Logo design: concept VS image
by Sergio Ordonez at 6:23 am on Logotypes
The olympic candidature of Madrid 2016 is looking, by popular voting, the three better proposals. After the first look, it seemed to me that the candidates fulfiled aesthetically, ones with more success than others … the problem rose at the time to analyse the reasons that this designers adduced to justify his proposals. Except for a pair of proposals everyone presented empty, forced, arbitrary or irrelevant concepts… what led me to ask myself the following questions:
- Why did they chose logos based more on visual aspects than conceptual?
- Is this a generalized mistake of our design? or, of the design in a general level?
- Wouldn’t it be better to hire an expert designer instead of doing a contest? if they have done that, the results would have been the same?
- Who was the in charge of this preselection?
- Is the popular voting the most proper?
Unfortunately, we do not have any information of the designers identity (if they are students or professionals with experience) and much less of the jury that did the preselection but if these are the 10 better proposals out of 2.700 candidates, either in Spain the design goes from bad to worse or I believe that someone in the organizing committee of the candidature needs an urgent brain transplant.
Note: This is my personal opinion, it am not an expert in audiovisual communication nor I have technical knowledges of corporate identity … only common sense.
Correct me if I make a mistake or I am imprecise in any aspect.
The way of moulding the concept seems very ingenious to me “MADRID as MIRROR FOR THE WORLD”. Other question is if we want to transmit this message… Madrid as mirror FOR the world, I would have elected Madrid as mirror OF the world, it seems a little more humble.
According to its authors: “The complete logo allows the easy reading of the message 2M16 (2016) of which the M becomes underlined of MADRID. The 16 rises also as reflection of a 12, as if through the mirror, had gone too far from the disappointment of 2012 to the success of 2016 (remember that Madrid was candidate in give birth to 2012.)”
The concept looks great, but I see it very forced… what he reads is not 2M16 but 2M6 by a side or 2116 by the other, with what all the theory goes down. It seems a meritorious effort, but it looks to me that the explanation was found when the logo was already designed… what a pity.
Graphicly, It seems attractive to me because of the lines simplicity. It is legible in small sizes, and I would be cheap to print because it works in one color, it is modern and dynamic.
CONCLUSION: It seems a good logo to me, but the concept it’s not transmited with the reliability that his authors proclaim. Aesthetically it’s my favorite and it has the conditions to be a good candidate. With some retouches I believe it should be the desserved winner.
Concept: "light"
According to the author: “Madrid is a cosmopolitan, dynamic city, in continuous movement like the light.” It seems simple, correct, but it doesn’t fascinate me. I believe that the organizer of some olympic games has to look outwards, instead of inwards.
It happens the same thing as the previous one, We base the our logo concept on a graphic effect (colors and the effects). What happens if we use it on a white background? Or if we print in one color? So we get a cool icon, but without the concept.
CONCLUSION: Costly of print, modern, aesthetically nice, not an original concept original, legible. A valid option for the modern judges.
21-09-2007: Another case of plagiarism the whole contest is a fake
Designed by Luis Coderque, this logo was already created for the brand Madrid. The worst in all this is this designer works for Saffron, the company who do the preselection of the 10 logos… its a shame.
Concept: “Corle” (another one that I don’t understand.)
“The hand gives the welcome to the ones who wants to get closer to this city, a friendly greeting where the freshness of Madrid and its people is appreciated.”It seems like a preservative logo to me.
“The shape of the hand and his colors represents all the people; nationalities; races; cultures… etc” we return to the same problem of before, what happens if we print in one color?”.
CONCLUSION: Costly of printing; easy; nice, direct, human, legible. A valid option for the conservative judges.
Concept: "Mariz Mariz" (if someone understands it, explain it to
me please).
"How do you receive friends? With a smile.
How do they understand each other? With a conspiratorial wink.
How do we want them to feel if any them visit us? As friends."
In other circumstances I would say it’s a very childlike logo, similar to the polemic logo of the London olympic games 2012 (by the way, the logo of what most people talked in the story of the O.G.) although, It doesn’t seem that bad. It seems to me the least pretentious of all of them… at least do not have to bear stupid metaphysics stuff, which i’m thankful after seeing the other proposals.
CONCLUSION: It is nice, human, simple, easy to remember, legible and cheap of printing. Not very original (London 2012) and maybe too simple in it’s approach.A little risky.
Concept: "A river of illusions"
This seems most "curious" concept of all: "The symbol represents Madrid and its River, recovered and boosted; it has been inspired by a geographic feature that identifies the city. The line claims to be irregular, uninhibited and artistic, as it is the city of Madrid.
The circular shapes remember to the squares of Madrid, sports enclosures and to the Olympic rings."
