Book review: TM: The Untold Stories Behind 29 classic Logos

Today, we bring you a new book review from Susan Niner Janes.
TM: The Untold Stories Behind 29 Classic Logos
By Mark Sinclair
Laurence King 2014
Hardback, £28.00
ISBN 978 1 78067 165 9

Star rating: *****

Every picture tells a story – and logos have to work a lot harder than ordinary pictures. TM, by Mark Sinclair, tells the stories behind 29 iconic logos. The stories are riveting, entertaining, and (as you would expect) documented in great style with lots of accompanying illustrative material, in graphic design splendour befitting the subject matter. It’s a classy book.

Do you dream of designing an iconic logo? In his book, Mark Sinclair recounts the eureka moments, brainstorming, and design development that led to the creation of 29 iconic logos and brand identities. No favouritism here – the logos are presented in alphabetical order.
(Reader: skip the following paragraph is you don’t want any spoilers.)

There is lots of anecdotal gold here: the I Love New York logo was scribbled on an envelope in the backseat of a taxi (there’s a pic to prove it), the CND peace sign channels Goya, and the V & A symbol was conceived in the shower (a design hotspot!). I was very taken by the fact that David Gentleman, the designer of the British Steel mark, had imprinted artisanal marks in mind. Penguin colophon? The inspiration was a trip to London Zoo.
The presentations for the logos are based upon interviews with the designers and their colleagues, and include archival materials and (some previously unpublished). You gain behind-the-scenes insight into what makes the designers tick, the constraints of their design briefs, the problem-solving strategies, and the evolution of the designs (including, in some cases, visual timelines).

Of the chosen logos, 13 are symbols, 13 are typographic, and three are hybrid designs. All of them have a place in your daily visual landscape – and your visual memory. The TMs include: the CND peace symbol, London Underground, the CBS eye, Milton Glaser’s “I Heart NY”, the Woolmark op-art spiral, The National Theatre stencil monogram, the British Rail arrows, and the Michelin Man, and the Penguin Books penguin. There’s a logo gallery at the back of the book.
The author, Mark Sinclair, is Deputy Editor of Creative Review, the UK’s leading design magazine and blog.

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Susan Niner Janes is a craft designer, author, and blogger.