Canadian Centered Designers

Portrait of Allan Fleming

Among the many talented Canadian designers, a staple is Allan Fleming. Based in Ontario, Fleming was a notable self-taught designer in the 50s and 60s and has rebranded/ created iconic Canadian logos for organizations such as the Canadian National Railway, The Ontario Science Centre, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Ontario Hydro. As well as editorial covers/spreads for popular magazines like MacLeans.

Cover for McLeans Magazine by Fleming.
Cover for MacLeans Magazine by Fleming.

Some other Canada-fueled design projects Fleming worked on were centennial coins, the help in rebranding Canadian postal products, and the National Film Boards photobook for Expo ‘67, Canada: A Year of the Land. However, out of all his design triumphs, the modernization of the Canadian National Railways is definitely his most well-known and is still being used over 50 years later. The old logo was clunky and outdated (even though it was the early 60s) and with the rebrand, Fleming brought over some swiss modernist influences giving it a crisp, timeless feel. 

Fleming posed in front of the Canadian National Railway logo.
Canadian National Railway logo mocked-up on a train.