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Showing posts from October, 2010

Iconography Gone Awry

As a graphic designer and art enthusiast, I become increasingly interested in icons and symbols. At one time my interest only covered the aptly described iconic brand symbols such as Paul Rand's UPS logo or Raymond Loewy's International Harvester logo. Over time I've learned how symbolism in art and society has progressed through the years. Dating as far back as the Roman Empire, when Constantine began to use the Chi-Rho monogram for his army. Symbols have even made their way into our lives functionally. The ampersand is once again being used in writing text messages and tweets. With symbolism playing such an important role in our lives, it was quite shocking to see the retail brand Gap's recent attempt at redesigning their iconic brand . The once clean and simple blue logo with reversed out type, reminiscent of a pair of jeans back pocket was temporarily changed to what a company spokesperson claimed was a more modern design. Temporarily is the key word here, as so man