Michael: thank you for sending me links to your articles.
In “the mysterious power of context,” you write about the importance of a brand’s context. You also admit that much of a brand’s context is out of our hands.
Since without context a logo is merely a mark with little to no meaning, how do you know when you’ve reached a proper solution? In different terms, how do you sell a design, before its been put into context?
Tanner
Dear Tanner,
Paul Rand has a great quote somewhere in which he says that a good logo has “the pleasure of recognition and the promise of meaning.”
I always liked that “promise of meaning” part, which reminds me of the “pursuit of happiness” mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. A good logo doesn’t necessarily mean everything — or anything — the day it’s born. Instead, it’s like an empty vessel into which meaning is poured. Some vessels are well suited to the things they are destined to contain. Some are not. A good designer tries to make well-shaped vessels.
This is a subtle point to make but I try to make it to clients when I’m taking them through the logo design process. It usually works.
Hope this helps.
Michael
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