The Before and After articles are always over simplified. I think they are for beginners and not to be taken seriously by seasoned designers.

"select an ordinary typeface"... Needs an asterisk:
"* Since you're just another ordinary idiot."

hhp

The main trouble with it is that it fails to explain what's wrong with the "before" logo. It could have been made by following the instructions in the article.

It is particularly telling that color is the only consistent element of the "Before & After" masthead, of which I've seen three different banal type treatments just navigating to the article.

"select an ordinary typeface"

Before&After has always been clearly aimed at novices and amateurs and tends to speak in laymen's terms. By saying "an ordinary typeface" I imagine they are steering people away from "fancy" typefaces like Comic Sans or Zapf Chancery, the kind of faces novices tend to gravitate toward.

And Kevin, I hope you're not saying you prefer the "before" logo.

LOL Brian! Now you're talking.

I did understand that the article was written for the complete novice. I don't think it's necessary to be so inane about it.

The attitude was "this is how it's done" when it should have been "try this exercise that treats group of letters as art". They missed step 2 entirely: moving from exercises to creativity.

Mark: Indeed not, it looks awful, but the article completely fails to address the reasons why. You could follow the instructions and still come up with the bad logo.

Pick a typeface. - Aachen is the first one on the list.
Do random stuff with it. - "Loosely spaced type feels panoramic, like the powerful, horizon-spanning vistas of the movies."
Choose a "space" to put it in. - Yep, there it is, a rectangle with round corners.
Choose where in the space it goes. - "Modern, buoyant, light; type at or near the top suggests growth."
Align the subhead with something. - Yay, we're done!

Sometimes, writing for the novice can mean failing to teach the novice anything.

I wonder if there are plumbers out there on plumber forums laughing at articles in This Old House that oversimplify DIY toilet installations.

Kevin, I kinda thought (or hoped!) that was what you meant.

This reminds me of the old Python bit where they show you how to do all kinds of things. It went something like:

Host: "Michael from Kensington wants to know how to play the flute."
Guest: "Well, Michael, you just blow into this little hole, move your fingers up and down on these little levers, and music the comes out here."

They then go on to explain how to end world hunger and war in a few short sentences.

Vertical type. Who knew? Turns out I don't have to dye my hair pink or get a tattoo to be considered radical and rebellious. :-)

Revisited...

Vertical type. Who knew? Turns out I didn't have to tear off that mattress pad tag...

Funnier, huh? Other suggestions?

I have to step in to defend Before & After.

Yes, it's aimed at beginners and generalists (like the marketing person who has to write and lay out the company newsletter, and then update the company web site). But the basic principles it teaches, like the value of contrast, finding points of alignment, etc., are sound.

(You need only look at some of the logo work in Typophile's critique forums to find designers who ought to revisit the basics.)

The printed version of B&A is scrupulous about identifying the typefaces used in its examples, lauding their beauty, and generally encouraging sensitivity to type. This is a good thing, in my view.

Marc,

What offends me most about this article is that it purports to be all you need to design a good logo. A good beginning article should make clear that it is just that, a place to begin. The article fails to cover considerations about reproduction methods, legibility at small and large sizes and fonts in historic context, or indeed let you know that there are any other considerations. A good beginning article might also include a list of logo design books and encourage further study.

My attempt at humor was based on the vertical type example being labeled "Radical - makes you work to read it; decorative, rebellious." Sorry, but the word I think of when I see vertical Helvetica is dated. (Sombody please let me know when it becomes retro. OK?)

And, it may be reality, but do we really think it is a good idea for the marketing person to be designing the company newsletter or updating the Web site? He was talking about fonts, but I agree with Yves in this post that you get what you pay for. If you want a quality logo, you must be prepared to pay for it. By failing to mention graphic design professionals this article places no value on the years of study and work experience that go into becoming a knowledgeable logo designer.

"A good beginning article should make clear that it is just that, a place to begin."

Wow, Alyce. Thank you. What I meant to say but you said it better and with fewer words.

Thank you. :-)

"Probably not, because there are, supposedly, only a few ways install a toilet properly - the thing can only work so many ways"

You've obviously never hung around a contractor forum, eh? ;o)

Typography, after all, it really just another trade. Full of craftsmanship, history, tools, best practices and a lots of arguing of subjective opinion. ;o)

"And, it may be reality, but do we really think it is a good idea for the marketing person to be designing the company newsletter or updating the Web site?"

Of course not. But what we think isn't usually reality. So, more power to any marketing person that is at least reading a bit to improve upon the skills that they may or may not have for the position they were perhaps 'given' not by their choice.

::gasp::

That's It!!! I'm going back to school to become a librarian!

::wink::