Key Summary
This is a great book if you want to know what makes a successful logo and how to design one! The book opens with an introduction about how a logo is made up of an idea and an identity. Then 50 case studies of international logos feature in themed groups. There are creative exercises for the reader to complete if they want to do free logo design. This shortish book (128 pages) is a useful introduction to logo design for business or non-profits. The Logo Design Idea Book by Steven Heller and Gail Anderson from Laurence King is out now in paperback format.
My Review
Logo Design Idea Book: Content and Style
I really want to know more about logo design so chose this book. I also want to know how to design my own logo. It’s the first book I’ve read about this subject and I really enjoyed it. I have not thought previously about what a logo is supposed to do, so this is a real eye-opener. The introduction is great at explaining the purpose of a logo and how it combines an idea and an identity.
I enjoyed the case studies, there is a wide range of logos from different times and different countries. Many are international brands, some very modern and some older. Some logos I recognise and some are new to me. The logos are mainly for businesses but there are also logos for events (Mexico City Olympics) and a trade union turned socio-political movement (Solidarity/Solidarność). The case studies are grouped by logo type e.g. letters with personality, memorable monograms, symbols, illustration with humour etc.
Logo Design Idea Book: Practical Exercises
The best bit of the book for me is the double page after each themed section which encourages the reader to have a go themselves at designing logos based on the different themes. This is a great creative addition which is both fun and really useful for those who seek to design their own logo. The book also has a glossary and further reading if you want to deepen your understanding. In reading this book I am developing a new appreciation for this design and branding aspect!
Cover Blurb
Arrows, swashes, swooshes, globes, sunbursts and parallel, vertical and horizontal lines, words, letters, shapes and pictures. Logos are the most ubiquitous and essential of all graphic design devices, representing ideas, beliefs and, of course, things. They primarily identify products, businesses and institutions, but they are also associated, hopefully in a positive way, with the ethos or philosophy of those entities.
Written by Steven Heller and Gail Anderson, world’s leading authorities on design, The Logo Design Idea Book includes examples of good ideas in the service of representation, reputation and identification. This accessible guide introduces the key elements of good logo design and is the perfect book for graphic design and branding inspiration.
Looking for more reading recommendations? Check out my other reviews here.
Such an interesting review, thank you. I’m interested in getting this book to help me with my marketing. How did you get on with doing the activities?
Thanks 🙂 some I found easier/faster to do than others but all were very good for sparking off ideas and thinking about different elements of logo design.
What a cool idea, love books where you can learn by doing