Multilingual Logo Design

[Albretch]

I am trying to design a "multilingual" logo.

I was thinking about having a background graphic with two letters
(the company name's accronym) on top of it. The thing is that (of
course) the accronym changes for each particular language.

John Yunker in his excellent book on web globalization: "Beyond
Borders", rightly critisizes the use of accronims like "IBM" in a
global market, he gave plenty of reasons and related etc.'s.

I had a basic idea that I presented to my designer, but he didn't
quite like the idea of mixing letters and graphics on a logo.

._ It causes work each time a new language logo needs to be crafted;

._ as people would say: "a picture tells more than thousand words"
and

._ a picture could be "global".

The most globally understandable logo and most powerfull I have seen
so far is Deutsche Bank's: "take the diagonal" ...

Check out www.db.com

What pros and cons do you see with this type of "letters + graphic"
design?

Do you know of any company that does that?

Any legal strings you can see?

Thanks

[Alan D-W]

Post by Albretch
I am trying to design a "multilingual" logo.
I had a basic idea that I presented to my designer, but he didn't
quite like the idea of mixing letters and graphics on a logo.
._ It causes work each time a new language logo needs to be crafted;

Consider: craft your logo with PhotoShop and the text always remains fully
editable in the original .PSD file.
Alan

[Shawn K. Quinn]

Post by Alan D-W

Post by Albretch
I am trying to design a "multilingual" logo.
I had a basic idea that I presented to my designer, but he didn't
quite like the idea of mixing letters and graphics on a logo.
._ It causes work each time a new language logo needs to be crafted;

Consider: craft your logo with PhotoShop and the text always remains fully
editable in the original .PSD file.

This assumes Photoshop is available for the operating system he is using.
(It is not available for the one I use, for example.)

[Bonnie Granat]

Post by Albretch
I am trying to design a "multilingual" logo.
I was thinking about having a background graphic with two letters
(the company name's accronym) on top of it. The thing is that (of
course) the accronym changes for each particular language.
John Yunker in his excellent book on web globalization: "Beyond
Borders", rightly critisizes the use of accronims like "IBM" in a
global market, he gave plenty of reasons and related etc.'s.
I had a basic idea that I presented to my designer, but he didn't
quite like the idea of mixing letters and graphics on a logo.
._ It causes work each time a new language logo needs to be crafted;
._ as people would say: "a picture tells more than thousand words"
and
._ a picture could be "global".
The most globally understandable logo and most powerfull I have seen
so far is Deutsche Bank's: "take the diagonal" ...
Check out www.db.com

To me, that forward slash inside a dark box that's inside a white box
is just a decoration. I don't see it as a logo. If there's supposed to
be some optical illusion where the letters "d" and "b" are in that
box, I do not see it.

I think what we have here is a nonproblem. Everything is translated
these days, so it makes no difference what language is used. When a
native Japanese-speaking person talks about that company that is
practically the number one seller of cars in the US, what do they say?
Probably the same thing we in the US say -- Toyota. So what's the
problem? If we both say the name the company wants us to say, where's
the problem.

But aside from that, I think your globalization guru is wrong. IBM is
recognizable worldwide, like Microsoft. No problem.

Bonnie Granat
http://www.editors-writers.info

[Shawn K. Quinn]

Post by Albretch
The most globally understandable logo and most powerfull I have seen
so far is Deutsche Bank's: "take the diagonal" ...
Check out www.db.com

You should cite Web addresses as URLs including scheme name, for example:
<http://www.db.com/>

That said, all I get is a bunch of baloney about enabling Javascript and
frames.

Is there a version of their logo that I can view without exposing my system
to potential security hazards?

[Doc O'Leary]

Post by Albretch
I am trying to design a "multilingual" logo.

Stop it.

Post by Albretch
I was thinking about having a background graphic with two letters
(the company name's accronym) on top of it. The thing is that (of
course) the accronym changes for each particular language.

No it doesn't. No more than a company name changes.

Post by Albretch
John Yunker in his excellent book on web globalization: "Beyond
Borders", rightly critisizes the use of accronims like "IBM" in a
global market, he gave plenty of reasons and related etc.'s.

That is moronic. IBM is a well-recognized trade mark. People don't
need to know the English words it stands for, or even be able to
recognize them *as* English letters, for the use of that mark to be
effective in identifying the company.

Post by Albretch
The most globally understandable logo and most powerfull I have seen
so far is Deutsche Bank's: "take the diagonal" ...

You're joking, right? There is nothing "understandable" about a slash
in a box, including the millions they probably spent someone to design
it. Whether or not it makes a good trade mark depends entirely on how
they use it.

Your wanting to change your logo based on language usage only serves to
dilute your brand identity.

[Robb Shecter]

Post by Doc O'Leary
That is moronic. IBM is a well-recognized trade mark. People don't
need to know the English words it stands for, or even be able to
recognize them *as* English letters, for the use of that mark to be
effective in identifying the company.

Interesting discussion! I'm working on a logo for my company, Green Fabrik.
There's a metaphor in there, and I'm playing with working it in to the
logo.

Anyone care to comment on my current idea? http://www.greenfabrik.com/

Thanks!
Robert