A young Ivan Chermayeff on the streets of New York City.

Ivan Chermayeff was the son of Russian-born British architect Serge Chermayeff. He started his career in 1954 after studying at Phillips Academy of Andover, Harvard, and The Institute of Design (New Bauhaus). Soon after, Chermayeff founded one of the best-known design firms in the world and helped solidify the modernist approach to corporate identity through the second half of the 19th century. His accolades are too many to include, but let me tell you, this guy had his hand in everything. In an interview with Chermayeff, he noted he wanted to be a designer because it seemed like, in contrast to architects, the work of designers was more likely to be published. He made the right decision as he went on to be one of the most influential designers of all time.

Just some of the identity work Chermayeff worked on throughout his career.

It amazes me that he only recently passed away and continued working late into his life. I recognize many of the identities he worked on, but I especially love the logo for National Geographic. Since I was a kid, I’ve loved Nat Geo and spent a lot of time with that logo, never knowing who worked on it. Ivan Chermayeff’s work is an excellent reminder that superb design is achievable with good ideas and grounded execution.

Simple concept, beautifully executed.
Nothing prettier than playing with typeography in my opinion.