First impressions are extremely important and it takes very little time to form one.
In fact, many researchers believe you have as little as five to fifteen seconds to make an impression on someone… no matter if the impression is good or bad. That means, in the amount of time it has taken you to read these first few sentences of today’s post, you have about that long to make a lasting impression on someone. Crazy, isn’t it?
In a recent CNN article, a political logo’s importance in a successful campaign is discussed.
The article states that a logo is the first handshake a candidate has with a voter; it is his or hers first impression – where they can’t be, their logo can. And, because of that, logos should accurately portray what candidates want to be known for.
What does President Obama’s logo from the 2008 election say about him?
What about some of 2012’s candidates?
Political industry graphic designers weigh-in on what it takes to create a successful logo, saying that in this industry, there is never anything “truly original”, as the vast majority of political logos over the years have used the same patriotic red, white and blue color scheme, with stars and stripes incorporated into a politician’s last name. As they put it, everything has been “recycled” over the years.
Of course there have been exceptions, but for the most part, designers agree that less is more. The key is making a simplistic, yet bold, statement – something that can equally work on both a button and a billboard.
One expert summed it up perfectly: “Logos are the visual interpretation of a campaign personality.”
If you could design a political logo for yourself, what would yours look like? What would you want people to be able to tell about you, just by simply looking at its design?