Holy Home Depot

I love this redesign!

Another One Bites the Dust

Goodbye, peacock! With what seems like little fanfare, this bird was recently nixed from the NBC Universal wordmark completely. However, he will be retained for the stations of NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC—a fact I missed initially when writing this post, but which relieves me significantly. Still, the bird is not the corporate logo, which begs the question: what ever happened to loyalty?

I can't help but think that the heritage of the peacock logo was too casually tossed aside. By no means do I hate change, but if my brand had such a universally recognizable symbol, I would think long and hard about the decision to discard it. I can't help but think there may have been ways to update the mark without doing away with the image completely. Not even a feather remains! I am also not the biggest fan of the new typeface, "Rock," created by Bold Monday for the mark. It strikes me as a face that may quickly become dated. Read more about the redesign at the source for all branding changes, Brand New, which takes the opposite opinion. And leave your thoughts here. ••••

Horrible Logos

Craigslist Ad: $100 to design our company's logo!

I believe it's safe to say that all designers all appalled by the minimal prices that company's try to pay for a decent logo. Do people really not understand how long a logo takes to design or do they not see the value in a well designed logo?

That being said, I love the idea of Horrible Logos. The company's tagline says it all: Drawing bad logos for beer money since 2010. This is a craigslist company's dream come true! For only $5, you will receive the worst possible logo imaginable. Bonus features include no color and misspellings. Payment is simple...hello Pay Pal. Delivery even better...3-4 business days. You can't beat that!


The moral of story: You get what you pay for. ••••

The Naked Siren

To coincide with its 40th anniversary, Starbucks unveiled a new logo today that removes the words encircling its iconic siren. The updated logo will be featured on products starting in March, and the siren will be a bit larger now that the name “Starbucks Coffee” won’t be surrounding it.

According to chief executive officer Howard Schultz, the revised logo reflects the company’s growing emphasis on selling Starbucks-brand products in grocery stores and other channels in addition to its retail stores, as well as its further expansion into offering more non-coffee drinks.


The million dollar question: Is the Starbucks "siren" recognizable enough on its own that the text isn't necessary?


My opinion: I am not a fan of making a change just to make a change. This wasn't a major redesign (thank god), but still a major change from the logo we have all been looking at for 19 years (see Illustrated history). The new logo looks a bit naked now. ••••

Are we being punked?!

WHY, Gap? WHY? Need I get into the iconic elements of their old logo? I'm speechless.

Do you "heart" NY?

Now that JetBlue Airways is using Milton Glaser’s famous I ♥ NY logo in a new advertising campaign, the new York Times is asking readers to combine Milton's logo with other New York brands or slogans.

Professional and amateur designs unite. Click here to view and submit your own version in of this iconic logo.••••

The Y

I haven't done a post on a logo redesign in a while, but this one deserves a shout out. The YMCA (yes, the Young Men's Christian Association) has rebranded by Siegel + Gale!

"Although the YMCA has almost universal name recognition and public goodwill, Y-USA’s research revealed that few people understand what the nonprofit stands for and its scope of impact. Working with Siegel+Gale, Y-USA engaged YMCAs across the country to create a consistent, inspirational brand platform to elevate the YMCA’s cause and areas of focus."

In my own humble opinion of someone who took swimming and gymnastic lessons at "the Y" growing up, I love the new playful look of the logo. I think of the YMCA as a place for community,learning, and fun and this new logo succeeds at conveying those ideas. And I LOVE how the logo is now "the Y," does anyone actually call it the YMCA...except for the Village People?

Expedia... DOT COMMM

Well done Expedia! I like the new logo. Less cartoony. More sophisticated. Maybe I will book my flights through you now...hmm, probably not, Kayak still has more options.

Brand New points out that logo is strangely similar to Hotwire's which I didn't realize until it was put in front of me. I suppose this makes sense since Hotwire is one of Expedia Inc's business, but now the whole logo seems a little less interesting.

Just a thought, but I almost would like to see the Expedia logo without the airplane. Isn't the whole point of Expedia to book a flight, hotel, AND car. Kind of limiting.
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Frigid Ire?

You can add this one to the long-running list of ill-advised logo redesigns. Frigidaire has axed their recognizable script logo to pave way for something more "modern." As is often the case, here "modern" is code for "generic." We get it, Obama used Gotham to win the election. That doesn't mean it will sell refrigerators. Brand New also points out that the new logo is now broken up into two words: "Frigid" and "Ire." How appealing is that?

