I began this week by jumping into a new corporate identity project for a new client, and I was in the mood for a bit of inspiration. I wanted to get something about logo design or a book of logos. I was reluctant to buy something off the web because I wanted to flip through the pages of the book before making the purchase.
So I took a little field trip into central Oxford. (Everyone loves field trips!) My first stop was Blackwell on Broad Street. Nope, I was told, the main book store doesn’t have any books on graphic design. I needed to cross the street to the Blackwell Art + Poster Shop. Once inside, I worked my way to the back corner of the basement level where the design books are shelved.
After flipping through about 10-15 books, I decided logolounge3 (by Bill Gardner and Catharine Fishel; published by Rockport Publishers), which is a collection logos and logotypes for all sorts of companies, from all kinds of design agencies. I was very impressed with the wide range of logos (2,000 in total) and the manner in which the book was organised: by logo type (typography, enclosures, food, head, and display type are just some examples). It wasn’t cheap at £32.50 for hardback, but it wasn’t too dear either. After flipping through the pages on several occasions throughout the week, I am pleased with the purchase and consider it money well spent.
Liam’s review rating: 7 (out of 10).
Last thought: logolounge.com also offers a membership subscription where members can search through the stock of logos. They claim to have 67,280 logos online.