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(Fogra 39)Job:08-30930 Title:RP-Design Logo
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Essay
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As countries, corporations, and communities leverage their
brands to gain a transcendent advantage in the global market-
place, it is more important than ever to rise above the compet-
i t i v e c l a m o r . To b e m e m o r a b l e a n d d r a m a t i c a l l y d i e r e n t i a t e d
i s qu i t e s i m p l y s u r v i v a l . A s t h e wo r l d m i g r a t e s t o t h e m o b i l e ,
t h e r o l e o f t h e l o g o i s m o r e i m p o r t a n t t h a n e v e r . Th e b e s t l o g o s
s wi ft l y u n l o c k a s e r i e s o f a s s o c i a t i o n s t h a t r e i n fo r c e t h e e m o -
t i o n a l c o n n e c t i o n t o a b r a n d .
Fo l l o wi n g a r e s e v e n p r i n c i p l e s a b o u t t h e v i t a l re l a t i o n s h i p
b e t we e n l o g o s a n d m e a n i n g .
1. Logos are vessels for meaning.
Th e b e s t l o g o s s t a n d fo r s o m e t h i n g a n d h a v e m e a n i n g t h a t i s
n u r t u r e d o v e r t i m e . Mi l t o n Gl a s e r s a i d i t b e s t , “Th e l o g o i s t h e
g a t e wa y t o t h e b r a n d .” Wh e n yo u s e e a l o g o , i t s h o u l d s wi ft l y
u n l o c k a s e r i e s o f a s s o c i a t i o n s t h a t a r e b u i l t o v e r t i m e . Ma n y
d e c i s i o n m a k e r s c o u l d b e n e t fr o m t h i s s i m p l e t r u t h . Lo g o s
a n d v i s u a l s ym b o l s a r e t h e fa s t e s t c o m m u n i c a t i o n o n e a r t h .
Li k e t h e a g o f a n a t i o n , a l o g o s h o u l d c o m m u n i c a t e wh o yo u
a r e a n d wh a t yo u s t a n d fo r .
2. Key decision makers should agree on what the brand
stands for prior to seeing any design solutions.
Wh a t t h e b r a n d s t a n d s fo r a n d “we k n o w wh o we a r e ” i s t h e
fo u n d a t i o n o f b u i l d i n g a b r a n d . It i s h a r d wo r k wh e t h e r t h e
b r a n d b u i l d e r i s a s t a r t - u p o r r e v i t a l i zi n g a n e xi s t i n g b r a n d —
a n d wh e t h e r t h e wo r k i s e v o l u t i o n a r y o r r e v o l u t i o n a r y. De s i g n -
e r s h a v e a g r e a t c a p a c i t y t o d i s t i l l v a s t a m o u n t s o f i n fo r m a t i o n ,
a n d s h o u l d wo r k wi t h t h e i r c l i e n t s t o c r e a t e a s i m p l e o n e - p a g e
11 x 17 (27.9 x 43.2 c m ) b r a n d b r i e f t h a t s yn t h e s i ze s t h e b i g
i d e a , t h e c o m p e t i t i v e a d v a n t a g e , t h e v a l u e p r o p o s i t i o n , t h e
t a r g e t m a r k e t , m a r k e t p l a c e i n s i g h t s a n d t r e n d s , b r a n d a t t r i b -
u t e s , k e y o e r i n g s , a n d k e y c o m p e t i t o r s . We h a v e a l l b e e n t o
p r e s e n t a t i o n s wh e r e a d e c i s i o n m a k e r l o o k s a t a d e s i g n , a n d
s a ys , “Th a t i s n o t wh o we a r e .” Fo c u s r s t o n “wh o we a r e .” A
b r a n d b r i e f i s a s u s t a i n a b l e a n d v a l u a b l e t o o l .
Meaning
A L I N A W H E E L E R
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(Fogra 39)Job:08-30930 Title:RP-Design Logo
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(Fogra 39)Job:08-30930 Title:RP-Design Logo
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3. Meaning is rarely immediate. Meaning is assigned, and
evolves over time.
When the Nike logo was designed in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson
(g a ), i t w a s a n a b s t r a ct i o n o f t h e w i n g o f t h e Gr e e k g o d d e s s
o f v i ct o r y . It s cur r e n t t o p-o f-mi n d a s s o ci a t i o n i s “Jus t d o i t .” Th e
s y mb o l s t a n d s fo r s o me t h i n g t h a t i s d e e p a n d pr o fo un d t o i t s
cus t o me r s . Fr e que n t a n d co n s i s t e n t e xpo s ur e i n t e g r a t e d t h e
s y mb o l a n d i t s me a n i n g i n t o po pul a r cul t ur e . Th e t h r e e -po i n t e d
s t a r o f Me r ce d e s Be n z (g b ) w a s d e s i g n e d i n 1 886 t o s y mb o l i ze
D a i ml e r ’s a mb i t i o n o f un i v e r s a l mo t o r i za t i o n “o n l a n d , o n w a t e r
a n d i n t h e a i r .” Mo r e t h a n a ce n t ur y l a t e r , i t s t a n d s fo r l uxur y
a n d pe r fo r ma n ce t h a t i s d e mo n s t r a t e d t h r o ug h t h e i r pr o d uct
d e s i g n a n d me t i cul o us e n g i n e e r i n g .
