Examining and evaluating logo design is often done through the lens of graphic design principles and visual communication standards.

Although such evaluation is purely subjective, shapes, typography, and color, stand as obvious visual cues to the design of the logo.

But what about the not so obvious? The mathematics, psychology, and semosis, behind the creation of a logo.

Maggie Macnab explores this topic in depth in Decoding Design: Understanding and Using Symbols in Visual Communications. Through teaching logo design at the University of New Mexico for over ten years, being published in several design centered magazines, and speaking to the design community internationally, Macnab has collected substantial information as to the “Why” of logo design and not just the “How.” Decoding Designs offers a unique perspective of the elements that form one of the world’s oldest forms of communication.

Macnab investigates the roots of logo design and visual communication through an easy to follow numerical breakdown. Each chapter, zero through ten, uncovers the meanings and characteristics of mathematics’ eleven smallest whole numbers. Each number (chapter) exposes often overlooked characteristics of design, math, and psychology that explore further into the meanings of certain design trends. From the relationship of design and ethics, to the connection of nature and symbolism, Decoding Design brings all of the facets of design together, forming a holistic analysis.

The level of analysis is best exemplified in chapter ten as Macnab comes full circle in the dissection of numbers, their roots, and their implications on nature and design. “The number ten contains the comprehensive synergy of all the numbers below it, reinterpreted as a more complex world of double digits that lead to infinity”(p.203) Macnab examines far beyond the typical shapes, angles, and colors of design, and exposes the deeper theoretical framework beneath.

However, keep in mind that this literature is probably not your best choice for light reading. Macnab dives deep into the inner workings of symbolism and its effects on people and nature. Knowing the varying level of design interest of the LogoBlog community, this book may not be for the casual observer.

Whether you are interested in visual communication and logo design as a potential career, hobby, or area of study, Decoding Design has valuable information for you.

The Essential Book for Brand Building

As an online logo design firm executive, I’m well aware of the challenges of trying to describe 1) what a logo is 2) what a good logo looks like and 3) why they are important (but not TOO important). Capsule, a high level branding and consulting company, tackles this task valiantly in their book, Design Matters// LOGOS.

Aside from the fact that the book is on fantastic paper (kind of smells nice too), and has a cool cover, it’s also an easy read and can be scanned easily and tackled in short chapters (which I had to do… as a parent of two kids under the age of 4). Design Matters starts off right where you’d expect them to, providing solid definitions of “What is a Logo” and “Why are they created”. Design Matters understands that newbies and executives alike have to be educated and reminded of the importance a logo has on a company. The descriptions are written with solid case studies (good ol’ Nike and Fed Ex) along with visual examples that help get their point across.

One concern I had before reading the book was wondering how can be written about logos without providing picture after picture, and case study after case study. Design Matters does a nice job covering the planning, strategy, development and implementation of a company’s brand. I’m not so sure if all of this would apply to the local hardware store (or any other shoestring start-up firm, for that matter) who has limited resources but wants a custom logo. A major mistake by small companies is to over think their logo and lose focus on their business. Design Matters addresses this issue stating that a logo should, “…boost consumer perception. What a logo cannot do is make the company great.” Exactly.

As Design Matters moves in to the planning phase, they cover the deeper portions of a creative brief (target audience, timing, objectives) quite well. The length of time they gave for a logo design (6 to 18 months) is WAY too long (unless you are AT&T or the US Army, which- you probably aren’t). Realistically, 1 to 6 months is probably a reasonable time to set aside for logo design. Additionally, the ‘design brief’ insight was cut a bit short and seemed to miss some obvious questions such as asking what colors and styles are liked/disliked, and adjectives that describe the business. Aside from this, Design Matters provided excellent insight on how to inspire a design, as well as tips on color usage (use 1 primary color- and my favorite- keep it simple!).
Design Matters covers other topics such as establishing brand architecture, competitive comparison, technical considerations, and budgeting and timelines. I think that the book could have gone a little deeper in some areas such as research (what’s a reasonable sample size?) and legal protection (Where should someone go? What should someone expect to pay?)- but the fact this was covered puts it ahead of most design books.

The back third of the book jumps in to case studies and designs, which provides fantastic visuals. After all, a picture (or logo) speaks a thousand words. I am curious as to what the criteria was for picking the logos in their logo gallery and how many logos they went through before settling on these 192 logos.

I think this is an excellent overview for serious branders. It dedicates a significant amount of time to research, planning, preparation and testing which moves this beyond the typical logo design book with lots of nice photos. In the 2nd edition, I’d like to see some more detail in areas that can help the design professionals take their design business to the next level (a blue print for logo designing), and possibly a section that caters to small businesses and providing designs for small business.

You can purchase Design Matters for under $16 (a steal) at Amazon.

About the Reviewer: J. Witte is the Vice President of Operations at an online logo design company, www.LogoDesignGuru.com, which has designed over 7,000 logos.

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