CONCLUSION: I believe that Madrid has more important things to show to the world than its rivers, aesthetically it is nice, it is legible and easy and cheap of printing . Valid by little.
Concept: "Madrid in action".
The concept does not seem to be the most original of the world but it is coherent:
"The union of people of different cultures and nationalities through the sport and all them under the incomparable blue sky of Madrid, that transmits animation; happiness; vitality; energy, positivism"
Aesthetically It seems funny and beautiful, although I have to say that in the first look i didn’t notice the puppet details, and this is its biggest problem… The reason that gives it that special touch is appreciable only at bigger scales.
To the time of printing would be accesible, because it works in one color.
CONCLUSION: It looks like a nice logo, but only transmits it’s intention at reasonably big scales. It fulfils the rest of the requirements. Not recommendable.
Concept: "Madrid flows".
I thought it was an interesting logo, but when investigating a little on the intentionality the author i had a lot of doubts:
"The mark has a lot of meanings because it’s shapes MAY symbolize various values. In the first place, the use of a wide range of colors that expresses diversity of the elements that has our city. The lines MAY symbolize paths, the tape that the athletes touch when they win, the fringes of a medal or the coexistence of the city’s variety and richness."
The biggest mistake in my opinion was relate "the wide range of colors" to diversity of the city… What would happen if we only print in one color? will our city lose that diversity?
There is a feint of justification of this error:
"The logo is very variable because it doesn’t have an only way in it’s use, several versions can be made and this is like that because the city flows and not always looks the same way."
But it seems abominable, of course that they can make several versions (of this and of all the logos in the world) but the logo has to work in all them.
CONCLUSION: Costly of printing, the concept is totally arbitrary and I think that at small scales we wouldn’t manage to distinguish it, more even if it’s printed in one color. It seems nice aesthetically. Not recommendable.
21-09-2007: Another case of plagiarism… to the right, the logo for Madrid 2016, to the left, screenshot of the website of Augusto Valenti, logo designed by Liberonline
Concept: "We all are Madrid".
Sincerely, I don’t know how a logo like this can be on the top 10 of 2.700 options. I don’t see the concept "We all are Madrid" anywhere. And it’s authors explanation doesn’t help at all: "The brushstroke creates an abstract form that COULD BE the horns of a bull, symbol of force; character; beauty; power; or maybe two people, suggesting solidarity, opening, or MAYBE the forefingers and heart forming the victory sign."
That "could be" or that "maybe", his explanation ambiguity leave me doubts about the intentionality at the time to mould the concept in this logo.
On the other hand, that of showing the horns of a bull … it seems to be too stereotyped and without relation to the event, besides I don’t believe that I represent EVERYBODY, they could not have elected a topic more controversial.
It doesn’t finish convincing me aesthetically, the "hand made" typography doesn’t seem worked at all nor it fits with the artistic air of the icon.
CONCLUSION: Stereotyped, aesthetically incoherent, bad represented, it seems very arbitrary to me. Not even think about it.
Concept: "Dress Madrid".
I will try to be good with this logo, I apologize in advance.
Its author says: "Madrid as open city, that allows everybody newly arrived find its place" When we are transmitting the opposite, I would use this logo to represent CHAOS … Diagonals, different thicknesses, molten and conflicting fonts.
"This spirit is reflected in the logo endowing it with a "graffiti" aesthetic that will favour identity of the natives of Madrid with their logo." The Graffiti as art is a residual activity, I am sure that big part of the inhabitants of Madrid live the Graffiti more like a plague that of the streets than an art manner.
"The upward diagonal sense of the main graphic art and the apparent randomness, freshness and lack of concern express optimism and vitality." I really don’t understand it, in my opinion what he transmits is anxiety; burden; drifting; asphyxia…
I believe that the Madrid word could be more legible if we gave it a little bit more air by its base line.
… "By the transformation of the square through the adjournment of the sides allowing the repetition of the obtained geometry in the two directions." An meaningless paragraph, sounds great though.
CONCLUSION: Concept totally opposite to what should express supposedly, it is stressful aesthetically, It would be barely legible at small scales. The worst of all
Concept: "From Madrid to the Olymp"
The author’s description: "Madrid does not stop in his fight for the O.G. organization and it moves fast to arrive, before or later, to the Olymp’s door" I don’t believe that the important part is the desire of Madrid to manage to be games headquarter… that is pure anecdote, even if it gets it or not.
As it’s tend to say… if you do not have anything positive that to say it’s better to remain quiet; the curious thing, is that after reading the rest of the descriptions this doesn’t seem to be that bad.
CONCLUSION: Indifference.
CONCLUSION: As this competition is image of the manner in which our candidature does everything, I fear that Madrid wont organize a Olimpic Games in looooong time.