Philip Burton has been instrumental in developing UIC’s Graphic Design program. Having joined the faculty in 1989, he established a pedagogical foundation that prioritizes the rigorous study of essential and timeless design components.
Philip began his academic career in 1975, becoming head of the design program in only six months. During his time in Texas, he also taught in the Qualifying Graduate Program in the School of Architecture at Rice University. He taught graduate and undergraduate design students in the School of Art at Yale University over the next nine years. Between 1975 and 1996, he served as a coordinator and faculty member in the five-week summer design workshop in Brissago, Switzerland.
Philip was named an AIGA Fellow in 2003, awarded The Stratton Prize by the Friends of Switzerland in 2016, and recognized as a UIC Distinguished Professor in 2020. In addition to his career as an educator, he has maintained an active freelance design practice. Recent clients have included SilverPepper, the McKinsey Quarterly, and Aviation Capital Group. Since 1992, he has served as design consultant to Morningstar, a global financial investment research company headquartered in Chicago.