There are those things in life that can make us feel uncomfortable or on edge, but that captivate us nonetheless. It’s the old theory of a train wreck and not being able to look away. We may fain an objecting posture, but inside we want to take it in, secretly wishing we could stare at the scene like we’d paid full price at the freak show to watch the contortionist writhe. Feeding the public’s mind with the unexpected or seemingly impossible is not just a way of creating disruption; it’s also the way of communicating a promise, achieving the impossible or scouting a pathway to the unobtainable.
Virile strains of these marks have cropped up this cycle, with many using letterforms as a mnemonic reminder of the entities name. As if lifted from the pages of a book on optical illusions, these marks range from linear outlines like you’d find with DIY instructions, to the fully illustrated with gradients, shadows and spectral light pings. The use of graphic illusion is nothing new, but the abundance this year hints at a rediscovery of miraculous problem-solving skills and a unique perspective ‒ or possibly the ability to teach your customers how to achieve the same. And when you can’t quite explain a client’s complicated process, laying claim to a little bit of magic is a great fall-back explanation.
MIHAL DOLGANIUC DESIGN / V A LOGO
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