Scott Lerman

Scott LermanScott Lerman A'81 is a fine artist, designer, author, educator, and brand consultant. 

Best known for his work as a consultant, Scott has built his career by helping companies navigate critical moments in the creation, transition, and extension of their brands. His broad and deep expertise in integrated brand consulting, research, corporate identity, naming, design, employee engagement, and implementation comes from decades as a leader and practitioner.

In 2005 Scott founded Lucid Brands, a brand consultancy dedicated to the development of world-class brands. Before founding Lucid Brands, Scott led two of the industry’s leading brand consultancies. During his 17 years at Siegel & Gale he held a range of senior positions, including President. In 2001 he was named President and CEO of Enterprise IG, Americas (now The Brand Union).  He started his career in brand identity with a humble stint as a ‘pasteup’ artist at the legendary design firm, Chermayeff & Geismar.

Scott has led defining brand engagements for 3M, American Express, Bayer, Caterpillar, DuPont, Engelhard, First Data, Grand Brands, Harley-Davidson, Ingram Micro, JCPenney, Kodak, Lycos, The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), National Semiconductor, Owens-Illinois, Pfizer, Readers Digest, S.W.I.F.T., Towers Perrin, The US Mint, VOIS, The Washington Center, Xerox, Yola, Zachry and dozens of other organizations around the world. He is currently seeking a client with a corporate name that starts with “Q”.

As part of the founding faculty of the MPS Branding program at SVA, Scott helped develop America’s first (and still only) Masters program in branding. He also helped to found “Brand Central”, the AIGA chapter dedicated to branding.

In 2013, Scott authored a comprehensive guide to branding, Building Better Brands, published by How Press. He has also commented on the issues shaping businesses and brands in The Design Management Review, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Identity, Revolution, and other publications. Scott has lectured at the Yale School of Management, Columbia University, The Thunderbird School of Global Management, Conference Board, DMI, Apple, and many other forums for the advancement of branding, business, and design. Scott was recently interviewed by Debbie Millman for her industry-leading podcast, Design Matters.

Scott’s work as a fine artist centers on photography that captures unique images of liquid and landscapes that can only be realized at the intersection of science and art. His photographs have been included in juried exhibitions, books, online publications, and private and corporate collections.

Scott received his BFA from Cooper Union in 1981 and is dedicated to helping the college return to its tuition-free mission and continue to fulfill its role of developing extraordinary architects, artists, and engineers.

Role: Alumni Trustee
Elected to the Board: June 2016
Class Term: 2020
Term Limit: 2020

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.