Geir Ólafsson

Design engineer and creative director

For fifteen years I’ve worked for Icelandic institutions in finance, energy and culture. One of the country’s largest banks, the national power company and an insurer whose customer satisfaction went from last in its sector to first.

Now I design the system and ship the frontend myself. Working independently since 2024.

Available for select projects from September. hallo@geir.is

Selected projects

2026 to present
Magni
industrial IoT platform, a Héðinn company
Brand strategy, marketing site and collateral. Identity system, colour scheme, typography, infographics and copy. magni-app.is
2025 to present
Gangverk
digital product studio, Reykjavík and New York
Design and principal development of gangverk.com Art direction, type system, motion and the production frontend. Next.js, React, TypeScript, WebGL, scroll-driven theming, 28 routes.
2021 to 2023
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
Designer and art director 2011 – 2014, creative director 2021 – 2023. Seasonal visual identities, concert marketing and campaigns across a decade of programming.
2019 to 2023
Landsbankinn
one of Iceland’s largest banks
Art director 2019 – 2021, creative director 2021 – 2023. Led creative direction for the bank’s communication and branding, including a full visual identity refresh in 2022 and nationwide campaigns.
2015 to 2022
Sjóvá
among the three largest Icelandic insurers
Art director 2015 – 2020, creative director 2020 – 2022. Led the 2015 rebrand. The company moved from the lowest customer satisfaction ratings in its sector in 2015 to the highest by 2017.
2014 to 2020
Landsvirkjun
Iceland’s national power company
Art director and communication design. Annual, environmental and sustainability reports in print and digital, corporate communication materials.

How I work

I work on the whole thing. The strategy, the identity, the typography, the interface, and the code that ships it. That used to be two or three people and a handoff; now it’s one person and a shorter argument.

Most of what I do starts in a text file and ends in a repository. I design in the browser as much as in Figma, because the questions that matter (how something behaves at 13px, on a slow connection, in motion) only have real answers there.

I draw typefaces. This site is set in one of mine, still unfinished.

Work

2024 to present
Independent practice
brand, product and code
2021 to 2024
Creative director
Aton
2018 to 2019
Course instructor
Iceland Academy of the Arts, in parallel
2015 to 2021
Art director
Jónsson & Le'macks
2013 to 2016
Founding member
Børk Design Studio, in parallel
2011 to 2025
Design and art direction
Gallery Port, in parallel
2011 to 2015
Graphic designer
Jónsson & Le'macks

Awards

2017
Icelandic Web Awards
Sjóvá
2013
Red Dot Design Award
communication design, packaging, Katla vodka
2012
Art Directors Club of Europe
Silver, open category
2012 to 2016
Various awards from FÍT the Icelandic Design Association
branding, information design, posters and book covers