Alan Siegel
Alan Siegel arrived in the world on the 26th of August 1938. His parents Eugene and Ruth raised him within New York City limits. He attended Long Beach High School during his teenage years. Basketball became a central part of his high school experience. The court was where he learned teamwork before law or business ever entered his life.
A leave of absence from NYU Law began in 1962 for Alan Siegel. He accepted an army commission that same year. Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma served as his training ground. The 2nd Howitzer Battalion of the 18th Artillery stationed him in Butzbach, Germany. This military assignment interrupted his legal studies permanently.
Siegel partnered with Robert Gale to establish Siegel+Gale in 1969. Gale had been a designer at Sandgren & Murtha when they met. Initial clients sought visual identity development rather than corporate voice strategy. Gale sold his share of the agency in 1974. The firm grew into a pioneer of simplification efforts over subsequent decades.
The Internal Revenue Service hired Siegel in 1979 to transform existing tax forms. His work resulted in the creation of the 1040-EZ form. Bank contracts and Census Bureau forms also received his attention during the 1970s. He became the leading voice in the plain English movement throughout that decade. Financial documents required significant changes to become understandable to average citizens.
Siegel retired from Siegel+Gale in 2012 after many years of leadership. He assumed the title of chairman emeritus following his departure. A new brand identity consultancy named Siegelvision emerged shortly thereafter. This entity focuses specifically on non-profit organizations and educational foundations. Clients included New York University and the Lupus Foundation of America.
Siegel spoke about legal jargon at TED 2010 in Long Beach, California. He closed his speech by stating there is no way government should communicate as it does. Companies with unintelligible agreements were also criticized during this address. The Huffington Post published regular columns written by him regarding business trends. Major news networks like CNN and CBS News featured his appearances frequently.
Irene Etzkorn co-wrote Simple: Conquering the Crisis of Complexity with Alan Siegel in 2013. Strategy+Business magazine named it one of the best marketing books of that year. He wrote guides such as Writing Contracts in Plain English for The Wall Street Journal. Photography collections titled One Man's Eye and Step Right This Way also bear his name. These publications reflect a lifelong commitment to clarity and transparency.
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Common questions
When was Alan Siegel born and where did he grow up?
Alan Siegel arrived in the world on the 26th of August 1938. His parents Eugene and Ruth raised him within New York City limits.
What military service interrupted Alan Siegel's legal studies?
A leave of absence from NYU Law began in 1962 for Alan Siegel when he accepted an army commission that same year. The 2nd Howitzer Battalion of the 18th Artillery stationed him in Butzbach, Germany before this assignment permanently interrupted his legal studies.
Who did Alan Siegel partner with to establish Siegel+Gale in 1969?
Siegel partnered with Robert Gale to establish Siegel+Gale in 1969. Gale had been a designer at Sandgren & Murtha when they met.
How did Alan Siegel influence tax forms during the 1970s?
The Internal Revenue Service hired Siegel in 1979 to transform existing tax forms. His work resulted in the creation of the 1040-EZ form while Bank contracts and Census Bureau forms also received his attention during the 1970s.
When did Alan Siegel retire from Siegel+Gale and what happened next?
Alan Siegel retired from Siegel+Gale in 2012 after many years of leadership. He assumed the title of chairman emeritus following his departure and a new brand identity consultancy named Siegelvision emerged shortly thereafter.