The New York School was born from an excitement about European modernism and fueled by economic and technological expansion; it became a dominant force in graphic design from the 1940s unBl the 1970s and beyond. • IniBally, Modern design in America was imported by talented European immigrants seeking to escape poliBcal totalitarianism. They provided Americans with a firsthand introduc7on to the European avant‐garde. • American modern design was less formal and more intuiBve than the European modern design. • New York City served as a cultural incubator in the middle of the 20th Century. It nurtured crea7vity, and its prevailing climate a>racted individuals of great talent and enabled them to realize their poten7al. • In this highly compe77ve society, novelty of technique and originality of concept were much prized. Designers sought to solve communicaBon problems as well as express their own personal views & styles. • Emphasis was on the expression of ideas and an open, direct presentaBon of informaBon