Steven Heller (born July 7, 1950)[1] is an American art director, journalist, critic, author, and editor who specializes in topics related to graphic design.

[2][3][4] In 1968, he enrolled at New York University with a major in English, later transferring to the School of Visual Arts illustration and cartoon program but not graduating from either.

He met illustrator Brad Holland, who convinced him page layouts and type choices mattered, of which Heller was previously unconcerned.

[2][3][4] In 1974, Heller became the youngest art director for The New York Times Op-Ed page, replacing Jean-Claude Suares.

[10] Heller has said he writes so that he "can further discover and share what I've learned with others" and as a way to study topics he is curious about, notably the emergence of right- and left-wing tyrannies and pre-World War II totalitarianism.

[5] Heller is author and co-author of many works on the history of illustration, typography, and many subjects related to graphic design.

For thirty-three years Heller was a senior art director of U&lc magazine, a publication devoted to typography.