Ted Audio Collective.

Audio Collective.

This is Design Matters with Debbie Millman from design observer.com.

On this program, Debbie Millman speaks with design legend Tom Geismar

about how the practice of design has changed since the 1950s.

You know one of the things when we started the firm the idea was to work collaboratively

and again that was unheard of all those great teachers that we had at Yale and I think all of them were on their own or were the art director of a magazine or something, but we thought he could do it in a different way.

Here's Debbie Melman.

In 1957, Tom Geismar co-founded the firm Brown John, Chermayev and Geismar.

Today it's known as Chermayev and Geismar and Haviv, and it's known as Tremayev and Giesmar and Haviv and it's one of the most storied branding and design firms in the business.

In his long career, Tom Gismar has done it all.

From a national system of standardized transportation

symbols to some of the most memorable logos of our time,

including Xerox, PBS, and National Geographic.

There's a lot to talk about today, his career, his recent National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement,

and his latest exhibit here at the School of Visual Arts

where he joins me now.

Tom, welcome to Design Matters.

Good afternoon.

So I just saw your exhibit at SVA here in New York City and saw a drawing that you created

of Dick Tracy when you were nine years old, I read that he was your favorite comic strip character.

Yes.

...