Steff Geissbühler

Steff Geissbühler (born 1942) is widely recognized as one of America’s most celebrated designers of corporate identity programs and integrated branding systems. Over the course of his long career, he has worked across many areas of design, including posters, books, brochures, illustrations, architectural graphics, and environmental exhibitions. His approach to design combines clarity, creativity, and functionality, making him one of the most respected figures in the profession.

Born in Zofingen, Switzerland, Geissbühler moved to Basel at the age of eight. He studied at the Allgemeine Gewerbeschule, also known as the Basel School of Art and Design, where he was taught by legendary Swiss modernist designers Armin Hofmann and Emil Ruder. He received his diploma in graphic design in 1964, equivalent to a master’s degree in the United States. His education in Basel gave him a strong foundation in typography, visual systems, and the modernist design philosophy that shaped much of his later work.

His first professional role was at Geigy Pharmaceuticals in Basel, where he designed promotional material, packaging, advertising campaigns, and displays for chemical and pharmaceutical products. In 1967, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after being invited to teach as an associate professor of graphic design at the Philadelphia College of Art. There he became acting chairman of the department while also freelancing for clients such as MIT Press and architectural firms including Richard Saul Wurman’s office and George Nelson Design. His teaching career continued at leading schools across the United States, including Yale University, Cooper Union, the School of Visual Arts, and the Savannah College of Art and Design.

In 1973, Geissbühler relocated to New York to join the firm Anspach Grossman Portugal. Two years later, in 1975, he joined Chermayeff & Geismar Inc., one of the most important design studios in the world. He became a partner in 1979 and worked there for over three decades. During his time at Chermayeff & Geismar, he was responsible for major corporate identity programs that shaped the visual language of many global institutions. His work included creating lasting logos, branding systems, and visual guidelines that helped companies and organizations express their values with consistency and strength.

In 2005, Geissbühler co-founded C&G Partners with two colleagues from Chermayeff & Geismar. This multidisciplinary design studio continued his legacy of working across identity, exhibitions, signage, print, and digital media. In 2011, he established his own independent consultancy, geissbühler:design, which he continues to lead from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Alongside his consultancy, he also teaches as an adjunct professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design, continuing his lifelong commitment to education and mentoring young designers.

Geissbühler’s career has been honored with many awards. He received the American Institute of Graphic Arts Medal, one of the highest recognitions in the field, for his sustained contributions to design excellence and the development of the profession. He also won the U.S. Federal Design Achievement Award, the Art Directors Club Gold Cube, and international recognition from competitions such as the World’s Most Memorable Poster Competition. In his home country of Switzerland, he was awarded the First National Prize for Applied Art in 1966. His leadership extended beyond his studio work as well, having served as the U.S. president of the Alliance Graphique Internationale and as president of the AIGA New York chapter.

Throughout his career, Geissbühler has been deeply involved in all forms of design. He has worked on posters, books, brochures, and illustrations, but also on large-scale architectural graphics, environmental design, and signage systems for major institutions. His ability to integrate branding across print, digital, and physical environments is part of what makes his work distinctive. He has always emphasized the role of design in shaping how people experience organizations in everyday life, from a company’s visual identity to the wayfinding systems inside public spaces.

Today, Steff Geissbühler is regarded as one of the most influential designers of corporate identity in America. His work continues to inspire younger generations who study his projects as examples of clarity, structure, and purpose in visual communication.