Whose mask is it?
We wear masks often to identify a part of ourselves. Masks form a visible interface between us and the rest of the world so we are seen with our chosen tribe, those aligned with the same future aspirations.
We go to war on a flag, display our loyalty to a sports team that rarely wins, wear our religious symbol in the belief that we are aligned with the chosen one and stroke our egos with logos publicised by our celebrity heroes. We even embellish our nails, face, skin or hair to mask our natural appearance that we find unacceptable (says who?)
After time we begin to believe that we are the mask, but whose mask is it? Each version of the above has been carefully designed and delivered by someone else to create their own success. They can’t do this without followers.
Nowhere has this mask been exploited more than by brands. Logos are bait that tempt us with desires including quality, longevity, happiness, nutrition, beauty, health and success and they do it so effectively, we are hooked.
Soft drinks and fast foods are known to have a detrimental effect on our health, but the logos and ads are such fun, why would we not want to be seen participating in that team?
High end fashion brands make sure we see their logos on their clothing such as sweatshirts, scarves, bags, shoes, hats and so on but the clothes themselves usually don’t last whether due to poor quality or strategic fashion change, and inevitably end up in landfill or building further the giant fabric mountains in Africa.
When we look behind the mask we are often confronted with a version of the Emperor’s new clothes, and see how we have fallen for the temptation to identify with a vision created by someone else. Learn to look behind the masks of the brands you love and design your own using the same effective strategies.
Don’t make your own identifying logo a mask. Build it from the core of your heart and the longing of your soul; express your love, not greed, for the future you want, your better place in a better world. That is how we create the change we need, by changing, identifying and sharing our intention. This is what logos do best.
‘You wear a mask for so long, you forget who you were beneath it.’ Alan Moore, V for Vendetta
Learn to create your own intentional logo at https://bit.ly/4enPTPQ
I read labels and believe Heston
A recent advertisement for a sweet chocolate dairy drink labelled ‘kill hungry thirsty dead’ prompted in me a whole cascade of questions.
Is anything original?
Shopping in Taunton in the SW of England I noticed the new Lakeland logo. It was virtually the same as a logo, for a very different purpose, I designed many years ago in London.
The Road to Hell – Milton Glaser
Milton Glaser posed some great questions at a D&AD lecture titled ‘The Road to Hell’ that I think are immensely thought provoking. He listed a series of questions and asked the audience how far they would be prepared to go on the list.
Starling’s Murmurs ‘How I got here’
In this podcast, I talk about how I was led to develop the idea that we can use logos personally to create the life we want.
Phoenixes, rainbows pink and bridges
Before I begin any creative work for a client, there are myriad questions to ask. These include the usual such as details of their vision, timescale, ideal or typical clients…. and their preferences.
Starling’s Murmurs Intro Episode
Logos are much more than identifying an organisation or a brand, and it is much more than a visual image. I believe that logos have an inherent value to them. There’s something that one can say …
Who wants to be a celebrity?
Celebrity worship fascinates me. What makes us look outside ourselves for validation, fulfilment and inspiration?
The birth of a logo through intention
Before Covid, before the riots, before the incredibly immense upheaval of 2020, my super intuitive friend Jill, who created the Energy Institute, had a wonderful insight. When she shared this insight with me, it felt like a deep opportunity to prepare for who knew what. And now we do know.
The rainbow has done a full circle
I love rainbows, they are one of the first things we as children learn to draw and they evoke happiness, well being, joy, a promise of gold and a safe future. My mother used to make me rainbow jellies for my …
Are you a ‘Good Girl’?
I went to a breakfast event recently held in a luxury hotel in Melbourne by a women’s business support group. It was impressive, with delicious food including scones, jam and cream, banana bread …
Whose mask is it?
We wear masks often to identify a part of ourselves. Masks form a visible interface between us and the rest of the world so we are seen with our chosen tribe, those aligned with the same future aspirations.
We go to war on a flag, display our loyalty to a sports team that rarely wins, wear our religious symbol in the belief that we are aligned with the chosen one and stroke our egos with logos publicised by our celebrity heroes. We even embellish our nails, face, skin or hair to mask our natural appearance that we find unacceptable (says who?)
After time we begin to believe that we are the mask, but whose mask is it? Each version of the above has been carefully designed and delivered by someone else to create their own success. They can’t do this without followers.
Nowhere has this mask been exploited more than by brands. Logos are bait that tempts us with desires including quality, longevity, happiness, nutrition, beauty, health and success and they do it so effectively, we are hooked.
Soft drinks and fast foods are known to have detrimental on our health, but the logos and ads are such fun, why would we not want to be seen participating in that team?
High end fashion brands make sure we see their logos on their clothing such as sweatshirts, scarves, bags, shoes, hats and so on but the clothes themselves usually don’t last whether due to poor quality or strategic fashion change, and inevitably end up in landfill or building further the giant fabric mountains in Africa.
When we look behind the mask we are often confronted with a version of the Emperor’s new clothes, and see how we have fallen for the temptation to identify with a vision created by someone else. Learn to look behind the masks of the brands you love and design your own using the same effective strategies.
Don’t make your own identifying logo a mask. Build it from the core of your heart and the longing of your soul; express your love, not greed, for the future you want, your better place in a better world. That is how we create the change we need, by changing, identifying and sharing our intention. This is what logos do best.
‘You wear a mask for so long, you forget who you were beneath it.’ Alan Moore, V for Vendetta
Learn to create your own intentional logo at https://bit.ly/4ayC3rv
I read labels and believe Heston
A recent advertisement for a sweet chocolate dairy drink labelled ‘kill hungry thirsty dead’ prompted in me a whole cascade of questions.
Is anything original?
Shopping in Taunton in the SW of England I noticed the new Lakeland logo. It was virtually the same as a logo, for a very different purpose, I designed many years ago in London.
The Road to Hell – Milton Glaser
Milton Glaser posed some great questions at a D&AD lecture titled ‘The Road to Hell’ that I think are immensely thought provoking. He listed a series of questions and asked the audience how far they would be prepared to go on the list.
Starling’s Murmurs ‘How I got here’
In this podcast, I talk about how I was led to develop the idea that we can use logos personally to create the life we want.
Phoenixes, rainbows pink and bridges
Before I begin any creative work for a client, there are myriad questions to ask. These include the usual such as details of their vision, timescale, ideal or typical clients…. and their preferences.
Starling’s Murmurs Intro Episode
Logos are much more than identifying an organisation or a brand, and it is much more than a visual image. I believe that logos have an inherent value to them. There’s something that one can say …
Who wants to be a celebrity?
Celebrity worship fascinates me. What makes us look outside ourselves for validation, fulfilment and inspiration?
The birth of a logo through intention
Before Covid, before the riots, before the incredibly immense upheaval of 2020, my super intuitive friend Jill, who created the Energy Institute, had a wonderful insight. When she shared this insight with me, it felt like a deep opportunity to prepare for who knew what. And now we do know.
The rainbow has done a full circle
I love rainbows, they are one of the first things we as children learn to draw and they evoke happiness, well being, joy, a promise of gold and a safe future. My mother used to make me rainbow jellies for my …
Are you a ‘Good Girl’?
I went to a breakfast event recently held in a luxury hotel in Melbourne by a women’s business support group. It was impressive, with delicious food including scones, jam and cream, banana bread …