Really Good Logos Explained

Job No:12-00917 Title:RP:Really Good Logos Explained

DTP:183 Page:87

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CHAPTER 2

Sleek & Subtle

Understated Designs That Work

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Job No:12-00917 Title:RP:Really Good Logos Explained

DTP:183 Page:87

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Job No:12-00917 Title:RP:Really Good Logos Explained

DTP:183 Page:88

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Creative fi rm

Kimberly Hopkins, Design & Illustration

Nottingham, MD

Client

Barefoot Baroque

Industry

Music, Entertainment

Creative fi rm

Brand Engine

Sausalito, CA

Client

Propello

Industry

Marketing and Branding

Creative fi rm

Korn Design

Boston, MA

Client

Ritz Carlton Palm Beach

Industry

Restaurant

Creative fi rm

Noble and Associates

Springfi eld, MO

Client

DuPont

Industry

Packaging

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Really Good Logos, Explained

Job No:12-00917 Title:RP:Really Good Logos Explained

DTP:183 Page:88

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Job No:12-00917 Title:RP:Really Good Logos Explained

DTP:183 Page:89

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Chapter 2: Sleek & Subtle

“A nice twist on a musical note that ties into the client’s name.

This logo has thorough execution, and the varying line

weights give a great sense of a footprint.”

“Great type and colors; however, I think the use of the

propellers is a bit obvious.”

“This is a great concept, although I’d prefer the water above

the ‘O’ to have less weight. But nonethess, it is a great logo.”

“A wonderfully clever logo that is simple, zen-like, and

visually fun.”

“A treble clef is an overused musical motif, but here it’s

given a novel and appropriate twist for ‘Barefoot Baroque,’

a four-member chamber ensemble performing in the

Baltimore/East Coast area. The execution is dynamic and

balanced, and the ‘toes-as-notes’ carries the concept all the

way through. The curves on the ball of the foot could be

smoother, however.”

“The propellers look a little like neckties, probably due to the

pointed ends. The number and positions of the propellers

also evoke dandelion seeds. This may or may not be

intentional.”

“Typographically, the ‘L’ has been shortened to visually

match the positive/negative balance of the rest of the title,

but the ‘B’ should be shortened slightly as well. It’s the same

width as the ‘O,’ so it’s mathematically ‘correct,’ but visually

it looks wider.”

“The simple ideas are often the strongest. The break in the

type suggests cake icing, or sauce on a plate that’s had a

fi nger or piece of bread drawn through it. The execution

here is perfect—simple, unadorned letterforms that let the

idea breathe. To add anything else to this logo would be to

spoil it.”

“I love the concept here. The use of musical notation in a

novel way communicates simply and quickly. However, the

curves are rough and the weights between the clef and the

‘toes’ could relate a bit better.”

“This logo is simple, direct, and modern. The propellers

are abstract enough to be memorable. The orange one

resembles an asterisk, suggesting that there might be more

to marketing than meets the eye.

“The type treatment uses a friendly lowercase that helps

with the feeling of simplicity.”

“This logo has a slightly high-tech feeling that gives a slightly

pharmaceutical or scientifi c aspect to the product. The

logo is very clean, simple, and well spaced; it makes me want

to know more about the product. The half-full ‘O’ is a very

nice touch.”

“Simple and understated—this one really works. The

balance of black negative space strengthens the simplicity

of the design. The length of the ‘stirred’ elements could be

slightly longer, depending on the application size. It’s a bit

hard to see them as more than just breaks in the type when

the logo is small.”

“Orange and gray are very good colors in combination:

one is bright, the other muted. Depth is added by shading

the grays and varying the sizes of the propellers. Note: the

spaces between propellers has been made to look equal.

“On the other hand, the letterspacing of ‘pro’ seems a

bit too open in comparison to ‘pello.’ And it would be

interesting to see propeller renderings that add to the

personality of the mark, creating design unity, rather than

being mere diagrammatic representations. For example,

they could echo the peculiar bent ends of the lower-case

‘l’s.”

“Fine example of integrating type and image into a unifi ed

mark. It has the added value of showing process.”

“As Paul Rand said forty years ago, the simplest letterforms

are the most useful for abstraction. News Gothic, designed

by Morris Fuller Benton in 1908, gets out of the way of this

simple and elegant treatment for a hotel’s restaurant.”

Job No:12-00917 Title:RP:Really Good Logos Explained

DTP:183 Page:89

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Job No:12-00917 Title:RP:Really Good Logos Explained

DTP:183 Page:90

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Creative fi rm

Chimera Design

St Kilda, Australia

Client

Svarmisk Resort and Spa

Industry

Travel

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Really Good Logos, Explained

Job No:12-00917 Title:RP:Really Good Logos Explained

DTP:183 Page:90

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