weaves

Lippincott Mercer, The Bank of New York	Marcus Lee Design, Secura Speed
Cato Purnell Partners, Hamburg Airport	Crosby Associates, Lutheran General Health System

A thread is just thread, but when woven together properly, the fibers become fabric. This is not too far from the premise of these logos. The deft weaving of linear elements brings intrinsic value and substance to the marks, and the interlocking lines add strength. This repetition creates rhythm which helps the eye complete the image. There is a certain refinement conveyed by the intricacy that goes unspoken. Lippincott Mercer takes this approach with its new identity for The Bank of New York, cleverly adopting the fine, engraved lines of international currency and financial documents to evoke the firm’s global services.

whips

Landor and Associates, Song	Methodologie, Vendaria
Critheorian, Boomori	Trickett and Webb, Imperial War Museum

Gliding through the air from point A to point B, these logos may well be a genetic off-shoot of the dreaded "swoosh." Linear in form, whips arc through the air with a sense of destination in mind and seldom are they affected by gravity. Unlike the swoosh, which appears to be in infinite orbit, these logos show a definite start and stop. Landor's recent identity for Delta Airline's low-fare carrier Song portrays a bit of a playful nature as well. In an industry where the giant carriers must make a big statement, Song doesn’t have to.

puffies

VSA Partners, Cingular	Desgrippes Gobé, AOL
Critheorian, Water.com	TD2, S.C., Nestlé Chocolates

Different from their crystal-capped sisters (like the new UPS logo or John Deere), these logos have been pneumatically inflated to 33psi like pool float toys. Yes, they break the traditional logo rules with gradients, but, technically, we’ve overcome many of the production issues that used to give shading a bad name. Much like the complete suite of Microsoft Office logos that drift around our desktop, these logos draw your attention regardless of your personal persuasion. Three-dimensional logos will continue to thrive in a two-dimensional world. The good news is you won't hurt yourself if you accidentally fall on one.