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Designer and artist with experience as an art director, copywriter, and columnist. Teaches at the HSE School of Design. He has won over 30 design awards, including such prestigious ones as Good Design and Red Dot. He is also a jury member at festivals such as Cannes Lions, Eurobest, and AD Stars.
He is the co-author of "Parable Therapy, or the Book of Meanings about Marketing" with Sergei Kuzhavsky. He was a regular contributor to Snob magazine and has published in publications devoted to graphic design, such as [kAk), as well as in Creative Director and Vedomosti.
Ippolit Matveyevich shod his skinny legs in trousers that had been made before the war and tied them at the ankles with thin laces. Then he stepped into short, soft boots with narrow, square toes and low heels. Five minutes later, Ippolit Matveyevich was already sporting a sparkling vest adorned with tiny silver stars and a jacket made of iridescent lustres.
A young man entered the city, dressed in a tight green suit that accentuated his figure. An old, rough scarf was wrapped around his powerful neck, and on his feet were patent leather boots with bright orange suede uppers. He wore no socks under his shoes. He held an astrolabe in his hand.
"The Twelve Chairs" is a famous work by I. Ilf and E. Petrov. It unfolds a captivating story, full of witty observations and satirical humor, starring Ostap Bender and Ippolit Matveyevich. Their search for twelve chairs, rumored to contain riches, leads to numerous comical situations and encounters with colorful characters. This novel not only entertains but also provokes reflection on human nature and the social realities of its time, remaining relevant to this day.
The portraits of Ilf and Petrov's famous heroes—Ippolit Matveyevich Vorobyaninov and Ostap Bender—were created almost a century ago.
At that time, people were experiencing a state of political and economic eclecticism, forced by circumstances. For example, Ippolit, once the head of the nobility, continued to wear trousers made before the First World War because he could not afford new ones. Ostap, who would later become a millionaire, couldn't even afford socks. In those harsh days, a registry office worker wearing a moon vest and a sockless crook could easily swap places—life was full of surprises, yet at the same time, there was a common threat: going to jail or being shot.
In contemporary art, polystylistics and freedom from strict standards of appropriateness are no longer simply random phenomena. They have acquired meaning and become acceptable thanks to informal agreements that were not officially proclaimed.
I'm talking specifically about logos, not dress codes.
Should a logo be related to the business or product it symbolizes? You might be surprised, but the answer is no, it doesn't have to be. A modern registry office employee might be dressed in a bright chandelier jacket or stylish orange shoes (or even a combination of both). Or he might prefer Nike sneakers.
Speaking of the Nike logo, does that curved line known as the swoosh necessarily symbolize the brand's athletic focus? If your answer is yes, this would indicate that it was the company's athletic nature that determined the logo's character, and not vice versa. Thus, we can explain the semantic content of the graphic symbol ourselves. Now imagine that the swoosh is used as a symbol for an airline. That would be quite appropriate, wouldn't it? Perhaps, for the Nymph Funeral Home in the small town of N, such a logo might seem overly dynamic.
Therefore, the logo certainly cannot significantly contradict what it represents. And this is absolutely obvious.
You shouldn't count on it being able to create a certain impression of you. Few design professionals pay attention to your visual style to ensure the appropriate presentation of your brand.
Should Bezenchuk, the coffin maker, depict a coffin on his sign? Perhaps, but it is not his obligation. At the same time, placing an image of a coffin on a coffee shop would probably be inappropriate... Although, it is worth noting that Starbucks prefers to use an image of a mermaid instead of a cup of coffee (perhaps this has its reasons, but they do not play a special role for customers).
This mermaid could represent almost anything—from a cruise ship to a women's craft club in Peabody, a city of about 51,000 people—and if you change her coloring to black, she could even be associated with a funeral home.
Here are some more examples of clothing that are not for illustrative purposes:
Adidas - what kind of brand is it? Perhaps, it will become one of the key players in the business center located in Skolkovo.
Volvo is a company that is actively involved in financial and stock exchange processes.
Cadillac - perhaps these are representatives of the premium real estate market... Or a group of lawyers?
Peugeot is definitely associated with the football team!
The McDonald's and AliExpress logos could easily swap, and neither company would lose its essence as a result of such an experiment.
Now this is interesting! What if we try to swap Pepsi and NASA?
In my opinion, with emblems like these, you could confidently go into space and start producing carbonated drinks!
We're only talking about those elements that are in the center of public attention—the logos that we constantly see. If your business is targeted at a narrow circle of people and your company sign does not flash at every step, then, in this case, it does not matter at all what is depicted on your logo.
For example, Rostec - who really understands what is hidden behind this incomprehensible square and what it is connected with? You can, of course, ask a question about what exactly Rostec does, but I will not do that.
I won't ask why it looks so much like the AMD logo—it ultimately doesn't matter. The AMD logo isn't publicly available either, and both square elements don't do anything.
Basically, you shouldn't put a coffin on a funeral home sign. Try to be creative and imagine who, besides the current owners, might own the famous logos.
We draw your attention to the materials published in previous issues:
- New Sheep Gate: What's the Difference Between a Redesign, Restyling, and Rebranding?
- Logo Change: When Is It Necessary, What Factors Can Contribute to It, and What Are the Potential Consequences?