Will Burtin

Will Burtin (1908–1972) was a graphic designer from Cologne, Germany, known for interrelating design and scientific concepts within his exhibits. He was an influential designer, educator, and theorist in Germany and the United States. He arrived in the United States in 1939 after fleeing Nazism in Germany. In the U.S., he worked for Fortune Magazine and as an educator at Pratt Institute and the Parsons School of Design. He designed many exhibits for companies, such as Eastman Kodak, IBM, the Smithsonian, Mead Paper, Union Carbide, Herman Miller Furniture, and United States Information Agency.

In 1927, Burtin opened his own design studio in Cologne, in which he created booklets, posters, type books, exhibitions, displays, advertising, and movies for German, French, and other clients. He had this studio from 1927 to 1938. In 1930, Burtin started teaching in Berlin, where he met art student Hilde Munk. Burtin and Munk were married in 1932 and Munk became partner in her husband's design studio, Entwurfe Bürtin, (Designs by Burtin). The FWA required the exhibit to travel, meaning for it to be more than one-dimensional. The FWA taught Burtin how to create these types of designs in order for him to properly have this concept depicted in the exhibit. This is where Burtin first learned how to create three-dimensional designs; this technique helped him create many of his designs to come. In 1939, Burtin began teaching communication and advanced design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY and later was named chairman of the Department of Visual Communication in 1959. In 1950, Burtin also started working at the Parsons School of Design, leading AIGA to name him a director with in the Institute.

Eastman Kodak, 1960–1962

In 1962, Burtin was able to gain Eastman Kodak as another major client. Will Burtin focused on the relationship between spatial forms and their functions. With a designer's vision, he saw how molecules of a certain shape could be expressed through visual art. Examples of Burtin's work include "The Cell", "The Genes in Action", and other processes or microstructures that required a unique understanding of both art and science. His work was publicized in world press and a variety of scientific journals.

Personal life In 1930, Burtin started teaching in Berlin, where he met art student Hilde Munk. Burtin and Munk were married in 1932. Will and Hilda Burtin spent most of their lives dedicated to design and typography. Both worked in Burtin's design studio. The couple had one child named Carol, born on October 10, 1942. Will and Hilda were married from 1932 to 1960, when Hilda lost her battle to cancer. Hilda Burtin died on October 10, 1960. She was fifty years old at the time her death; Will and a friend stood by her side as she passed. October 10, 1960, was the same day as the Burtins' daughter, Carol, had her eighteenth birthday. Will was determined to hide the sad news from his daughter Carol; he had a friend call the next day, October 11, to break the news of her mother's death. Will kept this a secret until he passed and it wasn't until seeing a copy of her mother's death certificate did Carol realize her father's effort to shield the sad news from her.