4. Meaning is the best catalyst for the design process.
W h e n a d e s i g n e r l i v e s i n s i d e o f t h e b i g i d e a , t h e y h a v e a n
o ppo r t un i t y t o us e t h e i r t a l e n t t o fus e v i s ua l fo r m w i t h b r a n d
i n t e l l i g e n ce . C o upl e d w i t h i n s i g h t s a b o ut t h e t a r g e t a ud i e n ce ,
co mpe t i t i v e a n d b e s t -pr a ct i ce a ud i t s , t h e d e s i g n e r ca n a ch i e v e
r e ma r k a b l e r e s ul t s t h a t w i l l b e s us t a i n a b l e . Th e g r e a t t h i n g
a b o ut b e i n g a d e s i g n e r i s t h a t y o u ca n s h o w w h a t t h e fut ur e
co ul d l o o k l i k e a n d s pa r k me a n i n g ful d i s cus s i o n s a b o ut t h e
b r a n d .
5. Every opportunity and touchpoint to reinforce and
demonstrate the link between the logo and what the
brand stands for should be seized.
D ur i n g t h e pr o ce s s , e a ch d e s i g n pr e s e n t a t i o n s h o ul d b e g i n
w i t h t h e b i g i d e a a n d t h e n d e mo n s t r a t e h o w t h e l o g o , l o o k a n d
fe e l , co r e t y pe fa ce s , co l o r pa l e t t e , a n d o t h e r b r a n d e l e me n t s
e xpr e s s t h e b i g i d e a . Ma k e me a n i n g t h e ca mpr e fo r d e ci s i o n
ma k e r s . A l o g o s h o ul d a l w a y s b e s h o w n i n co n t e xt o f a r e a l
a ppl i ca t i o n s o t h a t i t a ppe a r s r e a l . W h e n t h e l o g o i s l a un ch e d ,
t h e o r g a n i za t i o n n e e d s t o co mmun i ca t e w h a t t h e b r a n d s t a n d s
fo r . Th e s t a n d a r d s n e e d t o b e g i n w i t h t h a t , a n d n o t jus t cl a r i fy
us a g e g ui d e l i n e s .
6. Logos become recognizable when they are used
consistently and frequently across touchpoints.
Th e l o g o s h o ul d b e v i e w e d a s a b r a n d a s s e t t h a t s y mb o l i ze s
w h a t t h e b r a n d s t a n d s fo r . Ev e n i n t h e t i n i e s t o r g a n i za t i o n s , t h e
l o g o i s s e e n t h o us a n d s a n d t h o us a n d s o f t i me s . It i s i mpo r t a n t
t o ma k e i t e a s y t o a d h e r e t o s t a n d a r d s —t h e l o g o i s a w o r k -
h o r s e . D e s i g n i n g a l o g o a n d t h e n n o t h a v i n g s t a n d a r d s i s a
h ug e w a s t e . Th e l o g o a n d t h e l o o k a n d fe e l a r e b r a n d a s s e t s
t h a t n e e d t o b e ma n a g e d a n d pr o t e ct e d . Th e b e s t co n s ume r
b r a n d s b e n e t fr o m fr e que n cy a n d co n s i s t e n cy . Lo g o s l i k e
Ta r g e t (g c), St a r b uck s (g d ), a n d N i k e (g a ) n o l o n g e r n e e d
a l o g o t y pe . W h y ? Be ca us e t h e b r a i n s e e s s h a pe s r s t , a n d t h e n
r e a d s t e xt .
7. No one does it alone.
Bus i n e s s e s d o n o t s ucce e d b e ca us e t h e y h a v e a g r e a t l o g o . Th e y
s ucce e d b e ca us e t h e y s t a n d fo r s o me t h i n g , a n d cr e a t e s o me -
t h i n g t h a t i s r e l e v a n t a n d n e e d e d . Th e y d e l i v e r o n t h e i r pr o mi s e
a n d k n o w w h a t t h e i r pr o mi s e i s . Th e y s ucce e d b e ca us e t h e y a r e
r e l e n t l e s s i n t h e i r que s t t o b e t h e b r a n d o f ch o i ce . It i s n o t y o ur
l o g o ; i t i s t h e i r l o g o . It i s n o t y o ur b r a n d ; i t i s y o ur cl i e n t ’s b r a n d .
Bui l d i n g t r us t a n d l i s t e n i n g ca r e ful l y t o t h e cl i e n t a n d t o t h e
ma r k e t pl a ce i s w h a t t h e b e s t d e s i g n e r s d o , i n a d d i t i o n t o b e i n g
t h e b e s t d e s i g n e r s t h e y ca n b e .
Pe o pl e fa l l i n l o v e w i t h b r a n d s t h a t t h e y ca n n o t i ma g i n e l i v i n g
w i t h o ut . A l o g o a n d h o w i t l i v e s a cr o s s pl a t fo r ms i s a t a n g i -
b l e e xpr e s s i o n t h a t s pa r k s a s s o ci a t i o n s o f t h e b r a n d fo r a l l
t h e s t a k e h o l d e r s . D e s i g n e r s a r e t h e pr o fe s s i o n a l s t h a t d i s t i l l
me a n i n g a n d ma k e i t e a s y fo r pe o pl e t o e mo t i o n a l l y co n n e ct ,
n a v i g a t e , a n d ma k e ch o i ce s .
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(Fogra 39)Job:08-30930 Title:RP-Design Logo
#175 Dtp:225 Page:57
001-272_30930.indd 57 9/2/13 11:03 AM
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