Logo Design Love Logo Design Love

on logos, symbols, icons, and marks
  • November 3, 2015   Published ~ 9 years ago.

    Netflix, by Gretel

    Founded in 1997, Netflix is the streaming media service that now serves more than 65 million users in more than 50 countries worldwide and growing. New York-based Gretel were tasked with creating an identity that would connect everything the Netflix brand touches. The result is one of the strongest and most comprehensive identities of recent times.

    Netflix logo crop

    Netflix box set

    “Our solution: The Stack, a visual metaphor and an identity system in one. It implies both the infinite, ever-changing catalogue and the custom-curated selections that make up the core of the Netflix service.”

    Netflix icons

    Netflix identity

    Client: Netflix
    Strategy: Gretel
    Design and animation: Gretel
    Typefaces: Gotham Bold, Gotham Book

    Netflix billboards

    See a lot more of the case study on the Gretel website, with a few more words from the designers on Fast Company.


  • July 26, 2015   Published ~ 9 years ago.

    Rolling Stones Hot Lips

    At the conclusion of the Rolling Stones’ ZIP Code tour, Robert Klara from Adweek asked me how the famous “Tongue and Lips” emblem has become as iconic as it has, and why it’s lasted so long.

    Rolling Stones logo
    Original design by John Pasche

    Any design that achieves iconic status can only do so on the back of an iconic product. The fact that the Rolling Stones are one of the most recognisable rock bands on the planet helps.

    Beyond that, if a good logo is going to endure it needs to be appropriate, and the sexiness associated with red lips is fitting for legends of rock ‘n’ roll.

    Read Robert’s full piece on Adweek.

    “Branding a rock band with a signature badge was a novel idea in 1969 when Mick Jagger called on London’s Royal College of Art in search of a student to create some visual assets for his band’s next album. The Stones’ front man liked the work of 24-year-old John Pasche, who accepted £50 to draw up a logo.”

    From the archives: V&A buys original Rolling Stones logo.

    Header photo via iorr.org


  • July 25, 2015   Published ~ 9 years ago.

    Mr Cooper: ice cream for grown-ups

    Tasty custom typography by johnson banks in collaboration with Rob Clarke.

    “Mr Cooper is an an ice-cream start-up specialising in alcoholic and gourmet flavours. The company’s frozen fancies are strictly for grown-ups and they needed a distinctive identity and tone of voice to match their unconventional new brand.”

    Mr Cooper Ice Cream logo

    “Our challenge was to craft an intriguing hand lettered mark utilising both positive and negative space to spell out the brand name and the words ‘ice cream’ within the lip shape.”

    Pulling that off is no mean feat. Senior designer Kath Tudball shared the design development in this video (below).

    More on the johnson banks thought for the week.

    johnson banks on Twitter.


  • July 25, 2015   Published ~ 9 years ago.

    Angels Costumes, founded 1840

    Matt Rudd of Rudd Studio got in touch to share a recent case study (below). An interesting insight into the logo evolution of a 175-year-old business.

    Founded in 1840 by Morris Angel and still run by the family, Angels is the leading costumier to the film and television industry, and the pre-eminent fancy dress supplier to the public. Angels owns the largest collection of costumes and accessories anywhere in the world, with eight miles of clothes racks.

    Costume design Oscars abound for films supplied by Angels, starting with Hamlet in 1948 and most recently this year with The Grand Budapest Hotel.

    With this incredible backdrop, we were excited to be asked by Tim Angel OBE and Jeremy Angel to look at the company’s logo and visual identity. We started by having a good look at the company’s logo history. Here are some examples.

    Angels Costumes
    Through the 20th century

    Angels Costumes
    Mid 1990s

    Angels Costumes
    2013

    We were asked to come up with a simple and modern logo which incorporated a reference to the company’s 175 year anniversary. There was a discussion about our ITV logo design. Tim felt that there was something in its spirit that was appropriate for Angels.

    To begin with we thought about the structure of the logo. What should the hierarchy of the elements be? How should we deal with the addition of the 175 Years message? How important was the crest?

    Angels Costumes
    Considering the hierarchy of information

    Influenced by some great wallpaper patterns in the ticket hall at the Palace of Versailles which reinterpreted classical patterns in a modern way, we looked at modernising the drawing of the crest.

    Angels Costumes
    Wallpaper designs in the ticket hall at The Palace of Versailles

    Angels Costumes
    Modernising the crest

    Thinking about the ITV logo, we looked at joined up letters, which gave the logo a less formal, more friendly personality.

    Angels Costumes
    Joined up type

    We went on to draw this joined up logotype. The former Angels logo began with a distinctive, forward-sloping A and we echoed it here. There was a feeling that the preceding Angels logos were a little light and did not hold up at distance, so we moved towards a bolder weight for the new logo.

    Angels Costumes
    Logo idea with forward sloping A and joined up type

    In conversation with Tim and Jeremy Angel, we decided that the crest was not sacrosanct, and in the spirit of simplification and modernisation, we explored alternatives. A different icon above or below the word would help to distinguish the Costumes and Fancy Dress sides of the business.

