PRINT New Visual Artists have remained at the forefront of visual culture since the dawn of the new millennium.
In 1999, we looked ahead to the new millennium. Concerns about a Y2K bug were kicking around. The Matrix was winning at the box office, and The X-Files and The Sopranos were at the height of their popularity. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator were becoming industry standards, and creativity was thriving across all disciplines.
1999 was also the second year of the PRINT New Visual Artists showcase. Launched the prior year as a way for the PRINT editorial team to seek out and identify emerging visual artists from around the world, the inaugural class included an impressive list of designers, including Michael Braley. Five years earlier, Braley had graduated from Iowa State and was working at Cahan & Associates, looking ahead to his burgeoning career.
I knew I wanted to be in San Francisco. I loved the city and its creative pulse. After a few years, in which I was lucky to work with Stone Yamashita and then Elixir Design, I landed at Cahan & Associates where I worked on projects ranging from brand identity to packaging to annual reports.
Michael Braley, 2024
Trimble Newsletter | Stone Yamashita; Seeing Jazz Book Cover | Elixir Design; 1997 Annual Report Design for COR Therapeutics | Cahan & Associates
I always believed it was important to be recognized especially as a young designer. I remember going to interviews with my big black portfolio, which had a side pocket with the magazines in which I had been featured and Post-it notes marking the pages with my work. Bill (Cahan) also knew the value of award recognition. (I think he’s won thousands in his career). So, when I asked him to endorse me for the PRINT New Visual Artist showcase, he said an enthusiastic yes!
Michael Braley, 2024
Sappi Ideas that Matter Tenth Anniversary Promotion
After twelve years in San Francisco and being in demand, Braley worked for a time at VSA Partners before relocating to Kentucky. His business, Braley Design, has been flourishing for thirty-one years.
Braley, known for his clear, simple, and impactful work, has a mantra: communicate immediately and aim for seamless integration between form and content. His work has been recognized internationally and is in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, the Denver Art Museum, the Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe (Art and Design) in Hamburg, Finland’s Lahti Poster Museum, and The Museum of the Marie Curie-Skłodowska University, in Lublin, Poland.
Poster Designs by Michael Braley
I still believe that it’s important to put yourself out there to your colleagues, peers and potential clients. When you’re young, it’s all about carving a path for yourself and finding your place in the creative landscape. For me, participating in competitions is about being exposed to new techniques and ideas so that my work remains relevant and being inspired so that I can always find the joy in design.
Michael Braley, 2024
Brand Identity and Catalog Design for United States International Poster Biennial 2023
Do you want to share your skill, talent, and joy? Do you believe your work has longevity? Inspire others to follow your path by entering the 2024 PRINT New Visual Artists showcase!
Featured Image – Book Design for The Woven Perspective, The Work of Photographer Jock MacDonald