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Two logos with touch

By John McWade

January 23, 2013

When designing a logo or other graphic, symbolism is what usually comes to mind. But life is more than symbolism. How about engaging the physical senses? Touch, for example. While it’s not always applicable, a good creative brief should always make you consider it. Ask, “What does this product/service/idea feel like?”

Below are two excellent examples from designer Felix Reichle.

First, a corporate design for the Public Textile and Industry Museum in Augsburg, Germany.

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Before & After | Design Talk | Before & After's creative director John McWade's conversations with subscribers

1/24/13 1:10 PM

From his summary: My design concept illustrates the aesthetic and sensory experience visitors can get, while it still keeps the industrial and technical context in mind. The museum offers living industrial history to touch. It connects the people with their local textile history and gives a chance to collaborate.

Unexpected and beautifully understated, a light, feminine hand conveys almost magically the sensation of stroking fabric, while the single-line-weight illustration retains the rigor of a good logo. Its construction extends to the type and negative spaces. Brilliant.

The second, more abstract, is a brand design for Hochschulzentrum VĂśhlinschloss, an education and conference center run by three Bavarian universities.

From his summary: The arches visualize the central purpose of the establishment, to establish ties. At the same time they represent the three co-operation partners and reflect a prominent architectural part of the building.

Here are beauty, simplicity, and clarity at their finest! Besides the symmetry and symbolism of the logo, note how line weight, color, and translucency convey the sensory effect of the architecture, airy and heavy at the same time.

Remember — touch. Always consider it.

For more on these projects and others by this young designer, check out www.felixreichle.de.

For more on sensory experience in design, check out our article on the Gestalt principle of isomorphism.

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