    Angels Costumes

    Angels Costumes
    Looking at different icons with the type

    We all began to feel that it was the multicoloured aspect of the ITV identity which felt appropriate for Angels. This suggested the huge variety of costumes and the joy of fancy dress. We started thinking about how we could use a range of colours in the logo.

    Angels Costumes

    Angels Costumes
    Using a range of colours

    We looked at different typefaces. We also explored the possibility of using a different range of colours for the two sides of company.

    Angels Costumes
    Trying out different colour sets for Fancy Dress and Costumes

    Working closely with our client, we arrived at a solution which couldn’t be simpler. Each part of the final logo says the right thing.

    The FS Ingrid typeface for Angels is warm but authoritative. The multiple colours speak of variety, showbusiness and fun. The underline is a bridge from the preceding logo and the prominent, central, double-storey g brings to mind the logo before that — perhaps the best known logo in the company’s history.

    Angels Costumes
    The final logo

    What an enjoyable project.

    View Rudd Studio’s earlier feature for the ITV logo.

    More logo and identity work on the Rudd Studio website.


  • July 17, 2015   Published ~ 9 years ago.

    The graphic art of the advertising mascot

    Two books arrived this week — Meet Mr Product (Vol 1), and Mr Product (Vol 2). Written and compiled by Warren Dotz and Masud Husain, the books depict “the graphic art of advertising’s magnificent mascots.”

    Meet Mr Product (Vol 1)

    Meet Mr Product

    Originally published as a paperback in 2003 by Chronicle Books, Meet Mr Product has been republished this year as a hardback by Insight Editions, coinciding with the release of Vol 2.

    Meet Mr Product

    Meet Mr Product

    “Although many ad characters have had short-lived careers, others have been around for a hundred years or more. Enticing customers to buy products from frozen vegetables to packaged cake mix, from fast-food burgers to automobile tyres, these imaginatively conceived and illustrated product ‘spokes-characters’ personify the businesses they represent. Many of these businesses began small, but a good number grew to dominate their fields — in large part due to their famous icons.”

    Meet Mr Product

    Meet Mr Product

    Meet Mr Product

    Volume 1 has an introductory essay for the first 20 or so pages. Then it’s all imagery split into sections for food, drinks, kid’s stuff, dining, technology, automotive, home, and finally personal and leisure. It’s the kind of book you’d pick up for some nostalgia rather than an in-depth history.

    Mr Product (Vol 2)

    Mr Product

    The second volume, also published by Insight Editions (2015), focuses on the period between 1960 and 1985 when mascots were at their most prevalent.

    Mr Product

    Mr Product

    “These days a warm breeze of nostalgia is blowing down Madison Avenue as advertising agencies bring back characters, slogans, and jingles from the 1960s and 1970s. These campaigns are called ‘retrobranding’. Ad agencies realise that although it took a long time to establish these characters, once entrenched in the American psyche, they continue to be a valuable resource for product identification and promotion. Despite the constant pressure in advertising for new, innovative, and trendy icons, marketers are now acknowledging and successfully utilising the ‘golden oldies’ of earlier times.”

    Mr Product

    Mr Product

    Mr Product

    Most of the mascots are from before I was born, and they’re unlikely to return, but you’ll still find some that most of us will recognise — Ronald McDonald, Tony the Tiger, Colonel Sanders, Jolly Green Giant, BIC Boy, Bibendum.

    Mr Product, Meet Mr Product

    Two solid visual archives, well-made with sewn binding and spot varnished covers. I also appreciated this snippet from the front matter: “Insight Editions, in association with Roots of Peace, will plant two trees for each tree used in the manufacturing of this book.”

    They’re available direct from the publisher, or here:

    Meet Mr Product on Amazon.com | on Amazon.co.uk | on Amazon.ca
    Mr Product on Amazon.com | on Amazon.co.uk | on Amazon.ca

    Read Steven Heller’s review on The Atlantic.

    And let’s not forget, if it wasn’t for these mascots we’d never have had the pleasure of watching Logorama.


  • July 9, 2015   Published ~ 9 years ago.

    How many options do you give your clients?

    “I’m at a point in my design practice where I don’t want to waste time presenting more than one logo proposal. I feel confident enough to say that after weeks of working on a logo and applying a carefully tested method I don’t need to present two or three proposals. Instead I can fine tune the one I’m working on. Do you present your clients with more than one option?”

    A good question sent in by Rome-based designer Sonia Gazzelloni.

    I give a client three or four very different ideas, but I’ll explain the ideas in words rather than images. The client can then visualise each direction without getting distracted by details I select at a later stage, such as colour and typography. Once the client agrees on the most appropriate direction, I’ll create mockups and prepare a presentation.

    Explaining ideas in words (and sometimes rough sketches) is much faster than using Photoshop and Illustrator, so the strongest idea gets developed sooner, without wasting time elsewhere.

    How many options do you give your clients?

