Although the year is not over yet, National Geographic has picked their best photos of 2009. I have to admit, they are pretty incredible. I thought they would be fun to share, so please enjoy and let me know what you think of these amazing and inspirational images.

Do you agree that these are the best?

-Nora Reed

It’s easy to steal a logo, even if you don’t always intend to. Some logos are so ingrained in our subconscious that even if we try to think up an original concept, it is usually spawned by some sort of inspiration from another famous logo. What is the difference between logo theft and being inspired by someone else’s design? That is a very fine line, which gives lawyers a field day when dealing with copyright infringement.

A recent case of a possible stolen logo identity is between the well known Australian super store Woolworth’s redesign and the ever so popular, Apple logo. The recent redesign of the Woolworth’s logo, which is a peeled apple in the shape of a “W,” has created a stir since it slightly resembles Apple’s famous icon. Apple has pleaded with the government agency in charge of Australian trademarks to deny Woolworth’s application for the logo change. The decision has not yet been made, but if Woolworths wins,  they will have the right to put the logo on all their products, even their electronics.

Is this really a case of theft or does Apple just want to trademark anything that has the do with the popular fruit? What do you think?

-Nora Reed

Ah, college. What a great time in a young adult’s life to experience higher education, a chance to grow and mature, time to do a little partying and the sheer opportunity to gain a little independence. They say college years are the best years of your life and that is true for the most part. There is no other time in the future that is exactly the same. Most of us who thoroughly enjoyed college are always trying to get back there. Unfortunately, the time passes so quickly and right when we feel like we are adjusting, it ends, but it leaves us with a world of memories.

Higher education is a business, like any other. Both colleges and universities have to do their part in selling themselves to students to stir interest in their facilities. Of course, this means branding themselves, and displaying a great logo is a huge part of that branding. The logos for colleges and universities all vary in different ways, but are all very formal. Some have slogans and some display a coat of arms representing the history of the school. You can tell a lot by the logo such as an idea of the age of the school, it’s history and you can gain a feel for their branding efforts. The variety of logo designs is extremely interesting, but they all share a very professional look along with a bold font.

Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania, has multiple logos to represent their very large, well known school. It’s easy to see that the school’s logo designers have put forth a successful effort in their development. All four examples involve some form of their famous Nittany Lion and their navy blue and white school colors.

A coat of arms for a college or university is used as a common symbol to represent the school. A coat of arms is a traditional design that represents a group of people or a family. The coat of arms usually contains ancestral designs within a shield. The symbols stand for ancestry and achievement. Most colleges or universities date back over a hundred years, therefore the coat of arms contains history and meaning. The details change from school to school, but the symbols celebrate pride.

College is a great accomplishment is a graduate’s life and once all that studying and hard work is done, there exists a sense of pride in an alumnus’s heart.  A great logo for a college is important since it’s not only all over the school, but the life of the logo continues as alumni proudly display it on clothes, bumper stickers or other merchandise. School logos become traditions, therefore an effort to be the best is well worth it.

-Nora Reed

The Swine flu or H1N1 virus has created quite a stir in the past few months. The media has made sure that we are so aware of it, that it has been the basis of paranoia among those who have even the slightest germ fear. Supposedly, this winter season is when it will hit the hardest, but who really knows? The precautions that we’ve been encouraged to take are a bit ridiculous. Basically school students are encouraged not to have any physical contact with each other whatsoever and colleges are considering having a quarantined area for those who feel sick. Is this flu stain really a good reason to stir such a fear in people? It could very easily be something created by the drug companies to sell more vaccines.

Whatever the case may be, the Swine flu is still the biggest health threat that is creeping up on us right now and it seems that we hear more and more about it every waking hour. It’s almost impossible not to think about it all the time, therefore designers express their own interpretation and create logos that represent or mock the virus.

Although we have been encouraged not to fear pigs themselves, the swine flu still got its name from a pig, therefore there are a lot of opportunities to use the pig image in a Swine flu logo creation. The bio hazard symbol along with the pig seems to be a common image. There is also a lot of creativity, in which the pig’s snout is replaced with a skull. This image is a bit morbid, especially since the media is referring to Swine flu as “deadly,” although it’s just as deadly as the regular flu, which also claims many lives every year, but we don’t get upset over that. Much like SARS, it’s nothing that can’t be cured with a little chicken soup and sprite, or maybe a dose of Tamiflu.

So it seems we are in for a long winter of encouraged fear, in which every cough or sneeze will be an excuse to stay home, but maybe a little relaxing time isn’t a bad thing. Just make sure to drink a little extra OJ in the morning and your dose of vitamin C should be covered, but I still wouldn’t recommend going around kissing any pigs.

-Nora Reed

Ice cream is normally considered a refreshing treat during summer months, but is also delicious and popular anytime of the year. Birthdays, holidays, or just weekdays, any event is a great excuse for ice cream. With such a wide variety of flavors and ways to eat it, ice cream is a successful business. Below are the logos for most of the well known ice cream producers. These companies have proven successful, but are their logos worthy of their delicious products?

It seems that an arched banner is used quite often in ice cream logos. The top three have this, although the Blue Bunny company tried a straight across banner style. Ben and Jerry’s always had the arched banner design. I don’t think that their logo has changed much over time, but why mess with a good thing? Turkey Hill actually sells more than just ice cream but they still use the banner look nonetheless. I love how Edy’s makes creative use of the apostrophe in their name, in which it is a leaping person with an ice cream cone. It’s a creative take on an otherwise plain logo design.

Breyers uses the leaf design to show that their products contain all natural ingredients. With our society so interested in “going green,” they are already ahead of the game. Their latest logo is very professional and adds a nice touch to their packaging.

The Baskin Robbins logo has also gone through a series of changes through the years. Their latest version dropped the “31″ and stuck with their “BR” initials in the center. It seems that the company is trying to pull off what Dairy Queen made popular by just using their initials, although I think “DQ” works better than “BR.”

Good Humor dropped their stripes and their second color too in their logo redesign.

Does this logo say ice cream to you? I think it is a bit more elegant in appearance than most of the others. To me, it looks like gourmet ice cream, not to be confused with the everyday. Haagen-Dazs is something you would enjoy for special occasions, to treat yourself to the best.

Cold Stone Creamery has a different take on ice cream with the way they make it right in front of you and pack it with toppings, cakes and candy. Their logo is classy and inviting, but you can’t buy Cold Stone in the grocery store. You have to visit them directly to experience the tastes that they offer, but the trip is worth it.

Just by the many company logos out there, it is easy to see that an ice cream company is a popular business and there’s no reason it shouldn’t be. Sounds like it’s time for a snack!

-Nora Reed