Identity Systems : We love Wordmarks!

We certainly believe in the axiom passed down through the decades that corporate identities must be distinctive, differentiating and memorable. We also believe that the solution should arise from the unique personality of each company or organization. This (in our opinion) can only happen through thoughtful research that ultimately leads to an intimate understanding of the people who brought the entity into being or have inherited the stewardship of it. These people not only understand how the enterprise was hatched just last year (or way back when), but also where it’s going. The best marks often come from a quirky personality trait that is as singular as a fingerprint. Happily, these observations often lead to friendships that might last a lifetime. It is also true that a mark must work flawlessly in black on white and also white on black at any size and on any substrate or screen. Underlying these maxims is the belief that difficult self-imposed constraints usually lead to better design outcomes. We also believe that the words themselves – the sound of them when spoken – are just as important as the visual impression. This has led us to get more involved in naming new entities and refining or simplifying the names of older ones. In the end, our reverence for words, people and constraints has led us to have a distinct preference for wordmarks rather than abstractions, which – in our opinion – has led to more indistinguishable globes and swooshes than the world really needs. We look for all of these attributes in the words and letterforms themselves. We love wordmarks!