BURTON KRAMER

One of Canada's most influential graphic designers, Burton Kramer helped define the visual identity of many of the country's best-known institutions, including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), through his Modernist work. He also shaped generations of designers through his teaching at the Ontario College of Art (OCA, now OCAD University).

Kramer studied at the Institute of Design in Chicago and the Yale School of Arts and Architecture before launching his career in New York City and Zurich, Switzerland. After moving to Toronto in 1965, he designed the wayfinding and signage system for Expo 67 and later established Burton Kramer Associates, where he developed corporate identity programs for organizations including the CBC, the Royal Ontario Museum and Radio Canada International. 

His iconic 1974 CBC logo remains one of Canada's most recognizable institutional visual identities. As Kramer explained in a 2020 interview with CBC Radio, the logo, featuring a heavily stylized “C,” was intended to visually broadcast across Canada and around the world. It remained in use until 1992, representing the country’s national broadcaster to generations of Canadians. ¹

From 1980 to 2001, Kramer taught design and typography at the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD University), inspiring students to combine conceptual thinking with design principles.

Kramer's honours include the Order of Ontario, Order of Canada and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal. In 2003, he received an Honorary Doctor of Design degree from OCAD U.

Learn more about Burton Kramer

¹ CBC Radio, An icon of Canadian graphic design: Meet Burton Kramer, designer of the CBC logo, January 2020+

Image credit: CBC Logo designed by Kramer.