Frigidaire seems very concerned with appearing outdated. Aaaand then you read their press release. Ahem: "Frigidaire will unveil a boldfaced new logo and look to celebrate the introduction of 250 new appliances with specific time-saving features engineered to help mothers spend less time doing routine housework... moms will save a minimum of eight hours a month by using a combination of select Frigidaire time-saving appliances."

How is that for modern?

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I guess this is an improvement, Hertz....

Not sure how I feel about the new Hertz logo. Modern? check. Recognizable Hertz yellow? check. No more drop drop shadow? check. Still, pretty underwhelming. Thoughts? ••••

2009 Logo Trends

It's difficult to fully comprehend how or why trends arise, but they do. Whether it's in fashion, music, or design, trends can dictate how we work, dress, talk and experience life. Logo design is no different. A logo might seem like a simple mark that doesn't amount to much, however, when building brand recognition a logo can be the most crucial component. As a direct result, certain trends in logo design gradually become prevalent throughout time. Whether a brand wants to update it's established look and feel, or create a new one entirely, a trend might be followed in order to stay current. That being said, I think it's important to follow trends as a way to stay up-to-date and relevant, but there is a fine line between being current and creating something that is timeless -- an attribute that I believe is key to "good design." Bill Gardner at Logolounge.com has put together a list of current trends in logo design for 2009. Below are a few examples of current logo styles; see the complete list here.

Varidot

Encrust

Concealed
Candy Stripe

Meet Ya @ The Hut. TTYL.

If I had to guess, I would say that I haven't eaten at a Pizza Hut in a good 16-17 years. I am fairly certain that the only reason my parents took me there in the first place was because they hosted some type of school related Book Club program in the early 80s. (Correction: It still exists! Book It.) But, I digress...
Because of a significant decline in sales, Pizza Hut is reinventing themselves to become 'The Hut'.

Brian Niccol, Pizza Hut CMO has said, "Design is a great way to create an emotional expression for your brand. But the pizza category has been a real laggard in doing that. Our red box is a game changer in packaging and design. And yes, we're also introducing another vocabulary word with Pizza Hut, which is 'The Hut.' That ties in nicely with (today's) texting generation. We wanted to make sure that Pizza Hut and 'The Hut' become common vernacular for our brand. Red is our mark and when you see that red roof, people will refer to it as 'The Hut' or 'Pizza Hut.' As we expand our online and mobile businesses, 'The Hut' is the perfect icon for our mobile generation."

I can't say that I will be texting my friends this weekend, asking them to "meet @ the hut," BUT I do like the new marketing. Yes, marketing campaign....Pizza Hut spokesman Chris Fuller has said that 'The Hut' is just a marketing effort and not a permanent name change."

Now will you buy more things?

The design world/blogosphere has been talking about this for months now... tough economic times = rebranding. The New York Times has come out with an article that simply summarizes all the changes we have been seeing in corporate branding for the past year or so.

The Times calls the rebranding “warmer and fuzzier— non-threatening, reassuring, playful, even child-like.” Silly, but true. A few interesting points from the article.


TONED-DOWN TYPE Bold, block capital letters are out. Their replacements are mostly or entirely lower case, softening the stern voice of corporate authority to something more like an informal chat.

FRIENDLY FLOURISHES Kraft Foods has joined Amazon.com and Hasbro, all represented by logos that smile. And to further lighten the corporate mood, whimsy in the form of sprigs and bursts has been appended to several big brands.

HAPPIER COLORS “The economy is the No. 1 influence this year,” said John H. Bredenfoerder, a color expert and design director at Landor Associates, the brand-consulting company that produced the new Cheer detergent emblem. Amid all the gloom, he said, “people need a little joy in their lives.”


Cue the new logos: electric blue type with accents in school bus yellow, red, purple, orange and green. Last year’s top influence, green for sustainability, remains; leaves still sprout across the corporate landscape

A Texas Upgrade

Its been awhile since I have truly been blown away by a logo/identity...perhaps even months since it has been that long since I have posted on Crew Design. tsk tsk.

The new identity system for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History designed by the geniuses at Pentagram has really knocked my socks off. "Stout and his team in Austin (represent!) developed a logo consisting of three squares representing the letters F, W, and M (Fort Worth Museum) and an entire alphabet of Legorreta-inspired letterforms. The square letterforms can be stacked and rearranged like a child’s set of alphabet blocks. These symbolic “building blocks of knowledge” are a metaphor for the museum’s early roots as a children’s museum and its commitment to families and learning."



I can't help but show some of the initial application ideas of this identity which are on the Pentagram website. The square motif shows up in other components of the new identity system, including a pattern based on a lattice of squares called “The Skeleton,” a distinctive graphic rendering technique created by reversing a grid of squares out of simple silhouetted imagery, and fun merchandise concepts like foam block hats, square coffee cups, and a set of “Legorreta Letterform” alphabet blocks. “I wanted the museum to own the square,” says Stout. “I want them to be square but hip, too.”

As usual, I can't help but throw in my one bit of critique...not a huge fan of the color palette, but no one’s perfect. ••••

Think you can design this better?

The Fifth Down blog on NYTimes.com wants to publish your proposed Super Bowl logo. Whether you’re a professional designer, an amateur designer or have never worked with anything beyond crayons, give it a shot and send it via e-mail at sptpix@nytimes.com with your full name and contact information. ••••

Recession Re-Designs

Some humorous "redesigns" of company logos to reflect their recession woes. Because if you can't laugh, you'll cry! ••••

The Met's Pizza Box

I love when I am listening to ABC News in the morning and the topic of logo design is a main story. Charlie Gibson briefed me on the uproar over the Met's new sleeve patch for the 2009 season. At its best, it's being said to resemble the logo of a certain pizza company...

"Though some conspiracy theorists are saying that this is the Mets way of distancing the team from CitiGroup, that isn't the case here. MLB doesn't allow commercial logos on uniforms, so that wouldn't even be an issue. More likely, it's a case of the Mets being as dull and uninspiring as their '08 bullpen. They could've held a coloring contest among preschoolers and still ended up with a better design than the one above."

Come on Met's logo designer! You are embarrassing the rest of us.

P.S. I am aware this is about my fifth or sixth baseball post. I promise I will stop now.••••

Simmer down, Pepsi.

Okay, okay. Slow it down, Pepsi! We recently posted about the new Pepsi and Mountain Dew logos (gag?) but this past weekend I noticed the new Gatorade and Tropicana logos. Will this company stop at nothing? Why such a speedy rollout? I grew up with that Tropicana logo, so I might not be speaking from the brain, but rather from the heart. The new logo is generic and looks like a store-brand (no disrespect to store-brands). Along with Pepsi and Mtn. Dew, it will look retro in the coming years when they realize they should not have commissioned a 12 year old to do the rebrand. On the other hand, Gatorade's new identity is a step forward in my opinion. It has a distinct brand perspective, it is has the aggressive typography that attracts both creatine meatheads and bikram yogo fans. Check out the site, it's pretty good. You are 1 for 4, Pepsi Co. What is next? Aquafina? Sobe? LIPTON?! 

A Fresh Look at an Exhausted Topic

By now, we've all read 301,956,500 articles on just why the Obama logo rocked. BUT you may not have seen the concepts that Sol Sender's design team drafted and rejected for the campaign. Some aren't bad (see logo above), but others feel inappropriate for a presidential candidate. Maybe it's just me, but many of these logos might have appealed to the youth vote only and not to a larger demographic. And the traditional landscape within the O is just wrong— it reminds me of the default Windows wallpaper. In any case, they definitely made the right choice. Via Logo Design Love.

The Crew on The Crew

Ruminations on the concept of logo redesign.

The Columbus Crew is a professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. Super fan and designer, Gabe Shultz, is rallying for an updated Crew logo. He believes that after 12 years and a series of team successes, that the logo needs a revamp to mirror the spirit of the team.

To start, let's look at the original logo (left). Not bad. Nice color palette. It's a sports logo...what can you really say. After 12 year does this logo really need a redesign? Gabe states, on his facebook page, "The purpose of this group is to catch the attention of Crew management to let them know the movement is out there. It's not a chastising of our current logo… I appreciate the passion and attachment people feel for the old look. This is simply a refresh."


His new, proposed, artwork is on the right. Vary similar. Nice simplifications, however (in my opinion) completely unnecessary. I like your heart Gabe, but the Columbus Crew logo does not need a redesign. Redesigns are for companies or organizations that have one of the following: a) an outdated design b) mission of the company has changed or c) company name has changed. Redesigning a logo is very costly, particularly for a major league sports team and can be confusing to fans. Perhaps if the MLS Crew had difficultly getting fans in their seats, or an outpouring of logo hatred a redesign would be justified. In this case, let The Crew stay The Crew. ••••