The Art and Meaning of Logo Design
Logo design is a precious commodity for your business. Without a distinctive and appealing logo your business could garner the impression of amatuerism, and result in a loss of what would have otherwise been a successful transaction.
Companies such as UPS, Microsoft, C|Net, Adobe and OfficeMax understand this notion in logo design and as a result have instantly recognizable logos. Their intention is clear; to attach an identity and earn the respect of their consumers which retains and solidifies (in most cases) repeat service.
Of all the corporate logos plastered on billboards, poking out from magazine and television ads, the one logo for me that sticks out the most is Fedex. One of the more interesting features of the logo is the negative space inbetween the ‘E’ and the ‘x’ respectively. If you look closely there is an arrow that, while at first nearly invisible, sticks out like a sore thumb once you realize it’s there.
According to FedEx Corporate salesman Jess Bunn, interviewed in Cicinatti’s Enquirer; “The arrow was indeed intentional as a secondary design element.” He mentions the logo was “intended to communicate movement, speed and the dynamic nature of [FedEx].” The new logo, revisualized in 1994, not only sports a modern look but requires just 5 letters as opposed to 9 when the logo was spelled out in its entirety.
As mentioned, it was intentional for the arrow in the FedEx logo to represent a secondary element, but sometimes a logo can look like a variety of things. Take for example the logo for Toyota, which to me looks both like a Texas Longhorn bull and as my brother-in-law pointed out, a rugged cowboy. The Toyota logo’s intended look was that of two conjoining oval discs forming the letter ‘T’.
It’s interesting that logos, a brilliant artform in my opinion, can take on other meanings just by their appearance and how the consumer interprets them. Next time you see a logo floating out there in society take a moment to give it a second glance, sometimes you’ll be surprised as to what you may or may not see.
Related links: Design by Fire: Personal Dingbats, DWM: The process of redesigning a logo
11 Comments, Comment or Ping
Todd
Great post Erik! I love logo design and always find it interesting to study various ones to find meanings within them.
One thing I’ve noticed about the Toyota logo is that you can conceivably make out all the letters of their name in the icon. I hope I’m not the only one that can see it, but use your imagination and see if you can see it as well.
May 21st, 2004
kartooner
You’re right Todd! Very cool. Yet another plausible interpretation and something I hadn’t noticed before.
It sure beats the circa-1980s Toyota logo. I remember a few people scratching out the ‘To’ and replacing the remaining ‘t’ with a ‘d’, thus spelling ‘yoda’.
May 21st, 2004
Todd
Ha! Classic Star Wars fan move huh?
The town I live in has many of the Toyota trucks with the TO and TA painted over. Yep…you get YO.
May 21st, 2004
Jarek Piórkowski
I haven’t noticed the arrow until now. I’ve seen it mentioned multiple times, but was never able to make the connection. Go figure. Perhaps two pictures, one real, and the other one with the arrow coloured in might help me and some other folks.
May 21st, 2004
Dad
Good stuff on Logos…..wasn’t it your wife, Chessie, who we should credit to for the ‘arrow’ in FedEx?….smart girl, good mother, and heck of a daughter-in-law, oh…Happy Birthday again Chessie and Congrats Erik on getting great news concerning your job!
May 22nd, 2004
Brian Rooney
Cool site.
I found you trying to get an official translation of the Toyota logo. I have long thought that it is the actual word TOYOTA. All the letters are there. Whatcha think?
Jun 23rd, 2004
belinda
i love the fed ex logo! i think thats very brilliant! i hav a project now for designing corporate identity for graphic design house, and it’s kinda makes me dizzy =P any suggestion how to make a great logo? thanks =)
May 12th, 2005
dom
I find that if I stare at the toyota logo long enough
it looks like a 3D, partly flatened out ball with the top sliced
off and inside is an elipse standing on its end.
I know i’m way off the mark and have know idea what that could
mean,but its cool just to do that brain perspective twisting thing.
Try it
Jun 23rd, 2005
jet
tnx for this site helps me a lot.. my professor requird us to look for a logo and its meaning and this will be a lot of help.. and i also found out the real meaning of fed-ex and toyota.. hehe
Jun 12th, 2006
alex
i see the upright oval as a wheel on the road and the top oval is the bottom of a car. the wheel is connected to the car and the logo symbolizes a car. i also the the big circle as a “picture frame” for the “picture” of the “car”
also you can spell out all the letters, T, O, Y, and A in there.
Sep 21st, 2006
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