Parkhurst Creative

As a professional Graphic Designer I’m often asked by my friends what I think is the best designed logo. As a Graphic Designer I want to know the answer to that question as well. I have created in the past a top 10 of my favorite logo designs and this post will be similar but as I list my favorite logos I am curious how much this list will deviate from my list from 10 years ago. This list however only contains my top 8…

#8

Amazon is too well known to not be acknowledged but it’s design is very strong. It uses a very bold, unique and readable font. The smile that doubles as an arrow point from the letters “A” to “Z” is very creative and fun. The effectiveness of having this playful design effect however is not necessarily beneficial. The overall feel of the logo does feel a little bland but most likely due to the fact that it is directed as such a very large audience which is something that is very, very difficult to do.

#7

Coca-Cola is an phenomenal outlier for it’s resilience to time. Part of the un-changing reality of the Coca-Cola logo design is due to the board members choices not to change it however the design itself still works today. The timelessness of the Coca-Cola logo design is unparalleled. The script typeface is very compelling and delightful to look at. The design does verge on the busy side but not too busy to be unrecognizable and the font is bold enough that it remains very readable.

#6

Zippo. The logo says it all. And that is exactly what is meant by an “effective” logo. It’s bold and unique text is easy to recognize and reprint while it’s subtle and very simple icon, a flame, that dots the “i” captures the essence of the brand and the products it offers. Very simple, very strong.

#5

Alienware’s logo is iconic and loved among the gaming community and extra terrestrialists everywhere. While the type is a little wider that desired and the thin type may not always translate well onto certain medias the extreme kerning is just pleasant to look at and the small angles applied to the various letters creates a unique look and feel that is quite desirable. The logo bug of an alien face is just right with it’s rounded proportions.

#4

The PlayStation logo has always been a favorite of mine. I’m a bit of a sucker for creating a three dimensional visual out of a two dimensional shape. The icon has remained constant for decades now and the unique playful yet solidly font allows for a representation of many genres of gaming.

#3

Etnies is a familiar skating brand that has been around for decades. The reason I really love this logo is it’s iconic “E” which also functions as an arrow resembles a skateboard on it’s side. It’s simple yet different enough to remember. I love that it uses a font that doesn’t fit the common mold and all the letters are lowercase in a “stick it to the man” kind of way which is on brand and still very readable.

#2

This logo you probably won’t recognize. You’ve never seen it before because the icon hasn’t been printed on many things. But to bring you into the loop it is for an athletic brand called Nike. I joke of course, the Nike swoosh is the third most recognized symbol in the world, just behind the Christian cross and Disney’s Mickey Mouse ears icon. This logo is dear to me since it’s a brand I grew up with. It’s simplicity baffles me while it is still able to communicate what the brand stands for: forward motion “Just Do It”, effort and athleticism. It is a shape that was newly created, not a combination of other geometric shapes, a brand new shape.

#1

And my #1 favorite logo is the Chris Paul logo design created by Nike. It’s beautiful because of it’s simplicity with it’s complexity. How you come up with a shape that is a “C” and a “P” that looks cool together and then has a perfect “3” (Chris Paul’s number) with the same font and no distortions in the negative space is amazing. The custom font is attractive and fits the Nike, athleticism world perfectly. This is a great example of what genius graphic design can produce.

If you’d like a custom logo created for your business feel free to contact Joshua Parkhurst now…

“Joshua was very quick to respond and professional throughout the entire “logo” process. We appreciate all of his attention to detail and love the logo he designed for us!”

-Casey Robinson

 

“Joshua created our logo and business cards and we LOVE them!!”

-Jenn Edwards