An excerpt from the forthcoming book “Passport of Corporate Identity Standards. Development Guide»
- everyone has heard these words, many actively use them, but most use them for other purposes. Why is a sign called a logo and an emblem is called a sign? Why did the designer get lost in three birch trees and drag the customer there? Let's figure it out. Let's start with the logo.
Logo (from the Greek logos - word and typos - imprint) - the original style, the image of the full or abbreviated name of the company or the company's products. It is specially developed by the company in order to draw attention to it and to its products.
Raizberg B. A., Lozovsky L. Sh., Starodubtseva E. B. Modern economic dictionary. 5th ed., revised. and additional — M.: INFRA-M, 2007. — 495 p. - (B-ka dictionaries "INFRA-M")
Logo (from Greek logos - word + typos - imprint) - letter manual dialing with the most common syllables or even words. Logos were used in the early stages of typography to speed up the typesetting process.
Milchin A. E. Publishing dictionary-reference book. - Ed. 3rd, rev. and add., Electronic - M .: OLMA-Press, 2006.
Logo (from German Logotype, English logotype< греч. logos — слово + typos — отпечаток) — 1) оригинальное специально разработанное начертание, изображение полного или сокращенного наименования фирмы или товаров фирмы, выполненное графически оригинальным способом, разработанное специально для конкретной компании. Логотип регистрируется и является словесной частью товарного знака и специально разрабатывается фирмой в целях привлечения внимания к ней и ее товарам; 2) литеры с наиболее употребляемыми слогами, словами, ранее применявшиеся при металлическом наборе. В компьютерном наборе логотип — это знак или изображение, которое используется при оформлении полос издания. Часто под Логотипом имеют в виду company logo- signal.
All the above definitions agree on one thing: a logo is some kind of indivisible combination of letters. Specifically in design verbal trademark . This can be the name of a company or product, typed in a ready-made font, or an original style drawn by a designer for this work, a calligraphic inscription, a monogram, a monogram. Obviously, it is wrong to call a trademark a logo in general, especially if it is some kind of image not associated with letters. However, you can meet the illiterate use of this term all the time. Even at the end of the last definition, this situation is mentioned.
A sign is a very broad concept. The simplest definition I found explains it as " something capable in some respect to act instead of something else, i.e., being perceived by some living object, to have a meaning”(Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary for the Humanities: In 3 volumes - M .: Humanitarian Publishing Center VLADOS: Philology Faculty. St. Petersburg State University, 2002).
I dare to suggest that the "living object" here means a person. The newest philosophical dictionary interprets this concept even cooler.
A sign is traditionally a material, sensually perceived object (event, action or phenomenon), acting in cognition as an indication, designation or representative of another object, event, action, subjective formation. Designed to acquire, store, convert and broadcast certain information (messages).
The latest philosophical dictionary: 3rd ed., corrected. — Mn.: Book House. 2003.- 1280 p. — (The world of encyclopedias).
Based on these definitions, anything can act as a sign. Therefore, for our particular applied case, it would be correct to clarify the concept. Several options: graphic sign, brand name, signet, trademark, emblem, trademark. Dictionaries are full of definitions of each of these concepts, somewhere intersecting in meanings, somewhere contradicting each other, demonstrating a complete misunderstanding of the compilers, what they are talking about, and why they put these terms into use at all.
The designer needs this term for one simple reason: this is one of his products. The client needs to explain why it is, how much it costs and how it is used. Obviously, explaining these things using the term "this shit" is not very convenient. What is the name of the original Nike typeface? We have already found out - the logo. How to call "swoosh" - the famous Nike arc? While we can answer this question, guided by the method of contradiction, this is definitely not a logo. How to designate a situation when they are used together? Another question that the designer must know the answer to, if only because there is a corresponding section in the standards passport and it must have a name.
To be continued
Recorded on 11/12/2009 at 12:49 pm
Logo, sign and emblem. Terminology. Alexander Shiryshev.
