Farewell, Leslie Buck

Before I’d moved to New York, I’d see movies and TV shows where people walked around the city carrying these little blue coffee cups. I had no idea what they were, but I sensed they represented New York.

When I moved here ten years ago, I saw the cups everywhere. I loved their simple, friendly message: “WE ARE HAPPY … TO SERVE YOU.”  And then I knew they represented New York.

If only the humblest (or best) of my designs could reach such heights.

It amazes me that something so humble could become so iconic. Avoiding all irony, cleverness, and hipness, the anthora shows that great, memorable, iconic design is about more than transient style or technique. It’s about capturing an essence, and conveying a message. It is, in short, about the truth.

Farewell, Leslie Buck.