Logos of the world

Logos of the world

Today, logos mark not only companies and their products, but also cities, people and political movements. “Logo Modernism” documents the emergence of modern brands in the 20th century and is probably the most comprehensive reference work on the formal language of the logo.

Author Jens Müller has collected more than 6000 trademarks from the period between 1940 and 1980 for this unique publication. He examines how modernist ideas and rules led to the birth of corporate identity. From media companies to supermarket chains, from airlines to tourist regions: The comprehensive survey spares no industry and features logos from all over the world. The book is divided into three main sections: Geometric, Effect and Typographic. Each of the three chapters is subdivided into design subheadings such as Alphabet, Overlay, Dots and Squares.

Front cover of “Logo Modernism” by Jens Müller and Julius Wiedemann (Taschen): an orange-red cover featuring the title in white and a collage of geometric logos from the 20th century

In addition to the comprehensive catalogue, the volume includes an introduction by Jens Müller on the history of logos and an essay by R. Roger Remington on graphic design and modernity. Eight designer profiles and eight insightful case studies examine in detail the lives and work of industry greats such as Paul Rand, Yusaku Kamekura and Anton Stankowski, as well as landmark projects such as Fiat, The Daiei Inc. and the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico.

A spread from “Logo Modernism”: the left page features a bright orange-red background with a giant white capital “G” and the chapter title “Géométrique / Geometrisch / Geometric” in three languages to open the chapter, while the right page contains the introductory text
A spread from “Logo Modernism” featuring a systematic collection of circular logos in black and white, organized under the category “Cercle / Kreis / Circle”—including well-known logos such as the CBS eye
Excerpts from the layout of the book *Logo Modernism*, featuring close-ups of the biography, introductory text, and a selection of various collections of figurative marks, signets, and logos
vista — Designstudio for communication design in düsseldorf | Logos of the world
vista — Designstudio for communication design in düsseldorf | Logos of the world
vista — Designstudio for communication design in düsseldorf | Logos of the world

“Few designs are more universally recognizable than the logos of our favorite international brands. In this guide to corporate graphic design, icons are explained and categorized by shape and typography.”
— Time Magazine

Three-dimensional oblique view of the book *Logo Modernism* (Taschen) lying flat: red cover with white geometric logos, showing the spine and side view of the large-format volume

Logo Modernism is a unique source of inspiration not only for graphic designers, advertising professionals and branding specialists, but also for anyone interested in social, cultural and corporate history and the incredible power of image and form. The 432-page book is published by TASCHEN in a multilingual edition (English, French, German).

A spread from “Logo Modernism” featuring a case study of the Japanese retail company Daiei: on the left, explanatory text and background information; on the right, the complete logo development process, including color variations and examples of use
A spread from “Logo Modernism” featuring a systematic black-and-white catalog of circular corporate logos, organized by variations on the circle motif

“An opulent volume (...) that systematically records and catalogues the milestones of this logo's development.”
— Süddeutsche Zeitung

A spread from *Logo Modernism* featuring the designer profile of Japanese graphic designer Yusaku Kamekura (1915–1997), with a bilingual biographical text in English and German, as well as a selection of his logos, including the Nikon wordmark, industrial brands, and the Nippon Broadcasting System logo

Client: TASCHEN GmbH, Cologne
Services: Concept & design, research, text, editorial design.
Year: 2015


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