Sign, logo, emblem - everyone has heard these words, many actively use them, but most use them for other purposes. Why is a sign called a logo and an emblem is called a sign? Why did the designer get lost in three birch trees and drag the customer there? Let's figure it out. Let's start with the logo.
“Logo (from the Greek. logos - word and typos - imprint) - the original style, the image of the full or abbreviated name of the company or the company's products. It is specially developed by the company in order to draw attention to it and to its products.- Raizberg B. A., Lozovsky L. Sh., Starodubtseva E. B. Modern economic dictionary. 5th ed., revised. and additional — M.: INFRA-M, 2007. — 495 p. - (B-ka dictionaries "INFRA-M").
“Logotype (from the Greek logos - word + typos - imprint) is a hand-typing letter with the most common syllables or even words. Logos were used at an early stage of typography in order to speed up the typing process.- Milchin A. E. Publishing dictionary-reference book. - Ed. 3rd, rev. and add., Electronic - M .: OLMA-Press, 2006.
“Logotype (from German Logotype, English logotype - Stefanov S. I. Advertising and printing: the experience of a dictionary-reference book. - M .: Gella-print, 2004. - 320 s: ill. - (Advertising technologies).
All of the above definitions agree on one thing: logo- this is some kind of indivisible combination of letters. Specifically in design word mark. This can be the name of a company or product, typed in a ready-made font, or an original style drawn by a designer for this work, a calligraphic inscription, a monogram, a monogram. Obviously, it is wrong to call a trademark a logo in general, especially if it is some kind of image not associated with letters. However, you can meet the illiterate use of this term all the time. Even at the end of the last definition, this situation is mentioned.
Logo. Alexander Shiryshev.
Sign is a very broad concept. The simplest definition I found explains it as “something capable in some respect to act instead of something else, i.e., being perceived by some living object, to have a meaning”(Russian Humanitarian Encyclopedic Dictionary: In 3 volumes - M .: Humanit. Publishing Center VLADOS: Philol. Faculty. St. Petersburg State University, 2002).
I dare to suggest that the "living object" here means a person. The newest philosophical dictionary interprets this concept even cooler.
“A sign is traditionally a material, sensually perceived object (event, action or phenomenon), acting in cognition as an indication, designation or representative of another object, event, action, subjective formation. Designed to acquire, store, convert and broadcast certain information (messages)."— The latest philosophical dictionary: 3rd ed., corrected. — Mn.: Book House. 2003.- 1280 p. — (The world of encyclopedias).
Based on these definitions, anything can act as a sign. Therefore, for our particular applied case, it would be correct to clarify the concept. There are several options: graphic mark, brand name, signet, trademark, emblem, trademark. Dictionaries are full of definitions of each of these concepts, somewhere intersecting in meanings, somewhere contradicting each other, demonstrating a complete misunderstanding of the compilers, what they are talking about, and why they put these terms into use at all.
The designer needs this term for one simple reason: this is one of his products. The client needs to explain why it is, how much it costs and how it is used. Obviously, explaining these things using the term "this shit" is not very convenient. How to name the original Nike style? We have already found out - the logo. How to call "swoosh" - the famous Nike arc? While we can answer this question, guided by the method of contradiction, this is definitely not a logo. How to designate a situation when they are used together? Another question that the designer must know the answer to, if only because there is a corresponding section in the standards passport and it must have a name.
Before continuing to terminology, let's deal with two harmful phrases: trademark And trademark. They are borrowed from the advertising industry, which has a very mediocre relationship to the identity. For advertisers, these terms are enough for communication. For a designer, they are too rough and conditional. Firstly, because anything can be hidden under them. Second, adjectives trading And commodity are misleading about the design services application object. After all, corporate identity can have not only a product, company or service, but also a non-profit organization, state or educational institution, city, country, TV show, film, festival, sports team, person and much more. It's hard to imagine the phrase trademark of the Ministry of Education or trade mark of the Grushinsky festival.
