Archives filed under "graphic design"

So we’ve examined terrorist organisation logos from around the world. How about their nemeses, those of defence departments from around the world?

As the author notes, the proposed new logo for the Japanese Ministry of Defence is a bit Web 2.0. But we’re noticing common themes here:

• Oak leaves (they taste like victory!)
• Eagles
• Swords
• Anchors
• Creepy associations from the past (Germany)

Now, surely some artist out there can create a tableau of a sword-wielding, oak-leaf-chewing eagle dropping an anchor on a bone-and-gun-laden star. That would be awesome.

At least some of the employees of design firm A Gray Space collect Polish movie posters. This page shows some absolutely fantastic posters covering nearly 70 years.

All kidding aside, there are some beautiful designs here, including some that remind me of 1950s–1960s Ben Shahn. This page reads like a synopsis of European commercial graphic design.

We all need logos, it seems. Even your terrorist organisations need to differentiate themselves from one another. But where do you start? What are all the other organisations doing?

The Weather Underground logo

Ironic Sans has helpfully collected a large number of logos from terrorist organisations from the past 30 years or so, helpfully organised thus:

• Stars
• One gun
• Two guns crossed
• Other weapons crossed
• Crossbones
• Animals with multiple heads
• Other (which can also be called “WTF”)

Presumably, a logo consisting of three guns, a machete below crossbones, on top of a star, surrounded by the World-Snake would look as if it were designed by committee.

Raja Sandhu has written a FAQ regarding the development of logo — or, more accurately, corporate identity — design.

It’s good to see someone else taking a rational approach to design — or, at least, as rational approach as one can take. Many, if not all of Raja’s comments reflect our own experience of corporate identity design. In fact Raja’s comments can be expanded to cover graphic design in general. A good read!