What if the most powerful kind of creativity isn’t about making things beautiful, but making them clear?
Gordon Kaye never planned to work in design. He studied law, built a career in New York, and handled media and trademark cases before joining NBC as counsel, reviewing everything from late-night jokes to broadcast standards. But when his father’s health declined, he stepped away from law to take over the family publication, Graphic Design USA (GDUSA), a magazine his father had launched in the 1960s to celebrate the people behind design, not just the work itself.
What began as a rescue mission became a lifelong calling. Gordon brought his legal mind and curiosity for communication to a creative field that thrives on clarity. Over the decades, he’s evolved GDUSA into more than a design magazine, it’s a respected voice for how ideas move through business, marketing, and culture.
On this episode of Design Of, Gordon and Justin talk about what design can teach every leader: how to communicate simply, lead with empathy, and build trust through the way we share information. They discuss how his outsider’s view helped him see design not as decoration, but as direction. And how clarity, when done well, can turn creative thinking into real influence.
For business and marketing leaders, this episode is about more than design. It’s about the responsibility of communication. About how we help people see what matters. And how legacy, when guided by purpose, can evolve without losing its truth.
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Podcast art by Maliya Naz
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