The design services application object itself (company, product, organization, institution, country, event, etc.) we will designate with the word brand. In the context of this article, it does not matter to us that the brand is the result. Here and below, we will assume that the object for which we are developing a corporate identity standards passport will sooner or later become a brand.
So, we need to designate by the term such a phenomenon as a graphic sign of a brand. To be sure that we understand each other, I will give concrete examples: Apple apple, McDonalds arches, Nike swoosh, Mercedes star, MTS egg, multi-colored Windows window.
Of the contenders for the designation of this branded element, the following terms remained: brand name, sign, graphic sign And emblem. Adjective branded concept sign does not specify, which means that the term remains as inaccurate and cloudy as without it. Signet- Anglicism (from the English signet - sign, stamp), also not deepening the concept of a sign. Thus, as a precise term, it makes sense to consider graphic sign And emblem.
“Emblem (from the Greek emblema - insert, convex decoration), a conditional explanation of an abstract concept, idea with the help of any image (for example, a dove - E. of the peace movement); often regarded as a kind of allegory. In a narrow sense - a symbolic image.- "Great Soviet Encyclopedia".
“Emblem (from lat. emblema - insert, convex image) - a conditional symbolic image of a concept or idea; unlike the symbol, it does not embody the content of the concept, but only points to it.- Raizberg B. A., Lozovsky L. Sh., Starodubtseva E. B. Modern economic dictionary. 5th ed., revised. and additional — M.: INFRA-M, 2007.
“Emblem (from lat. emblema - Stefanov S. I. Advertising and printing: the experience of a dictionary-reference book. - M .: Gella-print, 2004.
These definitions apply to the term graphic sign. However, the concept graphic sign mixed with concepts trademark, trademark and even trademark, but the phrase itself graphic sign in practice is reduced to just sign. Sometimes the designer uses the term sign understanding what lies underneath graphic sign, sometimes not.
Emblem. Alexander Shiryshev.
By the title of the article, it is not difficult to guess which term the author is leaning towards. For many years, I used the term graphic sign or simply sign. But gradually I come to the conclusion that the amorphousness of these terms and the resulting discrepancies are a significant hindrance in the work of an identity designer. Emblem more unambiguous, emblem Briefly speaking, emblem easier to understand and easier to explain to people far from design. There are no barriers to using this term. Word emblem familiar to everyone, can easily enter professional use and be easily perceived by the customer.
Thus, we have two terms denoting two different entities: emblem And logo.
Why did I delve into the terminology with such tediousness? Terms are the basis of internal and external communications. Both in communication with the customer and in communication with colleagues, one language should be used - the language of communication of professionals. And the more accurate and richer it is, the more effective communication will be.
As one colleague so aptly put it, “Think about who makes it harder: the salesperson giving different names various sausages, or a buyer who wants to be understood when he only says that give me three hundred grams of sausages.
Logo is a graphical representation of a company, its products or services. When designing a logo, the designer needs to take into account the specifics of the company in order to create the most suitable option. There are a lot of logos, and they are all different, but they can be conditionally divided into 5 types.
in the shape of a letter
In this type of logos (in English it sounds like letter form) uses one or more character letters.
In the form of a word
Logoslovo (in English it sounds like word mark) - a logo in the form of a word, consisting only of letters.
in the shape of a sign
Symbols (in English it sounds like Marks) is a type of logos presented in the form of alphabetic or, more often, graphic symbols. The image is usually related to the type of activity of the company or to its distinctive features.
In the form of an abstract sign or symbol
Abstract signs or symbols are used to create a visual form that conveys the concept of the company.
In the form of an emblem
Emblems (in English it sounds like Emblaems) is a more complex mixture of graphic elements and text, which can, for example, show the geographical features of the company's location.
Each of these types of logos has its own advantages and disadvantages. What type of logo to use in a particular case is a matter of experience and design intuition. Don't forget to read about.
