I’m reading Jack Gernsheimer’s wonderful book to help me with current assignments that include rebranding and redesigning logos and web sites for two companies. I am so impressed I can barely find the words. Well I can find them; I just don’t have time for that lengthy a review because I’m on deadline. But I will say this: I predict this will be THE book that is used in art schools/colleges and will endure as being such. I am not even half of the way through and I’ve learned so much already (including what mistakes I’ve already made with at least one client). The client questionnaire (on pages 32-33) alone is worth the price of admission.
As I began to read, my first impression was that it is beautifully written and eloquent. My other first impression is how thorough, thoroughly informative, instructive and hugely helpful it is to anyone trying to fulfill the needs of the professional logo designer. Jack Gernsheimer has offered what seems to be all he knows, all his secrets, all that it took to make him the consummate professional designer he is. It strikes me as gift he is giving the world (at least the graphic design world). It’s as though he is passing on his very essence - all he has ever learned and done - for generations to come, really for the ages. Reading this is as good as taking a top level college course in logo and graphic design. It is written through a voice that quite resembles a sage elder-statesman college professor. But it is also written with warmth and almost an avuncular human touch. It’s as though you feel the presence and support of someone who really cares that you succeed and will hold your hand through the process.
I have been reading Designing Logos – The Process Of Creating Symbols That Endure very slowly, trying to absorb the enormous amount of essential information, and yet I can’t wait to get to the end, to get to all that awaits me. Oh, did I mention that the book’s page layout and overall design is beautiful? This is a gorgeous book and one I will treasure. Highly recommended! —Andy Lackow, 3D illustrator and animator
“Think of this as the logo for all logo books. Jack Gernsheimer has given a whole new identity to identities with his terrifically original and illuminating study of one of graphic design’s most ubiquitous forms. He should change his name to Mark!”—Chip Kidd, author of The Cheese Monkeys
“Gernsheimer has distilled the complex process of designing logos into a text that is clear, concise and thorough. His insights, gleaned from years of professional practice, will help young designers avoid many of the problems that typically plague the process. Experienced designers will find the book a valuable resource, particularly when seeking language to assist in the education of clients.”—Alice Drueding, Professor, Graphic and Interactive Design, Tyler School of Art/Temple University.
“Jack Gernsheimer’s process for designing logos, which he has perfected over decades, serves as an excellent guide for the design community at large.”—Stacie Rohrbach, Assistant Professor, School of Design, Carnegie Mellon University
“This book has it all, from concept to execution, with strong advice on working with clients to achieve the best possible outcome. An excellent resource for students and professionals.”—Joe Scorsone, Professor, Graphic and Interactive Design, Tyler School of Art/Temple University.
“A practical primer and engaging historical overview of one of the most challenging facets of graphic design.”—Patrick Coyne, Editor/Designer, Communication Arts
