I’ve just noticed that it’s been almost 3 long years since I last did my last blog post on a book review. I’ve bought a hell of a lot of books relating to logo design and brand identity since then so I hope to be able to review as many as I can over the next few months, especially as a few readers were requesting some suggestions on this old post.
A good place to start would be with my highest rated logo design book that I’ve purchased in that long period, Logo Design Volume 3 by Ed. Julius Wiedemann [TASCHEN]. The main reson behind acquiring this title is because it includes an in depth interview with the makers of the 2010 Oscar Winning short animated film, Logorama
The book is part of a series which also obviously includes Volumes 1 & 2, plus Brand Identity Now, which I will review in a few weeks time. Each book in the series is very robust, with a nice foil finish on the cover of the books own identity, with each letter set in a different font (which is normally a big design no-no but in this case – it works).
Before you starting reading any of the books in this series one thing you will have to get used to is that the copy is set in three different languages, all on the same page & in three separate columns. This makes it look like there is far more content than there actually is but it doesn’t take away from the quality of what’s inside. The book kicks off with a great article by the author who challenges the reader to think about the question, ‘Are logos still important?‘ followed by a more in depth piece by Paul Middleton, the Dean of Design at the University of NorthamptonNeville Brody and there is a feature on the new identity for international recording artist, Victoria Beckham.
As with most logo design books, the final section includes a showcase of logos created by designers from all over the world, which are helpfully categorised into the industry of the client. I can see this book being useful to budding design students looking for inspiration as well as seasoned professionals looking to get an insight into how the top design agencies tackle identity projects. The showcase itself is nothing new in concept but it is always great to see fresh work, though I do question whether some of the inclusions are real projects or self initiated. For a logo design book that costs less than £20 it is worth it for the feature on Logorama alone.
