Logos: not just for football teams

We spent a significant amount of time working on our Browns logos. Based on the discussions we had while looking at the creations, most of you got the major point of the assignment: a logo has to represent the person/organization/thing as completely as possible from a rhetorical standpoint. Decisions for logos must be make precise and rhetorically grounded.

Remember the ten logo rules? Never lose track of the centrality of these ten points. They will always serve you well.

1) Answer who, what and why.

2) Identify, don’t explain.

3) Understand limitations.

4) Be seductive.

5) Make mnemonic value

5) Make mnemonic value

6) Pose a question.

6) Pose a question.

7) Design for longevity.

8) Make the logo the foundation of a system.

9) Design for a variety of media.

9) Design for a variety of media.

10) Be strong.

Making a personal logo

Even moreso than making a logo for a team or an organization, making a personal logo can pose a challenge, due in no small part to the fact that it is more difficult to judge ourselves from the outside.

The key: GORP

GoodOld

Rhetoric&

Personality

Say what?

I will not say what!Seriously, though, the key to making a good personal logo is to understand the occasion rhetorically and then to infuse the elements of your personality that you feel make you unique.

My Pal PathosIf you’ve tracked how often ethos and logos take the front seat, this is the time when Pathos takes the wheel, rising bright-eyed and spry from a nap.

That’s why I said how you “feel” you should look. This is about evoking a feeling.

For example…

When I design stuff for my website, or work with stuff for my social media presence, I’m building for a specific identity and a specific audience.

Casual, contemporary, cartoonish

Because of the sort of work I do, and because of my teaching persona, I work to keep things slick but casual, colorful but contemporary, and cartoonish vs. photo-realistic.