Between blatantly stealing Donald Trump's campaign logo and having an awful slogan that also doubles as his current campaign website URL (yes, it's "itstimewegetstarted.com") Suarez should be ranked dead last.
I agree with all of your assessments, especially the sad, awful Asa logo, with one notable exception. I really dislike the Vivek “V.” He’s supposed to be some sort of smart tech executive, right? So why does that middle V look so low tech cheesy?
Also the horizontal line joining the two rightmost stripes but not the third is *very* weird, and makes me think there's something I'm supposed to be reading in it, though I don't actually think there is.
JVL, I love most of your writing, but this piece might be my favorite. I will say that I disagree about the Doug Burgum logo, though. I cannot exactly explain as eloquently as you explained why it works for you, but I just do not like that one at all. Maybe because the logo looks like an amateur designed it or maybe it's just not my style. Anyway, thanks for devoting some time to discussing design-- this stuff matters, too.
“Amorica” (1994?) was the Black Crowes best album…but yes the cover is gross! It was the 90’s and times were different…but still in horrible taste even back then.
JVL, you had me at " logo design" today. I started my career as a graphic artist back in the old cut & paste days and did a lot of logo design. I learned early on - - early on! - - that if I really hated a design to never show it to a client, because there was a good chance they'd select it as one of the finalists, and then I'd have to spend time on the monstrosity I'd created. P.S. so glad Asa is holding firm. His consistency as a voice of sanity in a group of crazies is a welcome respite.
All these stylized names, with or without an election year or a "for America," don't really qualify as "logos" to me. The Pence Wonder Bread is vastly better than any of the real ones, precisely because it is carried by the non-typography. Obama's sunrise "O" was a truly great logo. Hillary's arrow at least sought to convey something beyond its lettering. Hell, I've seen fake Trump logos using the swoosh of his hairdo that were better than anything here.
Enjoyable and informative! Doug's is the is a power type of t-shirt. It can be worn ironically as well (because is Doug Burgum a real person or a character on Ted Lasso). And maybe Asa was going for that throwback mid 70's look? Thanks for pointing out exactly why it does look sad. Elders look like something from handmaid tale denoting where the old men met.
I have pretty much zero artistic flair, but I found this article extremely interesting. It reminded me of the time that I taught Sunday School with a woman who was a docent at the city’s art museum. She would bring in religious paintings and after class she would point out to me the sight lines of the painting and the tricks that the artists were using to focus your attention on certain areas. I still didn’t get it, but it was fascinating.
But even I with my completely unrefined tastes thought that the Hutchinson logo was weird. My first thought was that someone mismeasured something, and they didn’t leave enough room for the three characters in his name and had to cram the “s” on top of the end of the “A” to make it fit. It also looks to me like the end of the lower-case “a” is cut off, again like the whole thing didn’t quite fit.
And we already need an update - Francis Suarez joined the race. Awful slogan "It's Time We Get Started" but I would rank his logo pretty high!
Simply “It’s Time” would have been better (but still a dumb message)
Between blatantly stealing Donald Trump's campaign logo and having an awful slogan that also doubles as his current campaign website URL (yes, it's "itstimewegetstarted.com") Suarez should be ranked dead last.
I agree with all of your assessments, especially the sad, awful Asa logo, with one notable exception. I really dislike the Vivek “V.” He’s supposed to be some sort of smart tech executive, right? So why does that middle V look so low tech cheesy?
Also the horizontal line joining the two rightmost stripes but not the third is *very* weird, and makes me think there's something I'm supposed to be reading in it, though I don't actually think there is.
Serifs and screaming all caps,
Kerning that strives to collapse,
Sad old stars and a flag,
Like a wet dishrag,
Just a few of the design mishaps.
JVL, I love most of your writing, but this piece might be my favorite. I will say that I disagree about the Doug Burgum logo, though. I cannot exactly explain as eloquently as you explained why it works for you, but I just do not like that one at all. Maybe because the logo looks like an amateur designed it or maybe it's just not my style. Anyway, thanks for devoting some time to discussing design-- this stuff matters, too.
I didn’t love that one either. Just thought it looked kind of midwest hokey. It was well done, but not my style.
OK this was about the funniest article I've read in a year. And I read a LOT of articles
Lots of blue in these logos. Subconscious yearning to cast of the shackles of the Right?
I don’t think Tim Sco𝛑 is going to be in the race long enough for those Ts to matter.
My only problem with the Vivek V is that it reminds me of the vaguely gross flag bikini bottom on that Black Crowes album from the olden times.
“Amorica” (1994?) was the Black Crowes best album…but yes the cover is gross! It was the 90’s and times were different…but still in horrible taste even back then.
Make a little space at the bottom of the list for marrianne williamsons 2024 effort. Kennedy’s isn’t bad at all but hers is atrocious
JVL, you had me at " logo design" today. I started my career as a graphic artist back in the old cut & paste days and did a lot of logo design. I learned early on - - early on! - - that if I really hated a design to never show it to a client, because there was a good chance they'd select it as one of the finalists, and then I'd have to spend time on the monstrosity I'd created. P.S. so glad Asa is holding firm. His consistency as a voice of sanity in a group of crazies is a welcome respite.
All these stylized names, with or without an election year or a "for America," don't really qualify as "logos" to me. The Pence Wonder Bread is vastly better than any of the real ones, precisely because it is carried by the non-typography. Obama's sunrise "O" was a truly great logo. Hillary's arrow at least sought to convey something beyond its lettering. Hell, I've seen fake Trump logos using the swoosh of his hairdo that were better than anything here.
For many colorblind people, the top of Haley's logo may look like this:
NIKKIHALEY
What is a Nikkihaley?
Who is Nik Kihaley?
Enjoyable and informative! Doug's is the is a power type of t-shirt. It can be worn ironically as well (because is Doug Burgum a real person or a character on Ted Lasso). And maybe Asa was going for that throwback mid 70's look? Thanks for pointing out exactly why it does look sad. Elders look like something from handmaid tale denoting where the old men met.
OMG tears were streaming down my face reading this. I laughed so hard it hurt. My wife heard me and came in to ask what was going on.
The Mike Pence logo talk had me rolling. Thanks!
I have pretty much zero artistic flair, but I found this article extremely interesting. It reminded me of the time that I taught Sunday School with a woman who was a docent at the city’s art museum. She would bring in religious paintings and after class she would point out to me the sight lines of the painting and the tricks that the artists were using to focus your attention on certain areas. I still didn’t get it, but it was fascinating.
But even I with my completely unrefined tastes thought that the Hutchinson logo was weird. My first thought was that someone mismeasured something, and they didn’t leave enough room for the three characters in his name and had to cram the “s” on top of the end of the “A” to make it fit. It also looks to me like the end of the lower-case “a” is cut off, again like the whole thing didn’t quite fit.
The Importance of Being Kern-est.