Logos: The Development of Visual Symbols

Rating:
Summary: A Small Wonder
Review: A bit like a poem, this slim volume manages to do a lot with very few words. Through the story of one very smart designer creating a logo for one very particular client, Mr. Skaggs manages to cover how to handle client relations, how to keep creative juices flowing, how to move through a structured design process, and what a logo needs to do to be successful-- all without losing the narrative flow of the core story. I've read many descriptions about what a logo needs to be successful, and the golden rules (visibility, memorability, etc) but because of the context of his tale, here each rule makes sense. Moreover these lessons apply just as easily to the whole of the design process, and not to just to creating a mark.

I was surprised when I got the book in the mail: no glossy pages, no color pictures, just cream pages with black and white sketches, more like a children's book than a design book. But this book had more to say to the reality of design than many of those glossy $50 monsters. Great for designers, clients, and the curious... I can't imagine anyone --insider or outsider --who wouldn't enjoy this book.