Deborah Sussman

Deborah Sussman is known as a leader of environmental graphic design, a relatively new field at the time that had a surprising number of women leading the charge. Sussman had a passion for the arts and attended some of the finest art and design institutions in the nation, including the Black Mountain College, the Institute of Design in Chicago, and Bard College in NYC. Sussman interned at the Eames office then later started her own successful design studio with her husband Paul Prejza, Sussman/Prejza & Company. The pair made a dynamic team, earning a considerable amount of recognition in Sussman’s lifetime. The colorful modernism seen in much of Sussman’s work was most visible in her designs for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Her designs were highly regarded for the bold colors and graphics that were both attractive and functional. The Olympic designs were even included in Time Magazine’s “Best of the Decade”. In addition to the designs for the Olympics, Sussman/Prejza & Company did environmental design work for Disney and comprehensive design systems for the cities of Santa Monica & Philadelphia. While her designs for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles brought the most attention to the burgeoning field of environmental design, it was her dedication to pioneering the field that cements her place in the canon of graphic design.TIMELINE1931 – b New York1948 – Attends summer school at the Black Mountain College, for art & performance1948-50 – Attends Bard College, New York for painting & acting1950-53 – Attends the Institute of Design, Chicago1953-58 – works at Eames office1957-58 – Awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Ulm, Germany1961 – Returns to work for the Eames office1968 – Establishes her own practice1972 – Marries architect Paul Prejza1975 – Awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Calcutta, India1980 – Founds Sussman/Prejza & Company, a partnership with her husband1983 – Fellow and founder of AIGA/LA1987 – Elected member of AGI, Alliance Graphique Internationale1987 – Elected member of The Trusteeship, International Women’s Forum1988 – Named an Honorary member of the American Institute of Architects1990 – featured in Time Magazine’s “Best of the Decade” for ‘84 Los Angeles Olympic designs1991 – Named Fellow of the Society of Environmental Graphic Design1995 – First woman to exhibit at School of Visual Arts’ “Master Series” 2014 – d in Los Angeles at the age of 83REFERENCESBlack Mountain College: A Brief Introduction. (2020, July 9). https://www.blackmountaincollege.org/history/Deborah Sussman. (2020, June 29). Sussman/Prejza & Company. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://sussmanprejza.com/bio/deborah-sussman/Discover Los Angeles. (2020, July 20). Historical Timeline of Los Angeles. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from http://www.discoverlosangeles.com/things-to-do/historical-timeline-of-los-angelesEames Office. (2020, March 26). Charles and Ray Eames. https://www.eamesoffice.com/eames-office/charles-and-ray/Giovannini, J. (2006). Turning surface into symbols: the environmental design firm Sussman-Prejza enriches architecture with graphics. Architectural Record, 194(1).History.com Editors. (2009, November 13). Soviets announce boycott of 1984 Olympics. A&E Television Networks. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviets-announce-boycott-of-1984-olympicsLatson, J. (2014, September 05). "Murder in Munich": A Terrorist Threat Ignored. Time. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://time.com/3223225/munich-anniversary/Meggs, P. B., & Purvis, A. W. (2016). Meggs' history of graphic design. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.Mertin, E. (2012). The Soviet Union and the Olympic games of 1980 and 1984. East Plays West:Sport and the Cold War, 235.Olsberg, N. (2014). Architecture and Sculpture a Dialogue in Los Angeles. Architectural Review, 235(1405), 88–93.Sussman, D. (2014). L.A. Wo Man. Creative Review, 34(1), 48–53.Poulin, Richard. (2012). Graphic Design and Architecture, A 20th Century History. Osceola: Quarto Publishing Group USA.Twemlow, A. (2004, September 6). Deborah Sussman. AIGA.org Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://www.aiga.org/medalist-deborahsussmanWaldo, E. (2014). Deborah Sussman Dies at 83. Contract, 55(7), 16.