Getting Literal With The Apple Logo

A farmer in Japan is either a marketing genius or a person who has spent a little too much time in the orchard, if you know what I mean. More here.

Sol Sender Interview on Obama's Logo

Sol Sender interview on the development of the now famous Obama logo. Click here to hear the interview.

Peoria's new logo

"PEORIA —It's out with the Indian head and in with a new logo and image for the city of Peoria.

By an 8-2 vote Tuesday, the City Council endorsed Peoria-based Converse Marketing's logo design proposal featuring a yellow, blue and green circular image highlighting Downtown Peoria, the Illinois River, Interstate 74 and the Murray Baker Bridge.

'Doing something like this equates to change,' Mayor Jim Ardis said shortly before the vote. 'There is a large reluctance to change sometimes. I think (the new logo) is a step forward.'"

Peoria paid $30,000 for this logo. I don't know exactly what would scream "Peoria" to me, but nothing in this logo does. This wasn't even the public's first choice for the final design (I guess the public got to vote on it). The logo replaces the Indian head which first appeared in 1975.

Padres 40th Anniversary Logo

"SAN DIEGO -- The Padres unveiled their specially designed, 40th anniversary logo on Thursday to celebrate a historic milestone for the franchise. The logo will be displayed on a uniform patch and sewn into three of the Padres' four jerseys -- home, away and the alternate blue tops. The logo will also be featured prominently in 2009 in advertising for the team, promotional materials and throughout PETCO Park.

The Swinging Friar is at the center of the logo. The Friar's origins predate the Major League Padres, debuting as the official insignia of the Pacific Coast League Padres in 1961. The image, originally sketched by San Diego High graduate Carlos Hadaway, was utilized by the team from 1969-1984 and, after a break, since 1995."

I like it. I think it's nicely designed and balanced. I like the fact the bat is breaking out of the logo. I'm not wild about the friar, but still, it's nicely done.

NCAA unveils 2010 Women's Final Four logo

SAN ANTONIO — The NCAA, in conjunction with the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee (SALOC), unveiled the 2010 NCAA Women’s Final Four logo at a Friday news conference and women’s basketball celebration held at the newly opened Young Women’s Leadership Academy. The 2010 NCAA Women’s Final Four logo pays tribute to Texas, the Lone Star State, and the rich history of San Antonio, with a single five-point white star embedded within the “o” of the word “Four” in the design. Logo colors are red, white, blue and gray.

I can't say that I like this logo much at all. It's not absolutely horrible, but mostly horrible. It does have a little bit of a "sports" look to it - but just barely. The star in the middle of the "O" in "Four" is too big and the points are too close to the edge of the letter. The grey banner at the bottom with its beveled funkiness and type treatment doesn't help things at all. And those two little white dots on the ends of the banner...what are they fastening the banner to, other than thin air?

I hate giving the old thumbs down to anything from my home state, but here goes...

Barf-claycard Logo

"Awarded the project after a competitive pitch, The Brand Union chose to focus their creative energies on 'liberation from complexity', a concept that inspired the new brand mark and a multi-coloured look and feel. 'It's about a brighter world opening up, free from restriction, free to explore and experience new things,' says Nick Payne, Creative Director for Corporate Branding at The Brand Union."

I say, this is a completely horrible logo and I am stymied as to how 1) The designer thought this was good, and 2) The client paid for it.

Apple wins lawsuit in China

Apple has won a small lawsuit in China. The computer company has been awarded $58,000 from a tiny computer manufacturer that ripped off Apple's logo and name.

The Shenzhen City-based New Apple Concept Digital Technology Company makes PCs and other computer hardware. It's logo, an apple with two wings, had been stamped on every product it sent out.

Apple has had its trademark and logo registered in China since 1993 and holds exclusive trademark rights until 2013. In 2006, Apple made a formal request that the company cease using the logo. Apple filed a lawsuit in a Chinese court in April of this year.

The court ordered NAC to stop the infringement practices and pay the money to Apple.

Art Foundango

This is a logo I did for the assemblage artwork that I do (www.artfoundango.com) in all my spare time. I really enjoy doing this kind of art and I wanted a logo for my website that reflected the artwork process itself. Since the assemblage artwork that I do uses "found objects" in the design, I tried to design the logo to look like a kind of finished assemblage art piece in itself. I'm happy with the result and I think it communicates the idea clearly.

When Logos Collide

The Boston Globe recently launched an arts and entertainment section called, "g." The Griffin Museum of Photography who uses a logo very similar to it caught wind of it and according to Paula Tognarelli, the Museum’s executive director, the "g" logo is trademarked.

“My primary reason for calling was to say that down the line I want people to know that we did it first,” said Tognarelli. “We do have a trademarked logo, but I think they’ve altered it enough that they could use it. I’m putting a positive spin on it.”

