NEWSPAPER: BOTTOM TEXT
A critical design practice insists on situating and assessing design not only in relation to briefs and objectives, but in relation to design’s broader cultural, political, and material contexts. In this publication, graduate students in the RISD Graphic Design department practice such situating through critical writing on existing design work. Each ‘review’ aims to push beyond the traditional scope of design critique to consider the ways that graphic design operates in society and in relationship to structures of power.
The article to the right was my contribution to the newspaper, along with support in the overall design of the publication.
Written and designed by students in the RISD Graphic Design course Graduate Seminar 1 under supervision of Anther Kiley.
Vol 2, Fall 2024
Size: 11.5” x 15”
view original pdf
December 2024
The Obsession with Logo-as-Window
As seen in Pentagram’s Reddit Rebrand logo-as-window on are.na
The Obsession with Logo-as-Window
As seen in Pentagram’s Reddit Rebrand logo-as-window on are.na
THE PATTERN AT PLAY
Pentagram’s Reddit work is emblematic of an underlying pattern in the graphic design industry. As Elizabeth Goodspeed explains in her 2022 AIGA article, “the gap between sign-off and execution is where the moodboard comes in.” Art directors frequently use moodboards when pressed for time, to capture their client’s vision before any image creation begins. This “flat circle” leads to sameness in branding campaigns, as designers rely on familiar themes and motifs to speed up the design process. Logos, once sacred symbols of identity and authority, are now recast as hollow frames for storytelling.
In the days of modernist logo ideals (though have we completely left this time?), designers would charge hefty fees and spend countless hours designing the perfect logomark to use as an authoritative stamp. These symbols were meant to encapsulate a brand’s identity and company’s values in a single, abstract form. But today, branding demands more, and clients no longer have a pedestal for the mark. As advertising and marketing have become paramount, branding now means storytelling, and logos must accommodate images. Cropping an image in a branded shape is an easy fix that still allows for bold and graphic logos, though at the expense of the logo’s originality.
BEYOND THE MARK
Next we can consider the imagery that appears within these logos is rarely directly connected to the product being sold. Instead, we see idealized scenes of happiness, inclusion, or aspiration, subtly indicating to the prospective customer that buying into the brand will lead to a specific kind of better life (such as Verizon connecting fresh produce to their services). In the case of Reddit, the images positioned inside the brand icon suggest that the user is joining a welcoming, dynamic community—but this is a simplification of Reddit’s very complex, and sometimes divisive reality. In our post-truth age, where social media has reframed our trust dynamics, logos alone can no longer deliver what audiences now expect: a sense of connection, humanity, and inclusion. This is what allows logo-as-window to thrive. These “relatable” visuals go beyond digital brands, affecting everything from social media platforms to financial institutions like HSBC. These companies—once trusted names with authoritative logos—now incorporate photos of softer, more human-centered design to signal a connection with consumers.
WHAT'S NEXT
Logo-as-window represents a transitional phase in branding: a subconscious compromise between the modernist desire for iconic marks and the contemporary need for narrative-driven design. It’s a bigger signal of the world beyond graphic design. The authority and competence that effective logos conjure up is no longer viewed with trust or seen as desirable. Social media has programmed us to trust influencers over corporate authorities, and the age of disinformation has made us second-guess everything.
The demand for storytelling in marketing is about pulling at the heartstrings of consumers and making them believe in an alternative idealized reality that only that specific product can bring. Logo-as-window has signaled a need for more critical engagement with the role of imagery in branding (though the question around using our practice to make companies in hot water feel relatable is a discussion for another time). The mark can no longer stand on its own, and we should strive for systems that balance and incorporate a bold visual identity with meaningful narrative.
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