Studio Exploration - Chermayeff & Geismar

The studio that I chose to explore is Chermayeff&Geismar. The partnership was formed in the 1950s, and through the years has grown into a large and versatile design studio. The studio’s website describes the firm as a “graphic design firm specializing in the design of trademarks, exhibitions, print and motion graphics and art in architecture.” Currently the studio is bridging the gap between the virtual world and the real world. As a result of the studios cutting-edge explorations the studio has an impressive list of awards and accolades for work it has produced through the years.

I found the studio appealing because of the deceptive simplicity of their designs. The simplicity resonates throughout the site. The studio has an impressive client list that they could have exploited to impress and recruit future clients. However, the studio instead choose to layer the work so that the user could unfold the site, view the portfolio and not feel overwhelmed by the body of work. Some of the more well known names that the studio has worked with are Nation Geographic, Mobil, Smithsonian and the Rockefeller Center.

The firm believes that “visual communications are based on ideas that are appropriate to the subject and presented in clear, lively manner without additional confusing elements.” This philosophy is one that speaks to me and the type of designer that I aspire to become.

Some examples of the studios work on the web can be found at:

www.press.princeton.edu
www.brennancenter.org
www.guggenheimadvisors.com

The studio also has built exhibitions that consider all aspects of the subject, including space and time and how the affect the visitor. They use all there experience to create a memorable and moving experience for the visitor. Some of the exhibits the studio has been part of are listed below.

The D-Day Museum
Ellis Island
Jefferson Library
Truman Library