Graphic Design 2.1: Professional Practice, Project 9: ‘Your Choice/Your Voice’ Critical Review 4 (First Draft)
What makes a logo timeless? (working title)
A logo is a critical component of a brand’s identity which encapsulates a brand’s values and essence, communicating them visually. The concept of a timeless logo refers to designs that exude meaning, a sense of permanence, remain effective and relevant over time, have minimal design revisions done to them, whilst avoiding any market or design trends. This review discusses the key elements that constitute a timeless logo; meaning, simplicity, versatility, memorability, delving into some historical examples of timeless logo design.
The meaning embedded within a logo significantly contributes to its timelessness. Logos are not just visual references to recognise brands, they are visual representations that communicate the brands essence, story, personality, values and mission. A logo with a deep meaning represented visually, either explicitly or implicitly is recognised and appreciated by its audience. This is especially true over time, the longer and more frequently the logo is viewed for, the more relevant it is to the audience. This allows for a long-lasting connection to be made between the brand and audience, simply by the logo being anchored within the brands story, instead of following market or design trends. (The Desiree Team, 2023).
Amazon’s ‘smile’ logo is a great example of how meaningful design is compelling to customers and how it contributes to a logo’s timelessness. The logo features a curved arrow that stretches from ‘A’ to ‘Z’ beneath the Amazon name, creating a smile shape. This is packed with meaning, representing their product range (selling everything from A-Z), the delivery arrow representing movement, delivering goods to customers and the smile representing a friendly service with customer satisfaction. (Visual Hierarchy, 2018 & Alina Wheeler 2009, p198). “Despite the rapid changes and market trends, the Amazon logo design has remained consistent for over two decades. It’s timelessness stems from its strong alignment with the brand’s core values, clear visual communication, and adaptive simplicity. This enduring appeal is a lesson in creating logos that resonate across generations, emphasizing the importance of timeless principles over fleeting trends”. (Arvin, L, 2023).
Simplicity is widely recognised as an important element of timeless logo design. At its core, simplicity means removing any unnecessary design elements to focus on the essential, most meaningful and impactful aspects of a logo’s design- the parts that convey a brands story. “Logos should be recognizable, familiar, elicit a consensually held meaning in the target market, and evoke positive affect”. (Henderson & Cote, 1998, p14).
Why is simplicity considered the most effective? ADD BRIEF SECTION REFERRING TO Universal principles p44
The simplicity of a brand’s logo contributes to the brands status and success overtime, a well-known example of this is the Nike logo. Nike began as ‘Blue Ribbon Sports’ and following a name change to ‘Nike’ a new ‘swoosh’ logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971. The logo’s simple design is not just aesthetically pleasing but rich in symbolism, representing the Greek God of victory, strength and triumph-‘Nike’. (Bhardwaj, 2024).
A benefit of such a simple logo is its recognisability. The essence and meaning of the logo have been boiled down into a single icon, whilst remaining visually intriguing with an energetic, bold, curved design. The simple and distinguishable ‘swoosh’ shape of the logo has allowed it to transcend time, with its core design remaining unchanged. The consistency of a simple logo reinforces Nike’s brand identity and helps maintain its relevance across generations. (Graphic Bull, 2023).
Simple, recognisable logos are more versatile. “Simplicity helps a design be more versatile. Adopting a minimalist approach enables your logo to be used across a wide range of media, such as on business cards, billboards, pin badges, or even a small website favicon.” (Airey, 2010, p. 22). Timeless logos are symbols that transcend language barriers. They act as a universal language, especially if they are not tied to any specific cultural symbols. A timeless logo can be understood easily cross-culturally, therefore enhancing a brand’s ability to communicate its identity consistently around the world and remain relevant in a global market. (Airey, 2010, p. 13).
Discuss Apple logo
Memorability section- mcdonalds
