A good logo is one of the most important parts of effectively advertising a company, thus arming the logo with the capability to identify the company or its product is obligatory to every logo designer. Although there are countless different logos around the world, those successful ones all adhere to the same principle – deriving their meaning from the essence of the things they symbolize. Therefore, to be a responsible logo designer, one should recognize the importance of a logo and keep the belief that a good logo is vital; on the contrary, a bad one can be fatal. In this article, I will compare two logos to illustrate that point.

Let’s start with the logo of Sherwin Williams, a paint company. This logo shows a bucket of paint labeled “SWP” is being poured on the Earth. I have to admit that this logo conveys one clear message – this paint company aims at selling its product worldwide. However, besides that, I can hardly associate this logo with any other positive feeling. The most unacceptable is the use of red paint. It might remind people of blood and such image can easily scare them away. Secondly, pouring so much paint on the Earth, our common and unique planet, is obviously an unforgivable act, especially when environmental protection is praised almost everywhere, isn’t it? Be honest, this logo is so ill-designed that I cannot believe that this company is still using it.

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