The average professional designer working with corporate identity in the studio believes that the presence of a huge number of additional images in the logo is sheer absurdity and a lurid tone. This does not add aesthetics, visual environmental friendliness, and a sense of beauty to the corporate identity.
Taking the logo of St Francois county, which is in Missouri, as an anti-example for working on design errors, we see that it is full of epic design errors. The question arises: did a professional designer develop the logo concept?
Looking at the ideological images, it becomes clear how much they went too far with functional elements in the design of the region’s emblem.
It should not be surprising that such things exist in our time. Recall at least the period from the 90s to the 2000s, when, probably, even good professional designers, who were considered experts in corporate identity design, did similar work, and it was not shameful. There was just such a tradition in visual culture. All over the world, there was a tendency to stick detail to detail and only then understand the meaning of what was done. It is no longer understood whether this indicated the presence of a certain fashion for such logos or whether it indicated a lack or insufficiently developed sense of taste. The main thing is that now there are directions that help reveal the brand better, present its field of activity, and attract the attention of competitors or consumers.
As we can see, the county logo has absorbed all the existing associated ideas of national symbols and aspects. But at the same time, they do not deeply reflect the St Francois brand and philosophy through the visual images themselves.
This is a mockery, a grotesque, or a provocation. One thing is clear; this is a terrible anti-advertising of the region. The logo looks like a crooked work of an amateur designer or a teenager who abruptly decided to start a creative life for himself and master a graphics editor.
The logo looks comical, ridiculous, completely absurd. This is not an effective design decision that can cost the reputation of a lot of respected people. The logo could be remembered positively, but here, rather, anti-advertising to the region and the agency or bureau itself, which was developing the corporate identity.
The compilation of national symbols is as surprising as the arrangement of figures on the round “canvas” of the logo. For example, the eagle, which is sacred in America, does not soar but barely stays in the air, while head down, hangs lifelessly, and is not proud. In a word – crooked.
A bible with a cross, a piece of territory that seems to be an image of a topographic map – it even looks vulgar. It would be possible to beat the images differently, not so stereotypically and clumsily.
What we see now is “failure.” The frame in which the name is inscribed, the slogan “In God we trust,” also looks out of place on the logo, filled up and down with colorful elements; in general, this frame around the circle of the logo looks boring.
Going to the region’s official website, we see that so far, the logo has not been changed. It is in a good enough expansion that allows you to see all the graphic design flaws.
Judging by the reviews of people who are not indifferent to the region and design in general, there will soon be a new redesign because many ordinary people have blood gushing out of their eyes, looking at such a masterpiece.
Surprisingly, such work was approved and allowed to be used at the administrative level. This means that the person who initiated the rebranding is completely unaware of current trends, or he didn’t care at all what to put on digital media in a short time.
And unfortunately, the design community is now very disappointed with this logo, discussing and condemning it. Absurdity and bad taste will sooner or later give way to real design, which is expected shortly from the Missouri administration.
