Logo: The Reference Guide to Symbols and Logotypes (Corporate Identity Book, Branding Reference for Designers and Design Students)

by Michael Evamy

"The next time you are tempted to design a logo, take a look at this book. Chances are, it has already been done. By raising the bar, this wonderful resource will make better designers of all of us." – Michael Bierut

This vast collection of over 1,300 symbols and logotypes – clearly arranged across 75 different categories according to their basic visual form – includes the work of past masters, such as Paul Rand and Saul Bass, alongside some of the most exciting work from contemporary designers.

This is a complete, taxonomical guide to the history, development and style of identity design.

Genres: Design, Art Design, Art, Reference, Nonfiction

352 pages, Paperback

Published February 10, 2015

Reviews

[Danielius Goriunovas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should have been a website.

1) The book is super hard to read due to it's format: heavy cover, huge pages and... tiny font. I don't have problems with my eyesight, but this is just too small. I tried to read it while sitting, at the table, in the library with good reading position and lighting but it was still hard to read.

2) 95% of book pages are logos. Images. And few sentences about every logo, but nothing impressive - "This logo is for X company and it has a feeling of Y".

I am disapointed.

But this book can be a great furniture object - something to put on the shelve or a table of design agency to seem like you know your stuff.

[Ralph Zoontjens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice reference guide containing lots of famous logos and an interesting variety of visual styles. It does not go into great depth but it may be a bit more helpful than a Google search for some quick inspiration during brainstorms and client meetings.

[Ed Castellanos Onsurbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mejor libro de logos actual, una barbaridad de logos clasificados de forma extrañamente específica (geométricos, aniamales, edificios, etc ok pero mitología¿? ahí sale el de starbucks y 4 más claro) y muy útil. Maquetación wapa.

[NGUYỄN HOÀNG HÀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Các logo được sắp xếp, phân chia và trình bày theo cấu trúc. Xuyên suốt sách, các logo được thể hiện và chiếm đa số dung lượng trang sách. Nhiều logo từ các năm trước tới thời điểm hiện tại giúp mình tham khảo và có cái nhìn tổng quan.

[Gursu Altunkaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Might be the best logo book around. It categorizes well-known logos into categories like ”Type Only Logos”, ”Anthorpomorphic Logos”, etc.

[Krystsina Radzevich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection for the time it was published.

[Hauntedown]

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[Carson Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. I bought this book alongside the much larger and well-stocked (6k logos vs 1.6k logos) Logo Modernism, however I can't helped but favor Logo by Michael Evamy. Logo has a much better organizational system and an interesting snipped to accompany each logo.

[Frankie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't recommend this book to be read entry by entry. It was agonizing to read in this way. I suggest reading the chapter introductions and glancing through the rest. When one day you're working on ideas for, say a car logo, you can reference the pages on "Transport." 90% of the copy is in tiny caption form at bottom right.

I do feel that I've learned a great deal. It gave me some ideas for creative direction, what to expect from clients and what they expect from a designer. The history of some featured identities is fascinating – Nike, UPS, RAC, etc. This edition was very current, with entries as recent as 2006, most from the past few years.

Also helpful was the disclaimer regarding over-ascribing qualities to logos. The highlight of this is LG's logo description, which credits even the blank space in the upper-right of the face as representing "creativity and adaptability to change."

[Hots Hartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expansive catalog of 1300 corporate brand logos across industries. Fun to flip through as a starting point for how companies have created simple logos, but I wouldn't call this inspiring, because most of these (Dropbox, Google, etc) have gone through one too many iterations to seem fresh anymore. I would have liked to see more originals from lesser-known projects, particularly from toys, games, books, apps, comics, Magic the Gathering sets, and kid's products, where creativity and playfulness matter equally as much as professionalism and memorability.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book showcases the greatest logos in use today. It's well organized and gives you many examples of text based logos, logos that use symbols or shapes, and logos that are theme based. There are 40 stories dotted throughout the book on some of the greats of how they came into being.

[T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread on April 19-26, 2012 while doing logo work for a client.

/ Read on October 2-3, 2011.
/ Read on February 9-March 31, 2011.
/ Read on March 5-August 16, 2010.
/ Read on January 11-February 4, 2009.

[Mike Mali · Rating 2 out of 5]

A useful reference book for various logos, sorted by logo type. The book itself is small, and (mostly) black & white. Much like the others in this series, I would have preferred a larger, full-colour book.

[R.Friend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing resource absolutely filled with the best logos in use today. Beautifully designed, as well. AND it's only $40. Buy it!

[Leighwoosey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exhaustive and a great source of inspiration.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The go-to reference for logo design.

[Sriti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I

[Yasser Alhmaikani · Rating 5 out of 5]

أفضل كتاب فيه تفصيل جميل لبنية وكتلة الشعار وكيفية استنتاج شكله وصورته