Canadian Design Today
Allan Fleming was only 30 years old when he was hired to create a new logo for CN. Despite this, the young Canadian designer had earned a name for himself with the bold, poetic nature of his designs.
Fleming, who was born in Toronto in 1929, took an unusual path to professional success. At the age of 16, he dropped out of art studies at Toronto’s Western Technical School to work as an apprentice designer at several Toronto firms. Then followed further learning opportunities in England, where he soaked up as much knowledge as he could from major individuals in the design field.
After Returning to Canada, he joined the typographic company Cooper and Beatty Ltd. in 1957, where he was working until the CN opportunity presented itself.
CN logo sketches and final design
Works cited: