Yeah, I said it, but you don’t have to take my word for it, check the site out and make your own decision if you want, but I think you will agree with what I have to say.

I am writing this today because I am sick and tired of having comments removed from sites simply because you either post a link to your own site in the comment or the author of the site is ridiculous and deletes it because they don’t agree with your opinion.

A few days ago logoblog came out with a post detailing the wonders of the new xerox logo and as you may or may not know I think the new logo is garbage. (My Reasoning Here)  Anywho I went to the site read the article as I do with most of the articles on logoblog because it is something I am interested in, and then I decided to leave my opinion in the form of a comment.  You know that little area underneath the posts where authors ask for your opinions.  Well apparently mine wasn’t in agreeance with what the thought police over at logoblog had in mind so they removed it.

This was my comment on the post.  Not verbatim of course because I can’t remember it completely but you will get the point.

Adam (Me) says…

I think the new Xerox logo is garbage, it is bubbly and web 2.0.  I never thought Xerox needed something flashy for you to know who they were.  I wrote a post about this on my blog a while back when the logo first debuted if you want to see the other reasons why I didn’t like it please check out (inserted link to site).

So if you are the author of logoblog and are for some reason find yourself reading this post and still have a copy of my comment please send it to me so I can show my readers the exact qoute you thought couldn’t be on your site. It wasn’t spammy and didn’t have any inappropriate language in it.

I was a moderate fan of logoblog but now have decided that it isn’t worth mine or your time so here are some more reasons it sucks. 

• Horrible Theme - a slightly modified version of the default wordpress theme.  Way to go there guys.  I am supposed to take your word on the creativity and the importance of a design and you can’t even create and design one for yourself.

• Free Logo Maker - If you are going to offer a free service such as logo design try to take some time and have it do something besides add a dropshadow to a font.  Or at least don’t say you are an authority on logo design and then try to pass this shit off as a logo.

• A Free Ebook - Wow this sounds great… I would love a good ebook about logo design. Wait they are not giving away a free ebook they are asking you to give them free information so they can compile it and then give it back to you all while making advertising money. 

• Simply put they are liars -  Their about us page describes how they provide up to the minute logo news and unbiased opinions.  Unless you can back that up don’t print it.  You update the site once a week, which is almost never up to the minute information, and you remove comments you don’t like which hardly ever leaves room for unbiased debate and discussion.

I am sorry for my rant, but I am so tired of bloggers deleting comments if it is not warranted.  If you didn’t like my link remove the link, if you disagree tell me why don’t be a wenis and delete what could lead to a good discussion.  If you like logoblog or don’t let me know why.  If you are logoblog defend yourself.

I designed a business card for a client yesterday . . . it was pretty good, but it wasn’t as good as it could’ve been had they not been so protective of their logo.

I’m the first to tell you that a logo is (and rightly should be) a keystone in any sound brand architecture . . . it should be created with extreme care and introspection, as well as consideration for outsider’s (i.e. customer’s) perceptions. It should be revered, never handled carelessly, else one runs the risk of losing some indefinable quality through thoughtless alterations.

But, having said all that, you’ve got to be willing to evolve! What works today won’t necessarily represent the same way tomorrow. Case and point: my client’s tired logo [I won't show it, to protect the innocent]. It does the job, and is widely recognized within the market, so it has come to represent some accumulated brand equity. All great news, meaning it’s not broke (so I wouldn’t suggest fixing it just yet).

Unless, of course, they’re trying to change the way they are perceived! They themselves are tired of how people (who don’t yet know them) view them. So they wanted a really progressive-looking, urban-grit-styled card. “Great,” says I, “I’ll give your logo the same treatment so it doesn’t look like an afterthought on the card!”

“Neigh,” says they, “our board is very strict about our branding collateral.”

Review: Company wants to be perceived as upbeat and progressive. Company wants new card to reflect new identity. Company refuses to allow logo to be handled differently in any way (we’re talking simple, here, not redesign; more like a Photoshop filter). Company now looks like an old man with new pants.

Lesson: A logo, while extremely important, is still just a graphic representation of your brand. Consider it a rallying point for cognitive associations with your company. See swoosh, think “Nike, shoes, Michael Jordan (or Tiger Woods), sweatshops” . . . what have you.  See Old Glory, think “America, purple mountains majesty, rockets’ red glare, George Bush (take your pick)”.  Altering either of these symbols a bit (how many versions of the flag have their been?) won’t drastically change the associations one has already made with the entity it represents–for better or for worse.

The way your logo interacts within a given context is also extremely important. When the context changes, your logo might need to as well. Do it thoughtfully, do it carefully, do it subtly, but do it! Otherwise the mismatch of the card (poster, billboard . . . ) as a whole might be speaking more loudly than the consistency of that one part.

Do any designers out there have any thoughts on the subject?

Yesterday I was browsing through my usual forums and came across a thread asking for opinions about a companies new logo design.  I gave my opinion that the logo left me wanting more because after viewing it I left without knowing anything about the company at all.

I was met with the words “that is exactly what we wanted” and the point was made that many successful companies often give no clues to what they do through their name or logo design.

This was a point of view that I had never really taken into much consideration as I have always been a supporter of the have your brand represent what you do idea.

But it is true, look at google, nike or amazon.com.  If you didn’t know these companies you would never guess what they were by simply looking at their brand.

So I want to know what you think.  What defines a good logo if it isn’t determined by how it represents a company?

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The guys over at Agency Fusion, a web technoligies group, have come up with a hilarious way to get some exposure for their site and their business.  They have created an online video that displays the importance of having a professional designer help in the development of your publishing materials with satire and sarcasm, my favorite two things when it comes to humor.

So without further ado I will introduce you to http://www.whoneedsdesigners.com/ .

Oh and don’t forget to tell me how hilarious you thought it was too.

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Rolling Rock is set to brand the moon, according to moonvertising.com.

I’m unsure yet whether this is actually going to happen, or if it’s a gimmick. But, like any responsible blogger, I Googled “Rolling Rock Moon” before posting, and found a second source (another one of the company’s sites). Good enough for me.

Anyway . . . it seems a beer company, Rolling Rock, intends to attempt to use a giant “laser” to project its logo onto everyone’s favorite natural satellite–the Earth’s moon. This supervillainous act is set to occur during the next three full moons (the first of which is coming up on March 21st).

Plausible? I can’t say. Effective advertising stunt? It remains to be seen. But I can tell you I’ll be keeping an eye out for it, and I’m sure I won’t be the only one…

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