Paula Scher: Great design is serious (not solemn)

www.ted.com/ Paula Scher looks back at a life in design (she's done album covers, books, the Citibank logo ...) and pinpoints the moment when she started really having fun. Look for gorgeous designs and images from her legendary career.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at www.ted.com/ind...

[@crudhousefull]

This woman is amazing. Everything was so structured in the 70s and she must have been one of the first designers to come out with designs like this. They seriously revolutionized the way design was looked at by the general populace.

[@crudhousefull]

I love the fact that she is so introspective. Wow...really love this woman

[@123nash45]

"when u r born u r 'serious'. and when u r grown u r solemn" love this lady

[@TheGoldgoat]

The clicks doesn't bother me, i awed by the information presented. Thank you

[@lildu0p]

12:28 That's how I feel every day at my job. I always felt that graphic design was so intimidating...I like the idea of making it playful!

[@wrathanet]

Can we please take the ping pong balls away from the man in the front row?

[@opane]

They're velcro covered ping pong balls actually.

[@juliemckendrick4970]

LMFAO

[@hughtub]

I like putting words on the floor, might as well use that space. I think stores should put the contents of an aisle on the floor graphically instead of making us look up to the signs.

[@darrentayloe9439]

So glad to stumble upon this.

[@Pollymichaelis]

when this is so old the best quality available is 240p

[@youtubasoarus]

Great presentation ruined by the damn clicking. ARGH!

[@MusicTeacherGuyNorristown]

+youtubasoarus What is that clicking? Is that her doing it with whatever she's holding?

[@youtubasoarus]

+Music Teacher Guy Not sure... Sounds like something near the mic.

[@Kratos40595]

Extremely talented, humble lovely lady. Inspirational.

[@NanaLynnLee]

Paula is such an inspiration

[@oleschri]

"What's that mysterious ticking noise?" ;)

[@Kloxbyn]

If you mean the cameramen, there are at least 3 different cameras shooting her, I doubt all three cameramen are producing the same noise. As well, the clicking noises are in sync with her movements and gestures (especially noticeable near the half-point of the video).

[@Tubingonline1]

Great talk from a great designer!

[@dolinman]

i love paula

[@IVLIVSCAMILLVS]

Constant clicking sound...I can't watch this.

[@WatchThisReview]

Well, had never quite thought about it like that. Something of an eye-opener.

[@samala51]

She was nervous guys give the lady a break. It was a bit annoying, but her talk MORE than made up for it. I think she did great.

[@InbarShahak]

i think you've just change my life...

[@elliemartin7165]

love her

[@markgraphicsja9496]

at 21:32 she said be a "fool with", the caption generated "forklift"...lol.

[@Violentshock]

Amazing

[@DigitalAssassin]

I don't agree with her tying the distinction to the words "solemn" and "serious", but a terrific talk nonetheless.

[@avodogo]

I have to watch this for school...but I am having sensory overload with the clicking noise. Pain

[@Kloxbyn]

As do many at TED talks but most speakers know better than to click it next to the microphone.

[@marsCubed]

I think that the "mysterious noise" might be the sound that her bracelet just makes(because it is annoying), being transmitted through the air and arm into the platform, where it is amplified, rather like a sound box, to the microphone just above. Great design huh?

[@ClassiKSouL]

240p? really TED.....

[@georgekutti96]

uploaded in 2009 :)

[@royalfrog850]

why is this 240p :|

[@charlykyoryu4566]

Feynmanesque...thus Rare!

[@spookypen]

arggh yeah that's was getting on me.

[@mindymarmol793]

She is working the powerpoint clicker..... obviously

[@emanabdallah252]

the mic ticking is killing my brain cells!!!

[@madhupramod]

also, be sincere than be serious... :D

[@DruKlaus]

yeah no kidding - very - very distracting, but the topic was of great interest.

[@CrashGames2108]

The problem with that "Hide behind the internet coward" argument is it has no real basis in reality.

[@mariaceciliatv]

MINUTO 1.20

[@iCTechReviews]

The clicks have lost all integrity of the speech.

[@rowanowl3857]

frankly, I don't see why. it wasn't a talk on quiet technology or anything weird like that, she wasn't trying to make some point about the horrors of clicking noises. the clicking correlates in no way with the actual subject matter, and as such, there is no way it truly could have removed from the integrity of the talk.

[@fishlychee2897]

hello aphex twin

[@fishlychee2897]

did she actually began to get upset during the speech

[@OMG_BeCkY]

I can't watch this because of WHATEVER keeps happening with the mic.

[@Neceros]

Ah, so you're the one to blame for all this artsy typeface bullshit I see. Man, I love Helvetica. Though that architecture work was good.

[@fourorthree2]

A big YAWN to her.

[@scratchisme]

I wish there wasn't that clicking. I can't get through the video.

[@fourorthree2]

What's this crackling? Her jaw?

[@OMG_BeCkY]

? Real life doesn't have an annoying mic malfunction that hurts your ears for 20 minutes straight.

[@hughtub]

Her designs are boring, as is most chaotic disorderly modern graphic design. Order is interesting, chaos is boring. Just as good reception is more interesting than static.

[@rr7firefly]

That clicking is her nervous right hand. Look closely.

[@kantovirtualstudio5110]

Loving the video, it's very interesting, and it's always great to hear other's opinions. Paula Scher is genius!

[@Kloxbyn]

And even more, a lot of that clicking wasn't from clicking the device, it was made by jiggling it around the podium.

[@lainieyeoh]

It's actually a very Zen concept, the distinction between solemn and serious.

[@Shaghayegh11]

she is fantasticly smart, and free of rules

[@cnr1993]

great talk, but the clicker noise kills it. Where the hell is the AV tech, just tell her at the beginning... The AV tech should be ashamed of themselves.

[@OMG_BeCkY]

If you think I watched it long enough to figure out what was causing the noise, you're wrong.

[@Kloxbyn]

Note to self: When speaking at a podium, don't make clicking noises near the microphone.

[@highway234]

it's annoying as hell, i think you're right, yeah.

[@duesdiavlo]

good stuff.. go ahead and watch the video ..

[@لينكو-و8ق]

ول

[@yellooh]

⛤ ⛧

[@bzsgzs]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

[@quitodeus7]

Paula, marry me.