The Transmission Error (or How to Fail at Logos: Lesson One)
When you do what I do for a living, you develop an eye for the weird communication quirks that seem to go unquestioned by others. My mental catalog of ridiculous branding decisions is ever-growing. Tiny things like utilizing happy pig cartoons to sell barbecue just stick with me and make me giggle.
Here's the best example of how not to do a logo that I can ever imagine: Transmissions. Yep, transmissions. Whenever I see a transmission-specific mechanic shop - without fail - the logo for the business is an accurate drawing of an actual transmission. Sometimes, they sweeten this weird decision by using actual transmissions in their office decoration, which is - by far - the worst decision I can imagine.
There are many reasons why this is a terrible idea. The primary one is this: the people you are selling your services to are coming to you because they have no idea what a transmission is, what it looks like, or where to find it. They will have to overcome many hurdles in choosing your business over your competitors, and your logo is bridging precisely none of them.
When I choose a mechanic, I look for a few things. They include:
Does this person seem trustworthy?
Will they communicate well with me?
Am I going to feel silly talking to this person about the noises my car is making?
The logo, which originated as a way to establish trust in an era when we began doing business without face-to-face meetings, is there to help answer some of these questions. On the flip side, using a transmission says:
How you may feel about coming to see me hasn't occurred to me
I don't talk to people outside my peer group in a relevant way
Don't count on me to be approachable
Or maybe even nice
That could not be the case - your team might be made up of the nicest people with polite children who love quinoa and roller skating. But that is the power of the Transmission Error.
When you design without thinking of how your audience will see you, when you create from a you-centric place, you say things you don't mean. As a person who knows your industry, what's logical to you might be the least important thing to someone who does not.