I don't know. Looks like the letter g to me.

The Obama Campaign Logo

Whatever direction you voted, as a graphic designer I think you have to admit that the Obama campaign logo was brilliantly executed. Here's a link to an interview that the New York Times did with the logo's designer, Sol Sender. [link]

Band ID: The Ultimate Book of Band Logos

This looks like a book that I would really like to add to my personal library. Note that Gerard Huerta is included in this collection (AC-DC). From the Amazon review:

From the Rolling Stones' tongue-and-lips trademark to the Grateful Dead's lightning bolt skull to Prince's glyph, logos embody an identity and experience shared between musicians and their fans, who proudly display these graphics on T-shirts, posters, pins, stickers—even tattoos. Collecting more than 1,000 rock, hip hop, metal, pop, reggae, and country music logos from the 1960s to today, this catchy design survey captures the coolest and most powerful examples of music made visual. Including interviews with key logo artists and presenting the graphics large and over extended gatefolds, BAND ID will wow music fans and designers alike.

Color us unimpressed: Montreal goes ballistic over new logo

It's been described as a, "patchwork of hot pink, tangerine, rhubarb, turquoise and green apple." Two years and $487,000 later the Montreal Metropolitan Community unveiled the region's new logo.

"I thought my neighbour's cat puked on my paper again this morning" was just one of the negative comments that citizens registered in the Gazette. The president of the design firm that created the logo was quoted as saying, ""deliberately chubby, very welcoming, like a comfy chair."

Gerard Huerta - Logo Designer Extraordinaire

I think pretty much every graphic designer has someone they have looked to for inspiration through the years. Mine is an artist by the name of Gerard Huerta. Huerta began as a designer with CBS records in 1974 and left in 1976 to form Gerard Huerta Design, Inc.

You've seen his logo design everywhere. Here's one I know you've seen (heck you probably drew it on your school book cover!). His masthead design reads as a who's who of magazines: People, Time, Money, Us.

Huerta works digitally now, but his lettering hand skills are what really blow me away. I used to letter by hand and I know how difficult it was for me to do and I am a barbarian compared to Huerta.

Herb Lubalin wrote in Print Magazine's Typography issue "Gerard Huerta, whose work is a throwback to the intricate, complicated and colorful style of the early 20th century cigar-box labels, never ceases to amaze me with the beauty of his design and technical proficiency."

Take a look at Huerta's website when you have time and meet a designer who has had a huge influence in logo design over the last 30-plus years.

www.gerardhuerta.com

When your client is you.

You probably have gathered by now that I'm a drummer. I started playing a drum kit when I was 14. You never forget your first drum kit. Mine was a gift from my parents for my birthday. It was from a Sears and Roebuck catalog and blue sparkle. It had a little shield thingy design on the bass drum head where you could paste in your initials that they sent with the kit.

Here's a picture of it. This photo was taken at my very first gig at Buda Junior High in Buda, Texas in 1969.

I figured the other day that I should have my own drum logo, so off to work I went. I started with some sketches and ended up with the logo below. I like the way the sticks made the crossbar of the letter "H" and the vertical stick made the "I" and also how it ended up looking like a clock. You know, drums, timekeeping...clock. Yeah.

Bad case of the blues.

I think nothing is sadder than witnessing a guitar player breaking the neck of his treasured guitar. I've witnessed it once.

It was many years ago. He was in a band with me and we had just finished rehearsing. He decided to start spinning around in circles with the prized guitar held high over his head.

In one gut wrenching second, the guitar slipped out of his hand and crashed to the concrete floor, ending up in two splintered pieces. He wept.

How blue can you get?

This logo was designed with that scene in my mind except this was for a Pacific Northwest blues band.

Nothing says the blues better than a dark night, a broken guitar, a raven and a yellow crescent moon...and lost mojo.

Oregon Valley Boys logo chosen for LogoLounge 5

I'm very pleased (excited, astounded, bamfluzzled) to announce that the logo that my good buddy Von Glitshka and I designed for The Oregon Valley Boys (an Oregon western swing band, whose drummer shall not be named) has been chosen to be included in the new LogoLounge 5 book coming out in 2009.

It's a retro looking logo that was designed to make the band appear that it had been around for years, when in fact it's only about two years old. I think it works.

Thanks LogoLounge and a tip of the hat to Von.

Welcome to Prefrontal Cornflakes

So, I know you're dying to know where the name for this blog came from, aren't you? You are? Good.

I was talking to a friend one day about our amazing brain and its prefrontal cornflakes. I mean, cortex. "Wait a minute" I thought. "I like that better." It was pretty random, much like this blog will probably be. And it's also the way my brain feels most days. Kind of like a big crunchy bowl of cornflakes.

So, go into the kitchen and grab a bowl, a pitcher of milk and a spoon. Let's dig in.