1. How does each logo measure up to the criteria that David Airey describes in Part I of Logo Design Love? For example, evaluate each logo in terms of its relevance, differentiation from the competition, versatility, etc. Substantiate your statements by providing direct quotes from the reading assignment using in-text APA-style research citations.
M.Nii’s logo doesn’t measure up to the criteria that David Airey describes in Logo Design Love. It is too busy and has irrelevant information in it. As Airey states, “In creating a versatile design, simplicity is key. Your design should ideally work at a minimum size of around one inch, without loss of detail. The only way to accomplish this is to keep it simple, which will also increase your chances of hitting on a design that is likely to last” (Airey 2010). M.Nii’s logo has a lot of unnecessary water detail in the graphic that is hard to duplicate. There are also several words in the logo design that are irrelevant.
Although Quicksilver’s logo is somewhat attractive and very recognizable, it has a lot going on, and is too busy to be effective according to Airey’s standards. I think it could benefit from a tune up to simplify it. “Iconic designs that stand apart from the crowd have just one feature to help them stand out. That’s it. Just one. Not two, three, or four. You want to leave your client with just one thing to remember about your design” (Airey 2010). Quicksilver’s logo has a wave, a mountain with a snowcap, and it’s distinctive typography. That makes three features instead of one.
Billabong’s logo has a distinctive wave graphic and recognizable typography. It is relevant, has differentiation from the competition, and versatility.
I think that Rip Curl’s logo is the most successful of the four. The icon represents a small r and a curling wave. The wave shape is very recognizable and easy to remember. According to Airey, “The best strategy is to focus initially on a design that is recognizable. So recognizable, in fact, that just its shape or outline gives it away. Working in only black and white can help you create more distinctive marks, since the contrast emphasizes the shape or idea. Color really is secondary to the shape and form of your design” (Airey 2010). Rip Curl’s logo is successful in accomplishing this, as its shape or outline gives it away.
2. Categorize each logo based on what you have read in the Alina Wheeler book, Designing Brand Identity. Does the category of logo representing your company effectively communicate the brand and identify the product or service? Is this important for your company? Why or why not? Substantiate your statements by providing direct quotes from the reading assignment using in-text APA-style research citations.
Alina Wheeler explains, “A pictorial mark uses a literal and recognizable image. The image itself may allude to the name of the company or its mission, or it may be symbolic of a brand attribute. The simpler the form, the more difficult it is to draw. The most skillful designers know how to translate and simplify, play with light and shadow, and balance positive and negative space” (Wheeler 2013).
"A wordmark is a freestanding word or words. It may be a company name or an acronym. The best wordmarks imbue a legible word or words with distinctive font characteristics, and may integrate abstract elements or pictorial elements. The distinctive tilted “E” in “Dell” activates and strengthens the one-syllable name. The IBM acronym has transcended enormous technological change in its industry" (Wheeler 2013).
M.Nii, Quicksilver, Billabong, and Rip Curl all use a combination of a Wordmark and a Pictorial mark. I have seen each ofQuicksilver, Billabong, and Rip Curl using their wordmark or their pictorial mark independently of the other, and in different combinations together.
M.Nii’s logo doesn’t really fall into any of the categories presented by Alina Wheeler. I think it’s closest to being a wordmark. It also has pictorial marks. M.Nii’s logo is somewhat novel with its primitive, vintage appeal, but doesn’t effectively communicate the brand and identify the product because it looks too tired, dated. It has the look and feel of the era in which it was created. M.Nii needs to tell it’s story, but it needs to be presented as fresh and new as well. To be relevant to its target audience, it is important to represent the company in a more deliberate and meaningful way. The brand needs to establish M.Nii’s identity as a fresh, vibrant company that is full of life and has value. “Why is branding important? Because people often choose products based on their perceived value rather than their actual value” (Airey 2010).
3. Based on what you’ve read and evaluated, write about what you can do as part of the redesign process to improve your companyʼs current logo. How will this help to better communicate the brand essence and increase differentiation from the competition? Substantiate your statements by providing direct quotes from the reading assignment using in-text APA-style research citations.
M.Nii’s story is interesting and has value as it adds subcultural credibility. So the brand’s logo and everything else in the brand needs to express the story. As Airey says, “Of course, it always helps to have a good story to tell. Your job as a designer is to find the story, and tell it wisely” (Airey 2014). Since it is a small, distinctive and kind of cool word, and it is the name of the original designer, the name M.Nii lends itself to a signature wordmark logo. I would like to design a logo that has the elements form the old logo in it, a similar font, and a graphic of a surfer, but cleaned up and modernized. I will make the name M.Nii into a wordmark that resembles the original label logo, but is clean and fresh.Alina Wheeler explains the value in continuing to use a recognizable signature in a wordmark. “Kellogg still uses the same trademark signature that it has been using since 1906 on the front of every pack of cereal, but these days the signature is a red, stylized version. This consistency built a level of trust and repeat business with consumers through the years, which has helped establish Kellogg as the world’s leading cereal manufacturer” (Wheeler, 2013).
4. What other relevant observations can you make based on references that you’ve found from the library or academic sources on the Internet? Substantiate your statements by providing direct quotes from the sources using in-text APA-style research citations.
The standards of good logo design are universal. The Lithuanian publication that I came across echoed the concepts that were in Airey’s book. The most important point that was made in each article that I read is that simplicity is key. Author Konstantinas Stanislovas Danaitis also states that the logo must be easy to remember, and accurately represent the company.
“A properly created logo has specific features: simplicity; it must engage the target audience; longevity; preferred vector format for logo; easy to remember; it needs to have an original idea and form; well-thought out and designed logo becomes the basis for corporate style. The most important thing is that the logo should reflect the company’s or institution’s activities. In order to achieve creative logo designs, computer graphics technology, tools and software should be properly applied” (Danaitis (2012).
Airey sums up my goals for a new logo design, “A successful design may meet the goals set in your design brief, but a truly enviable iconic design will also be simple, relevant, enduring, distinctive, memorable, and adaptable” (Airey 2010).
References:
Airey, David. (2010). Logo Design Love: A Guide to Creating Iconic Brand Identities, 1/e Vitalsource eBook for Full Sail University. Pearson Learning Solutions. VitalBook file.
Danaitis, K. S. and Usovaite, A. (2012). Visual Communication: Computer Graphic Tools In Creating Logos. (English) Coactivity / Santalka. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu
Wheeler, Alina. Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team, 4th Edition. John Wiley & Sons P&T, 10/22/12. VitalBook file