follow.
Velvet Spectrum
Velvet Spectrum design studio is based in Portland, USA, and is led by the duo Luke Choice and Morgan Reid Choice.
This Australian graphic designer is known for his colorful creations that look like they will pop out of the screen at any minute.
And that is the aim of this artist. He loves to create dreamlike environments that seem to invite you to a whole new dimension full of happiness and vibrant colors.
Expressive typography characterizes their visual identity. Their works are unapologetically colorful and cover multiple facets of design, illustration, and typography with an unmistakable aesthetic.
The example you see here is a Mad Moon logo design for writer, director, and producer @davidlestermooney. With independent projects and collaborations with the likes of Nike, this is your go-to destination for a blend of color and quirk.
Dschwen
A feed that combines mesmerizing animation with everyday photography and the occasional humorous take.
Dschwen is a design studio that has partnered with brands and agencies all over the world. Their designs are not only great but also funny to look at. Want to make your day or evening?
Just take a look at their website filled with eye-catching animated visuals or scroll through their Instagram feed.
The only bad thing about their Instagram feed is that it leaves you wanting to see more. Their design style is playful and vibrant. They often use widely adored characters such as Pikachu and Minions.
David Schwen’s studio has gathered designers who regularly put out fun-infused designs that aren’t afraid to experiment with bold colors and are sure to put a smile on your face.
Stefan Sagmeister
No list is complete without mentioning the powerhouse duo behind Sagmeister & Walsh. Stefan has carefully curated his Instagram profile to reflect the diverse works of artists around the world.
This Austrian graphic designer is based in New York City, USA, where he founded his company Sagmeister Inc. in 1993.
The aim of the company was to create designs for the music industry. So far, Stefan has designed album covers for well-known bands and musicians such as OK Go, The Rolling Stones, Jay Z, Aerosmith, Talking Heads, and Brian Eno.
From 2011 until 2019, Stefan partnered with Jessica Walsh under the name Sagmeister & Walsh Inc., designing for big brands.
According to Walsh, the duo split in 2019 because Sagmeister started to focus more on non-commercial work.
This prompted Walsh to found her own company &Walsh. Currently, Stefan creates non-commercial work for his company Sagmeister Inc. while Jessica creates branding and advertising work at her company &Walsh.
He has an iconic style that leaves a strong impression on viewers. He always likes to think outside of the box, and we can see it in every single piece of work he has created so far.
Jessica Walsh
The other half of Sagmeister & Walsh, Jessica Walsh is arguably one of the most recognized names in the design industry today. With Stefan Sagmeister moving on from commercial work, she’s now taken full charge of her own creative agency.
The example we have taken from her portfolio was published in March 2020, right after the pandemic broke out.
The message “Disinfect me baby one more time” attached to the bottle encourages continuous sanitization of hands and surfaces. It also channels Britney Spears’ song title “...One more time” combined with a pop art aesthetic.
If you're looking for inspiration for a book cover, poster design, or album covers, Walsh always delivers with her mid-century design flair.
Try out this retro design style with one of our free professional templates:
:quality(75))
:quality(75))
Lotta Nieminen
Lotta Nieminen is a contemporary graphic designer, illustrator, and art director. Originally from Finland, Lotta founded her own studio in 2012 in New York, USA.
Lotta Nieminen Studio creates visual solutions for clients across various disciplines. The studio also works as a creative partner, helping its clients with branding and bringing their unique visual identities to life.
This award-winning graphic designer has also illustrated interactive recipe books for children. So far, she's illustrated a series of four Cook in a Book books.
The background you see in this example is also taken from one of the inside pages she illustrated.
Leta Sobierajski
New York-based artist Leta Sobierajski is known for her unique and quirky designs. She combines traditional graphic design elements with styling, art, and photography, as we see on this example.
The contrast between black and white parts and the bold colors is powerful. You will see these kinds of combinations in almost all the art pieces by this artist.
The image we have taken as an example is from their 2020 Tokio exhibition at Calm and Punk Gallery.
In October 2016, Leta founded a design studio together with her husband and collaborator, Wade Jeffree. Their projects range from art direction to installations. Their provocative designs are very different from all the other artists we have mentioned above.
Just take a look at their website or Instagram feed. You'll have a hard time trying to stop scrolling.
Like Lotta Nieminen, Leta has also been recognized as an Art Directors Club Young Guns 15 recipient, among other awards.
Your next steps as a designer
We've explored the work of famous graphic designers and artists from various backgrounds and generations.
These influential creatives have left their mark on the field of graphic design, pushing the boundaries of traditional design principles and shaping visual culture. A number of the designers on our list have created iconic logos for some of the biggest companies of the 21st century.
From product design to motion graphics and magazine covers, their distinctive styles and visual languages have resonated with a wide range of audiences and contributed to the evolution of contemporary design.
We've also highlighted the impact of female art directors and designers. These designers have collaborated with renowned design firms and worked with notable clients, bridging the worlds of art, design, and pop culture.
Keep upskilling yourself by trying new techniques and design styles and keeping up with trends. You can also explore specialized graphic design courses to improve your skills.
Another way to push your career forward is to experiment with animation. You can try our animation software Linearity Move for free to bring your static designs to life. It boasts professional (yet easy-to-use) features like:
- Seamless integration with our vector design software Linearity Curve
- Highly compatible with other design software like Adobe Illustrator and Figma
- Keyframes and pinning
- Timeline layers
- Animation Presets
- Auto Animate—an AI-powered feature that turns static designs into dynamic animations
It's never been easier to transition from design to animation. Want to learn more about our pricing? Check out our pro, team, and education subscriptions.
Design with Linearity Curve and animate with Linearity Move
Get our software
Share this!
Emma Taggart
Emma is a Content Writer at Linearity in Berlin, specializing in content marketing and brand development. With a background in illustration and design, she brings creativity and precision to her work.
