No more Mr. Nice Guy: The incomparable Michael Bierut steps down

On a Tuesday last fall, Michael Bierut was sitting in his living room in Tarrytown, New York, about 25 miles away from where he’d typically be on a weekday afternoon at any point over the previous few decades. 

Bierut, 67, had just stepped back from his role as partner at Pentagram, the storied graphic design studio that has shaped the branding for many of the world’s most important companies, and he was feeling restless.

“It’s been disconcerting for me,” Bierut said as we...