    I asked the same question a couple of years ago for a giveaway of Eric Karjaluoto’s book The Design Method. You can read quite a few replies in the comment thread here.

    Also relevant is another on davidairey.com: The ideal design process? Where I quoted Michael Johnson of johnson banks: “The best three options are presented (one safe, one adventurous, one scary — from a client perspective), a direction is chosen, developed, then signed off.”

    Header numbers by designer and calligrapher Giuseppe Salerno


  • July 4, 2015   Published ~ 9 years ago.

    The Montblanc star

    The Montblanc star emblem was introduced in 1913, and since then, all writing instruments produced by the ‘Simplo Filler Pen Company’ [as the makers were then known] would include the distinctive mark.

    “The shape represents the snow-covered peak of Mont Blanc — the highest European mountain, symbolising the brand’s commitment to the highest quality and finest European craftsmanship.”

    Quoted from Montblanc’s 100+ year history.

    A few years ago, the Montblanc logo was chosen by Creative Review in the top 20 logos of all time. I remember thinking it was a strange decision, mostly because the magazine only showed the logo lockup, which is imbalanced, both in line weight and layout.

    Montblanc logo

    But seeing it again more recently, the symbol placement on Montblanc pens, that makes me smile.

    Montblanc symbol
    Photo from Marks of Excellence, p79


  • June 29, 2015   Published ~ 9 years ago.

    Alphabet Logo, from Counter-Print

    Alphabet Logo is the latest in Counter-Print’s Trademarks & Symbols series.

    Alphabet Logo

    The book contains more than 500 logos created from letters of the alphabet, designed by some of the world’s leading studios such as Bruce Mau Design, Hype Type Studio, Pentagram, Stockholm Design Lab, Wolff Olins, and many more.

    Alphabet Logo

    Alphabet Logo

    Alphabet Logo

    Alphabet Logo

    Alphabet Logo

    Alphabet Logo

    Alphabet Logo

    Alphabet Logo

    Title: Alphabet Logo
    Book design: Leterme Dowling
    Size: 180 x 115mm
    Pages: 228
    Publication: 2015
    Binding: Softbound
    Price: £7.50

    Counter-Print books
    Other books in the series

    Available from Counter-Print.


  • June 25, 2015   Published ~ 9 years ago.

    BBC Newsbeat, by Moving Brands

    Moving Brands’ recent identity work for the BBC included an appropriately animated wordmark for BBC Newsbeat, the national broadcaster’s news service aimed at 16-24yr olds.

    Newsbeat logo

    “The wordmark is designed to react to the beat; when a user hits pre-programmed points within the site, a beat sequence animation is triggered in the mark. The grid system is built to replicate a simple music time signature — all elements of the grid are divisible by four, with content landing on or off the beat.”

    The “beat sequence” didn’t come to mind before or after I read the above quote. Instead the animation immediately reminded me of scrolling through content on a phone, which must’ve been part of the rationale. It seems more fitting, anyway.

    Newsbeat identity system

    The following video introduces the work, set to a particularly tasty Vince Clarke remix of Future Islands’ Doves.

    The project ran from October to December in 2014, with the identity first launched as part of Newsbeat’s election coverage in April 2015.

    Newsbeat identity

    Newsbeat identity

    More details on the Moving Brands website.


  • June 18, 2015   Published ~ 9 years ago.

    Rebranding the LTA’s Major Events

    The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) governs tennis in Great Britain, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man.

    London-based BEAR were briefed to rebrand the LTA’s Major Events — a series of four international grass court tennis tournaments that take place in the run up to Wimbledon.

    “We took the essence of ‘explosive summer tennis’ and brought it to life, with the help of a little liquid nitrogen. British blooms were frozen and shot whilst we captured the footage in super fast exposures. Composed against spectacular shots of star players in action, the campaign brought real energy to our static media spots.”

    BEAR LTA identity design

    BEAR LTA identity design

    A NERF gun and an air rifle were BEAR’s weapons of choice.

    BEAR LTA identity design

    BEAR LTA identity design

    BEAR LTA identity design

    BEAR LTA identity design

    BEAR LTA identity design

    Exploding flowers are certainly nothing new — see Someone’s work for Resonate, or artistic projects by Martin Klimas — but there’s no denying its effectiveness.

    BEAR LTA identity design

    BEAR LTA identity design

    BEAR LTA identity design

    Photos were by John Ross, with retouching and animation by The Forge.

    BEAR LTA identity design

    BEAR also created accompanying logos for each of the four events.

    Aegon tennis logos

    The logos don’t compare to the strength of the photography, and there’s too much going on to create a lasting impression. Judging by BEAR’s portfolio, I get the feeling the client was driving these.

    But the flowers. Lovely.

    BEAR LTA identity design

    BEAR LTA identity design


Feed Information for Logo Design Love

Find or add a new feed:

Enter website or RSS feed URL:
Upload/import OPML file:

Bookmarklet

Drag this link to your browser bookmarks bar, then click it whenever you want to add the site you're viewing to RSS2.com.

Add to RSS2.com