Computer Arts Projects issue 135

Is there really such a thing as a perfect logo? This month’s cover carries a pretty bold claim, we grant you. But whether you’re obsessed with typography or a dab hand with a graphics tablet, we’ve managed to squeeze so many of the world’s leading branding experts into this issue that you can’t go far wrong.

Black Pencil-winning studio johnson banks helps you get to grips with the trickiest of design briefs; Michael Wolff, co-founder of Wolff Olins, shares his design philosophy; and Bill Gardner at LogoLounge casts his expert eye over the latest logo trends.

Type has always been an essential component of logo design – sometimes the only component – and we’ve gathered in-depth typography advice from Landor, Duffy and Mono, whose collective client folio reads like a branding Bible, from FedEx to Coca-Cola.

Lead creatives at The Partners take you deep behind the scenes of their branding work for the BBC and Jaguar, and in the second instalment of our new Ask the Experts slot, we answer your questions on everything from pitching your ideas to avoiding classic pitfalls.

Next issue, dust off those folios ready for inspection: we’re tackling the essential art of presenting your work. Whether your weapon of choice is an old-school black book, a slick website or a bells-and-whistles motion showreel, there’ll be something just for you. Enjoy!

Nick Carson Editor

IN THE MAG

Project one: Graphic logos

johnson banks interview
Michael Johnson chats to Nick Carson about solving tricky logo design briefs

A-Z of iconic logos
From Atari to Zune: the story behind the world’s most recognisable icons

Logo design masterclass
Leading branding agency The Partners take you behind the scenes on their work for Jaguar and BBC iPlayer

Design a striking graphic logo
How to combine two images into an eye-catching logo with hidden depths

Project two: Typographic design

Work better with type
Expert advice from the masters of type based logos: Landor, Duffy and Mono

Create a typographic logomark
Turn an ordinary font into an intricate logo design with type specialist Ariel di Lisio

Project three: Wider branding

Michael Wolff interview
An inspiring insight into the co-founder of Wolff Olins’ creative process

Turn a logo into a brand
Wally Olins’ design consultancy Saffron goes behind the scenes on a recent branding project for Litro

Project four: Logo trends

Bill Gardner interview
Hear from the renowned trend-spotter and founder of LogoLounge

Keep on trend
We survey recent design trends in the music, clubbing and streetwear scenes

Regulars

Behind the scenes
How New York typographer Justin Thomas Kay styled this issue’s cover

Big question
What are the key ingredients of the perfect logo?

Showcase
The most exciting logo design work from around the world

Special subscriber offer
Get a limited-edition Little Trickers vinyl figure from Play Imaginative

Designer challenge
Three creatives from Norway, the UK and Argentina redesign our logo

Ask the experts
We pitch your burning logo design questions to those in the know

My career so far
SomeOne’s Gary Holt looks back on two decades in the branding business