Steff Geissbühler
Design Consultant
Hilton Head Island, SC
914.523.3011
steff@geissbuhler.com
http://www.geissbuhler.com
Steff Geissbühler is among America’s most celebrated designers of integrated brand and corporate identity programs. His work also includes posters, brochures, books and illustrations. He has designed architectural graphics and sign systems for various institutions, environmental graphics and exhibitions. Steff’s work has been honored with the American Institute of Graphic Arts Medal for his sustained contribution to design excellence and the development of the profession.
Steff served as the U.S. president of the Alliance Graphique Internationale and has been a member of the board of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. He is past president of AIGA’s New York chapter. Steff received his diploma in graphic design from the School of Art and Design, Basel, Switzerland in 1964. He has taught at the Philadelphia College of Art, Cooper Union, Yale University, School of Visual Arts, Savannah College of Art & Design and lectures throughout the country. Prior to being an independent design consultant, he was at Geigy Pharmaceuticals, Basel; Murphy Levy Wurman Architects, Philadelphia; Anspach Grossman Portugal, New York; a partner and principal at Chermayeff & Geismar Inc. for over 30 years, and co-founded C&G Partners in 2005. Geissbühler:design is an independent design consultancy.

EXPERIENCE

Sep 2011 – Present
geissbühler:design
Owner
SC, USA

Jun 2005 – Sep 2011
C&G Partners
Founding Partner
NY, USA

Jan 1975 – May 2005
Chermayeff & Geismar Inc
Partner
NY, USA

Dec 1973 – Nov 1974
Anspach Grossman Portugal
Associate
USA

Aug 1967 – Nov 1974
Philadelphia College of Art
Associate Professor

Aug 1967 - Nov 1974
Freelance
Murphy Levey Wurman, Architects
George Nelson Design
Basel, Switzerland
May 1964 – Jul 1967
J.R.Geigy Pharmaceutical
Designer


EDUCATION
Basel, Switzerland
Apr 1958 – Apr 1964
Basel School of Design
Diploma (MA equivalent)

AWARDS
Sep 2005
AIGA - The Professional Association For Design
Lifetime Achievement
1981
Art Directors Club
Gold Cube

AIGA - The Professional Association For Design
Various, 1974- present

1982
The Worlds Most Memorable Poster Competition
Award

U.S. Government
U.S. Federal Design Achievement Award

1966
Government of Switzerland
First National Prize for Applied Art


LANGUAGES
Swiss, German, English

ABOUT ME
I was born in Zofingen, Switzerland. When I was eight years old we moved to Basel. I entered the Allgemeine Gewerbeschule (The Basel School of Art and Design) in 1958, studying with Armin Hofmann and Emil Ruder. I received my Diploma in Graphic Design in 1964 (equivalent to a Masters degree in the USA).

My first job was at the Promotion Department of Geigy Pharmaceuticals in Basel, Switzerland, designing promotional material, packaging, advertising campaigns and displays for chemical, pharmaceutical and dye products. Invited to teach as an Associate Professor in Graphic Design at the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts) I moved with my family to Philadelphia, USA in 1967 and became acting chairman of the Graphic Design Department. Next to teaching, I worked as freelance designer for the college, Ayer Design, MIT Press and the architectural firms of Richard Saul Wurman in Philadelphia and George Nelson in New York, among others.

In 1973 I moved to New York to work with Anspach Grossman Portugal in New York City and in 1975 joined Chermayeff & Geismar Associates as an Associate Partner and from 1979 to 2005 I was one of three partners in the firm.

In 2005 I co-founded C&G Partners with two principals from Chermayeff & Geismar Inc.

In 2011 I founded geissbühler:design, an independent design consultancy.
In 2015 I moved to Hilton Head Island, SC, where I work out of my house and teach as an adjunct professor at the graphic design department at SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design).

I'm happily married to my wife and partner, Elissa, and have four terrific and talented sons, Phillip, a physicist, living near Boston; Luke, a cinematographer and DP, living in Brooklyn, NY; Alex, Graduated with a degree in Theater and Arts, now a Dr. Physical Therapy, living in New Jersey; and Ben graduated with a degree in sculpture and works for Henrybuilt in Seattle.
My family is my greatest achievement.

All works © Steff Geissbühler 2011.
Please do not reproduce without the expressed written consent of Steff Geissbühler.


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