When Is a Logo a No-Go?
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When Is a Logo a No-Go?

After a lengthy and costly redesign process, Gap unveiled a new logo, to outrage from customers. So they went back to the old one. Frances Anderton talks with branding consultant Sasha Strauss and graphic designer Michael Hodgson about logos and when they need -- or do not need -- a refresh. Also, industrial designer Yves Béhar talks about creating a Herman Miller chair for our time.

Guest Interview

When Is a Logo a No-Go? ()

 

Gap logo

The "new" Gap logo, designed by Laird + Partners 

On October 5, clothing company Gap quietly unveiled a new logo, the first change to the logo in 20 years. Consumers didn't seem to like it, taking to Facebook and Twitter to express their dislike, and design publications picked up on the outrage, giving the logo flap names like Gapgate. After announcing they were actually launching a contest to create additional logos, less than a week later, Gap retracted the logo and the contest, saying it was sticking with the 20-year-old logo instead. What happened? Frances talks with branding consultant Sasha Strauss about whether or not logos really do impact consumer behavior, and how important logos are to a brand's overall personality. Then, graphic designer Michael Hodgson talks about what makes a successful logo and walks us through some recent logo refreshes that worked.

 

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The new Coca-Cola logo, reconceived by Turner Duckworth
Guests:

Guest Interview

A Chair for Our Time ()

 

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SAYL chair, on display at the Herman Miller showroom
Photo: Nicholas Mercure

 

Last week, the furniture company Herman Miller unveiled its SAYL Chair, a new office chair designed by industrial designer Yves Behar. The chair is revolutionary in that it is made from a flexible, curving shell of plastic mesh supported by a Y-shaped spine support, hence the "Y" in the name. Frances talks with Yves Behar about the sleek new chair and why it defines the way we work and live today.

 

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Guests:
  • Yves Behar: Industrial Designer and Principal at fuseproject

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