Courtesy of Jerry Kuyper

If you have never heard of Jerry Kuyper, take a look at the logos for Touchstone Pictures, the World Wildlife Fund, ExxonMobil or the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He designed them.

Kuyper will be coming to San Diego State to speak on “Comic, Cosmic and Cosmetic Branding” next Thursday, something that has the art students abuzz, professor Susan Merritt said. In his industry, Kuyper has become a brand unto himself, Merritt said.

“His whole career in graphic design has been focused on branding,” Merritt added. “He’s worked with the best branding companies in the country … and now has his own company. He’s a funny person; he has a good sense of humor, and I think that is why students will enjoy his presentation.”

Kuyper’s high-energy lecture promises to “demystify” the branding industry from concept to creation, as well as hand out insightful advice to those hoping to break into branding themselves, Merritt said.

Kuyper said he makes a point of injecting humor into his lectures. His pet peeve is when professionals take themselves too seriously. But that’s not to say his lectures are not seriously informative, he said.

“I look at historic trends and current trends and I try to identify the criteria in creating and evaluating visual identities,” Kuyper said. “We take a broad look at branding 8212; from how it affects political candidates to how it affects products.”

Kuyper is an award-winning graphic designer who specializes in forging aesthetic identities for companies and organizations and has worked internationally. He has left his mark on many businesses, including Cisco, General Electric, Stanford University, AT&T, Disney, ChevronTexaco, Hawaiian Airlines and Hilton.

Brands become synonymous with their companies 8212; governing the look, feel and font of a logo 8212; and they ultimately influence a buyer, Merritt said.

“A symbol, a logo, is really like a face that gets put out there to the public and it becomes the brand, the mark which sort of brands the company,” she said.

After spending years working for creative consultants such as Lippincott, Siegel + Gale, frog design and Landor, he decided to go into business for himself. Kuyper founded his own company, Jerry Kuyper Partners, in 2004. Kuyper received his bachelor’s in graphic design from the University of Cincinnati and finished four years of graduate work at the Basel School of Design in Switzerland.

The event will be held at 7 p.m. next Thursday in Nasatir Hall, Room 100.