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David Hillman transformed British editorial design through his groundbreaking work on newspapers and magazines that redefined visual journalism in the late 20th century. Born on 12 February 1943 in Oxford, England, Hillman studied at The London School of Printing and Graphic Arts from 1959 to 1962 under Tom Eckersley. He began his career at age 19 with The Sunday Times Colour Magazine under editor Mark Boxer.

In 1968, he was appointed art director of Nova magazine, becoming deputy editor within two years. Nova tackled every taboo of the time with startling artwork and hard-hitting text, establishing Hillman's reputation for bold, uncompromising design that challenged conventions. In 1975, he was commissioned to design Le Matin de Paris, the first computerized daily newspaper. He joined Pentagram as a partner in 1978, remaining there for 29 years until 2007.

Hillman's most celebrated achievement came with his 1988 redesign of The Guardian, where he introduced a revolutionary dual-font masthead combining ITC Garamond Italic with Helvetica Black — the first of its kind. He also developed the newspaper's inaugural G2 section, earning a D&AD Silver Award in 1989. Beyond editorial projects, he created identity programs for Phaidon Press, Arup, the Tate galleries, and designed Millennium stamps for Royal Mail.

In 1977, Hillman was elected into the Alliance Graphique Internationale, serving as UK President from 1996 to 2000 and International President from 2003 to 2006. In 1997, he was appointed a Royal Designer for Industry, and in 2004, he became a Senior Fellow of the Royal College of Art. In 2012, D&AD recognized him as its Most Awarded Designer, having received two Gold Awards and 16 Silver Awards throughout his career.

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