Michael Artman - Landesberg Design

Michael’s strengths are brand identity design, editorial design and strategy, and illustration. Prior to Landesberg, he co-founded Artman Purdy Studios to design, produce, and publish Rustbelt Almanac, an artful quarterly magazine celebrating small business owners, social activists, and community-driven initiatives in the Great Lakes Region. His work includes projects for Kenyon College, August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Tulane University, Valparaiso University, and City Theatre.

Michael is also an adjunct design instructor, and past education director for AIGA Pittsburgh.

A favorite piece of design is . . .

Lance Wyman’s identity for the ’68 Olympic Games. There will never be another logo that incorporates the Olympic rings with such elegance, because it likely violates all the rules of brand standards. It absolutely shows that “breaking the rules” can have a huge payoff, if done with an expert’s touch. The extensions respect Mexico City’s heritage without appropriating the culture, and the system was one of the first to consider the “universal” language of iconography.

Country of origin and what drew me to Pittsburgh:

I was born a few miles down the Allegheny River, and love the size of this city. It is very conducive to exploring on foot, and the topography is endlessly fascinating. Plus, I’m easily baited by a good pierogi.