Logo Design Love by David Airey | Book Review & Summary

Airey’s simple advice is easy to understand and presents concepts with a jargon-free approach.

Summary

In Logo Design Love, David Airey gives the budding freelancer a perspective on what questions to ask when entering the design industry. A no-frills approach based on examining the reader’s approach to business and asking clients good questions. Airey’s simple advice is easy to understand and presents concepts with a jargon free approach.

Who is this book for?

This book is a great resource for designers thinking about running their own business. It offers an approach to everything from how to price projects to questions to ask before starting a new project. 

My Favorite Case Study

Logo Design Love contains one of my all time favorite case studies focusing on a 2012 brand identity project done for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. I really like this case study because it combines clever wordplay, looking at things from a new angle, and applications of the identity to a variety of deliverables. By activating the “is” in their name, the identity’s creator, Johnson Banks, helped the Cystic Fibrosis Trust “to always explain what it is, does, and why they are here.”

See more examples from this case study online here: https://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/cystic_fribrosis_looking_good.php

Key Takeaways

1. Ask More Questions

The biggest takeaway from reading Logo Design Love is that asking questions is an important and necessary part of the design process. To help facilitate this, Airey provides both lists of questions and lists of aspects to consider.

2. Ask even more questions

Not surprisingly, the second big takeaway from this book is to ask even more questions. One tool provided in this book is a list of “31 practical logo design tips.” While not all stated as questions, these tips push the designer to consider things such as trying different sizes, reversing it, and turning it upside down.

3. Develop your creative process

One of the best things about David Airey’s approach in this book is that he presents his process and opinions without being overbearing. The main takeaways however being: 1) have your questions ready for clients and 2) be prepared to ask yourself why something is part of your process and be willing to change as needed.

Final Thoughts

Logo Design Love by David Airey pairs well with Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler. Airey’s simple language and open ended approach provides the roots and foundation to utilize Wheeler’s brand identity process bible. To learn more about Designing Brand Identity read our full review!