Designing hits: 100 million copy Madden NFL, Atari, the first portable computer, SF MOMA & the Smithsonian

Michael Osborne, Episode #39

Owner, Michael Osborne Design

Michael Osborne is President and Creative Director of the San Francisco-based graphic design firm, MOD/Michael Osborne Design, Inc. Established in 1981, the firm’s work in corporate/brand identity, package design, and print collateral has been recognized by many competitions for outstanding design, including the West Coast Show, American Institute of Graphic Arts, and the Clios. MOD’s work is on display in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York, and the National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C. MOD’s work has also been featured in Graphis, Communication Arts, The Society of Typographic Arts, American Institute of Graphic Arts, How Magazine, Print, and Step Inside Design Magazine. Michael also designed the 2002 and 2004 Love Stamps for the USPS.

Another of Michael’s passions is the fine art of letterpress printing. As his knowledge of the craft grew, so did his respect for a skill requiring dedication and diligence to create something handmade and original. In 1991, Michael opened One Heart Press, a letterpress printing shop located in San Francisco. OHP produces fine press books, corporate business systems, broadsides, invitations, and other unique printed materials.
In addition to his professional achievements, Michael began exploring the medium of printmaking in 1992. He has since studied with master printers at Paulson Press and Crown Point Press in concentrated workshops focusing on etching techniques.

Michael Osborne graduated with honors from Art Center College of Design in 1978. He has been a faculty member at both the University of California at Berkeley and The Academy of Art College where he currently teaches. He has lectured at numerous universities and has been a featured speaker at many conferences and events including Western Art Directors Club and American Institute of Graphic Arts events, the A.D.A.C. Envision Design Conference two years in a row, and the HOW Design Conference.